Our Westminster influencing update - July 2026
It has been a busy few weeks in Westminster, with the reintroduction of the Assisted Dying Bill, significant political change following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation and Andy Burnham's election as Labour leader, and the continued progress of the Health Bill through Parliament. Read more about our influencing work below.
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
The Terminally Ill Adults Bill has been reintroduced to Parliament, by Lauren Edwards, the Labour MP for Rochester and Strood.
Edwards has confirmed that she will bring back the Private Members Bill that was previously introduced by Kim Leadbeater MP. The previous Bill was passed in the House of Commons last year but did not complete its process through Parliament, as it ran out of time in the House of Lords.
Sue Ryder takes a neutral stance on assisted dying. However, we will continue to use the Bill and wider discussions to highlight the need for reform of palliative and end-of-life care. We will monitor the legislation as it progresses through Parliament.
Find out more about the previous Bill and Sue Ryder’s position.
Labour Leadership
Following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation, Andy Burnham has been elected Leader of the Labour Party with 349 nominations and become Prime Minister on 20th July 2026.
Burnham has pledged to focus on economic growth, devolving more power to communities and tackling the cost of living, alongside reforming public services, including the NHS.
Sue Ryder will continue engaging with the new Prime Minister and any incoming ministers to ensure palliative and end-of-life care remains a priority within future health and care policy.
Health Bill
The Health Bill continues to progress through Parliament and is currently being debated by MPs in the Commons.
The Bill includes proposals to abolish NHS England and transfer many of its responsibilities to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), as well as establish the framework for bringing health and social care records together through a Single Patient Record.
Sue Ryder submitted written evidence to the Bill Committee, highlighting the importance of ensuring palliative and end-of-life care is fully considered as part of future NHS reforms.
We will continue to monitor the Bill as it progresses through Parliament.
More influencing news
