No10 has confirmed Andy Burnham will cancel his engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father, Roy.
The Prime Minister has previously spoken out about his father’s care, who spent his final years living with Alzheimer’s disease in a care home in northern England.
Roy, who was a telephone engineer when he was younger, died aged 86.
Mr Burnham has said his father’s diagnosis was his motivation to reform England’s “broken” social care system, vowing to “expend quite a lot of political capital” on improvements.
When the Makerfield MP became Prime Minister in July, he said that his father’s illness meant he was unaware of his son’s achievement.
“That’s a sadness because he would be [proud],” the Makerfield MP told The Times.
“The way I look at it, it’s his achievement as well. A whole family achievement although he doesn’t know it.”
However, Mr Burnham said that staff at the care home told him Roy had “momentarily” been aware as he watched his son walk up Downing Street on the day he became Prime Minister.
Andy Burnham with his parents after being selected as the Labour candidate for the Mayor of Greater Manchester
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PA
Mr Burnham has cancelled plans to meet with business leaders this afternoon.
Since becoming Labour leader, Mr Burnham has set out plans to reform the adult social care system, speaking candidly about his father’s time in care.
Cross-party colleagues have started sharing their condolences with the Prime Minister.
Angela Rayner shared on social media: “My thoughts are with Andy and his family at this terribly difficult and sad time.”
Meanwhile, Sir James Cleverly wrote: “My deepest condolences to the Prime Minister on the death of his father.”
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