British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed his gratitude for the messages of support he and his family have received following the death of his father, Roy Burnham, stating that the kindness shown during the difficult period “means a great deal” to them.
The Prime Minister, whose father had been living with Alzheimer’s disease, acknowledged the condolences from members of the public and political leaders from across the UK’s political divide.
According to Andy Burnham, his family had been supported by the warmth and compassion shown following his father’s death, while specifically highlighting messages from leaders of other political parties.
“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.”
Andy Burnham
The message followed the confirmation from Downing Street earlier in the week that Roy Burnham had died after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The Prime Minister subsequently cancelled a number of scheduled engagements as he and his family dealt with the loss.
Meanwhile, the death of his father comes against the backdrop of Andy Burnham’s longstanding advocacy for reform of the social care system.
The Prime Minister has previously spoken publicly about his father’s condition and the challenges faced by families supporting people living with dementia. His experience has become an important part of his argument for changes to the way social care is provided and funded.
In a major address in July, Burnham referred directly to his father and the millions of other people affected by shortcomings in the existing system.
He pledged to support “my dad and the millions like him” who face what he described as unfairness within the current social care arrangements.
Moreover, the Prime Minister has previously described how his father’s Alzheimer’s disease affected his ability to understand the changes taking place in his son’s life. His father was reportedly unaware that Andy Burnham had become Prime Minister earlier this year.
That experience has informed Burnham’s public discussion of dementia and the wider social care system, as he has sought to connect policy reform with the experiences of families living with the condition.
Dementia UK’s Chief Nursing Officer, Paul Edwards, said Mr Burnham’s decision to speak openly about his family’s experience had helped draw attention to the wider effects of dementia.
Mr Edwards observed that by sharing his personal story, the Prime Minister had “helped shine an important light on the profound impact that dementia can have on the whole family, as well as the urgent need to improve dementia care and support.”
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Green Party leader Zack Polanski were among those who offered their sympathies following Roy Burnham’s death.
Other political figures also paid tribute. Communities Secretary Angela Rayner expressed her thoughts for Mr Burnham and his family, while Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle conveyed the sympathies of Parliament.
The condolences came as Mr Burnham temporarily stepped back from his official programme following his father’s death.
Downing Street confirmed that the Prime Minister had cancelled engagements for Monday and Tuesday after Roy Burnham died. Among the events affected was a planned appearance at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton, as well as other scheduled government engagements.
A Family Background Rooted in Cheshire
Roy Burnham, who was in his mid-80s, previously worked as a telephone engineer with the Post Office before later moving to BT.
Together with his wife, Eileen, he raised Andy Burnham and his two brothers in Culcheth, Cheshire.
Burnham has previously described his upbringing as a close-knit family environment and reflected on his parents’ influence in his 2024 book *Head North*, co-authored with Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.
In the book, Burnham recalled the educational background of his parents and the determination they showed in supporting their three sons.
“Neither my dad, Roy, nor my mum, Eileen, went to university. But both could have done if they had grown up in a different time and in a different place. Their knowledge of that fact seemed to make them all the more determined that their three sons would go. But that did not make them pushy parents in any way.
Andy Burnham
He added, “their approach was one of quiet encouragement and confidence-building. Our family home in Culcheth was always full of music, life, laughter, love and support.”
The account offers an insight into the family environment in which the Prime Minister was raised and the influence his parents had on his education and subsequent career.
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