Andy Burnham thanks political rivals for 'warmth and compassion' as he returns to duties after death of Alzheimer's-hit father

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 04:52 EDT, 16 September 2026 | Updated: 04:57 EDT, 16 September 2026 Andy Burnham has thanked political rivals for their 'warmth and compassion' as he returned to duties after the death of his father.The PM said his family had been 'helped through this difficult time' by the widespread support.Mr Burnham cleared his diary when Roy died on Monday after suffering with Alzheimer's.Shortly before becoming PM, the former Manchester Mayor voiced 'sadness' that his father would not be aware his son was taking on the top job. Andy Burnham pictured with his father Roy and mother Eileen in 2015 The PM said his family had been 'helped through this difficult time' by the widespread supportIn a post on X this morning, Mr Burnham said: '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 often said his father's Alzheimer's – the most common cause of dementia – is one of the driving factors behind his bid to reform social care.In a speech shortly after he became PM, Mr Burnham vowed to help 'my dad and the millions like him' faced with the unfairness of the current system.Roy, who was in his mid-80s, was a former telephone engineer, first with the Post Office and then with BT.He and Eileen brought Mr Burnham up in Culcheth, Cheshire, alongside his two brothers.Mr Burnham inherited his Catholic faith from his mother and attended Catholic schools during his childhood.The former Greater Manchester mayor has previously spoken about how his non-Catholic father was worried about meeting his mother's family for the first time 'as religion was so important in Liverpool then'.Mr Burnham is due to carry out a visit in the South East this morning, before meeting Nato general secretary Mark Rutte this afternoon and Canadian counterpart Mark Carney in the North West this evening.De facto deputy PM Louise Haigh filled in for her boss by giving a speech to the TUC conference in Brighton yesterday.