PM Andy Burnham says 'thank you' for messages of support after the death of his father
“We are grateful to everyone who has shared a kind message about my dad, particularly the leaders of the other parties.”
Prime minister Andy Burnham has shared his gratitude for messages of support after the death of his father, saying it “means a great deal”.
He said his family has been “helped through this difficult time by people’s warmth and compassion” and especially pointed to messages from political leaders from other parties.
Downing Street announced the death of the Makerfield MP’s father Roy, who had Alzheimer’s, on Monday and Mr Burnham cancelled several engagements in the wake of the news.
He posted on X on Wednesday: “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.”
Mr Burnham has previously spoken about his father’s illness, which meant that he did not know his son had become prime minister.
The experience is one of the driving factors in his aim to reform the social care system.
Asked how he is doing during a visit to McLaren’s Technology Centre in Woking on Wednesday morning, Mr Burnham told reporters: “We’re doing okay, thank you.”
He added: “It is hard, and it will be hard for a little while. But better to get back to the job.
“But I also want to thank the leaders of the other parties, all of whom sent a message. It shows there is decency in British politics still, and that’s that’s what we need to see.
“So it’s a thank you from us all, the whole family. But my dad would want me to be back out there … bringing some of the changes that he always pushed me to make.”