UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s father has died, just months after Alzheimer’s disease left him unable to understand that his son had become the country’s leader.
Roy Burnham had been living in a care home while suffering from the disease and his condition had worsened by the time his son entered Downing Street in July, 2026.
Burnham had previously admitted there was a sadness that his father could not understand what had happened. He said, “The way I look at it, it’s his achievement as well. A whole family achievement although he doesn’t know it.”
There was, however, one moment that gave the family some hope.
Staff at Roy’s care home knew when Burnham was expected to arrive at Downing Street for the first time, so they placed his father in front of a television.
Six members of staff stood around Roy and encouraged him to look at his son on the screen.
According to Burnham, his father turned towards the television and for a brief moment, staff thought he understood what he was watching.
Burnham became emotional while recalling the moment during a podcast interview.
Downing Street confirmed Roy’s death on Monday, September 14, 2026. The prime minister has cancelled all of his engagements for Monday and Tuesday, including a planned speech at the TUC conference in Brighton.
Roy worked as a telephone engineer, while Burnham’s mother Eileen was a GP receptionist. Burnham has previously described growing up with his parents and two brothers in Culcheth, Cheshire, as a happy and supportive childhood.
His father’s illness also became personal motivation for Burnham’s push to reform Britain’s struggling social care system.
In one of his first speeches after becoming prime minister, Burnham spoke about the care his father received and praised the workers who looked after him.
2026-09-14 19:16:00
