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Lauren Edwards will press on with her assisted dying private members bill - emphasising the four year implementation

Yes it was a free vote but of course these considerations play into the psyche of lots of MPs

I am not sure - i think there were a fair few MPs at second reading vote who felt reassured by the PM's backing and others who now might feel uneasy about doing something the new PM has explicitly said he doesn't think should proceed. Maybe not enough to tip the balance but it does have play.

Assisted dying was - imo - one of the most crucial moments which caused problems for Starmer in a way that had v little to do with the actual substance. A hard moral issue that split the PLP, caused resentment, got MPs used to voting against the PM.

MPs felt reassured in voting for assisted dying because of Starmer's long-held position and his vote in favour - even though he was neutral. Burnham's caution - which is stronger than many anticipated - is likely to have the same effect in the opposite direction.

Suspect that Burnham's view on assisted dying will be pretty crucial. He is not taking a neutral position -he is saying don't proceed until changes made to social care. With the vote on the next PMB in September set to be quite tight, it will definitely give wavering MPs pause.

Burnham intervenes to condemn FIFA’s share plans - all starting to feel very European Super League…

Bit more hate and division to come I reckon

This is a proper proper jaw dropper www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

I think this is correct. Lots of lobby groups for various causes or policies - many of them interesting or worthy - have until now been able to easily get his ear and leave thinking he agrees. And in GM he has been able to speak in v broad terms - now he can’t.

More hilariously the minister who would likely be responsible for this would be Chipping Barnet’s Dan Tomlinson and… well

(I think it’s got more attention this time as Burnham has been previously sympathetic to changes like this - which certainly do have their merits if you are a northern MP)

Here is how we write it up when we got the report last October www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

But anyway that’s why the PM sounded quite baffled by it being presented as his policy yesterday. Because it isn’t. It’s a report lobbying for this change.

In doing so, it has almost certainly been shown to one of Burnham’s team or adjacent to his team at some point. But then it can be said that they have been “examining” the report and it gives the authors another chance to promote their work. That’s fine! That’s effective campaigning and comms.

I have to admit some sympathy with Burnham here. It wasn’t ever their policy. This report has been doing rounds for at least 18 months, journalists have written it up at different junctures as its authors have Labour MPs backing it. It’s been punted out at budgets, reshuffles, to lots of outlets.

not sure what has been harder on the nerves this summer, the World Cup or the Trafford transfer…

Andy Burnham seeks cross-party agreement on future of social care But senior Lib Dems and Labour cast private doubt on whether Tories serious about cooperation. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Do think there is a definite world where the next election ends up a pretty straight Labour-Tory fight again

I do worry the cult of the NHS has gone too far: covid messaging was "protect the NHS" not "protect your neighbour", now social care pitch rolling is "protect the NHS", not "you and your loved ones deserve peace of mind over the end of your lives".