Burnham: My dad would want me to push on and make change

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed his gratitude for the messages of support following the death of his father, stating that it "means a great deal".

He noted that his family had been "helped through this difficult time by people’s warmth and compassion", drawing particular attention to tributes received from leaders of other political parties.

Downing Street confirmed the death of the Prime Minister’s father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s, earlier in the week, leading Burnham to cancel several engagements.

In a post on X on Wednesday, he wrote: "We are grateful to everyone who has shared a kind message about my dad, particularly the leaders of the other parties.

"My family and I have been helped through this difficult time by people’s warmth and compassion. It means a great deal to us and we wanted to say thank you."

Burnham has previously spoken about his father's illness, which meant that Roy did not know his son had become Prime Minister.

This personal experience remains a central driving factor behind the Prime Minister’s efforts to reform the social care system.