Where does Andy Burnham stand on key moral issues? The new PM’s voting record

Andy Burnham has just been announced as the new Labour Party leader, and is set to become Prime Minister on Monday.

It’s important to know who our leader is and what his values are if we are to glean any idea of how the country may be run, and what his premiership might mean for the work of The Christian Institute.

Using our MPs’ votes resource, we have examined how the former Mayor of Greater Manchester voted on moral issues we campaign on during his previous stint as an MP of Leigh between 2001 and 2017.

Christian freedoms

Mr Burnham has voted against expanding Sunday trading hours in England and Wales, protecting those who want to keep the Lord’s Day holy.

However, he voted to narrow employment freedoms of churches and religious organisations in the Equality Bill and to scrap the presumption that religious charities provide public benefit.

He also voted in favour of the Religious Hatred Bill, which could have criminalised reasonable criticism of religious or atheistic beliefs and voted against including protection for churches and religious organisations in the Gender Recognition Bill.
 

Unborn rights

Burnham has consistently voted to undermine protections for the unborn by not opposing an explicit ban on sex-selective abortion and voting against providing information and offering counselling to women considering abortion for foetal abnormality in 2008.

He also voted against reducing the abortion limit from 24 weeks in 2008.

However, he did vote to keep the requirement to consider a child’s need for a father before fertility treatment.

Medical ethics

The former Mayor did not vote in the previous attempts to legalise assisted suicide.

However, he did approve the creation of GM babies with three or four parents.

He also voted against bans on creating animal-human hybrid embryos and saviour siblings.

LGBT issues

Burnham consistently voted for the introduction of same-sex marriage.

He was against several free speech amendments to the ‘homophobic hatred’ offence in November 2009 and voted for the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which restricted religious liberty.

He was also in favour of the Gender Recognition Bill and voted for allowing unmarried and homosexual couples to adopt children.
 

Gambling and drugs

In 2003, Burnham voted to reclassify cannabis to class C, but then in 2008 voted for it to be upgraded back to class B.

He abstained or was absent on the vote for increasing the number of regional casinos from 1 to 8, but voted for the Gambling Bill which liberalised the laws on gambling and promoted the industry.

However, he says his stance on gambling has changed, and during his time as Mayor, he consistently pushed for restrictions on gambling.

Prime Minister

As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham will have great influence.

Please join us in praying for him as he steps into this new leadership role, and that he would be open to engaging with Christians on moral issues.

Our website shows how politicians have voted on certain moral and religious freedom issues – you can search for your own MP’s voting history here.