Andy Burnham cancels engagements following death of father

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Burnham has 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 the Prime Minister’s aim to reform the social care system.

Burnham had been due to host business leaders in No 10 on Monday afternoon.

In an interview with The Times on the eve of taking office in July, Burnham revealed the extent of his father’s illness.

He said his father was unaware that he was on the brink of power.

“That’s a sadness because he would be (proud),” Burnham said.

“The way I look at it, it’s his achievement as well.

“A whole family achievement although he doesn’t know it.”

In a major speech about reform of social care later that month, Burnham promised to help “my dad and the millions like him” faced with the unfairness of the current system.