The past week has seen a number of significant events in Westminster, ahead of MPs returning to their constituencies for Conference recess. Perhaps most notable was the vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday.
The Bill, which would have allowed adults with fewer than six months to live to apply to be given help to end their own life, ultimately fell in the House of Commons vote, with MPs voting 286 against to 270. Following this vote the Bill, tabled by Labour MP Lauren Edwards, will make no further progress and it is highly unlikely that there will be changes to the law on assisted dying in this parliamentary session.
Although MPs were given a free vote, it is likely the recent change in Labour leadership had an impact on this voting, with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying that improvement to end-of-life support is a more significant issue. This is in contrast to Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer, who consistently and vocally offered his support to delivering legislation in this area. For campaigners, the result represented a major setback, whilst for Burnham it was an early opportunity to establish that his government will not simply inherit the previous administration’s policy agenda.
The bigger test of Burnham’s political position, however, may now be taking shape in Holborn and St Pancras. The by-election to replace Starmer is due to take place on the 8th October, with Labour selecting Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali and Green Party leader Zack Polanski entering the race. Labour remains the favourite, but this is no longer a routine safe-seat contest. The Greens are treating it as a major opportunity to demonstrate that they can turn their growing support among younger and more left-wing voters into Westminster representation.
The Prime Minister has indicated strong confidence in a Labour victory, though, with party insiders going so far as to say the by-election is being used as a “test run” to help to decide whether to trigger an early general election. These comments come amid growing speculation that the Prime Minister could call a snap election before the end of the year – despite recently ruling out doing so – to help strengthen his mandate as leader.
Over the coming days, devolution will be a key issue to watch in Westminster, as political leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland gather today to sign a joint deceleration demanding the right to hold independence referendums. Meeting in Cardiff, First Ministers John Swinney, Rhun ap Iowerth and Michelle O’Neill are expected to put further pressure on Andy Burnham, following his statement at last week’s Prime Minister’s Questions that another Scottish independence referendum could be held if public opinion backed one.
The start of Conference Recess will also give the new government some breathing space before MPs return. But with the Holborn and St Pancras by-election approaching, pressure from the Greens and Reform continuing to grow, and tensions over the future of the United Kingdom becoming more prominent, the political temperature will continue to rise and with it, the pressure on Andy Burnham to demonstrate that his government has a clear political direction of its own.
Headlines
- Reform declines to say if £72m donors returned to UK within 12-month limit – The Guardian
- Trump revels in ‘united Ireland’ uproar as Gerry Adams weighs in – The Times
- UK faces £258bn infrastructure spending gap, warns report – Financial Times
What's on in Parliament
- House of Lords oral questions: Combatting international fraud during the UK's two-year presidency of the Financial Action Task Force - 14th September
- House of Commons Backbench Business: General debate on the potential merits of a full ban on fracking - 15th September
- House of Commons Westminster Hall Debate: Goods trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland - 15th September
- House of Lords oral questions: Target of 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament- 15th September
- House of Lords legislation: Financial Services and Markets Bill (third reading) - 15th September
- House of Lords legislation: Railways Bill - committee stage (day 3) - 16th September
- House of Lords oral questions: Objectives for the G20 summit in 2027 - 17th September
Consultations
- Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales – closes 24thSeptember
- Tobacco and vapes: packaging, appearance and display – closes 2nd October
- Consultation on powers for local authorities to issue conditional cautions to fly-tipping offenders – closes 16th October
Statistics
- UK overseas trade in goods statistics July 2026: import and export data – published 11th September
- State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information – published 10th September
- Agriculture in the United Kingdom data sets – published 3rd September