BREAKING NEWS: Sky News halted for tragic de@th announcement in major breaking news
The breaking alert came from 10 Downing Street.
Jayne Secker announced that Andy Burnham’s father has d!ed (Image: Sky News)
Sky News was interrupted for a breaking alert from 10 Downing Street, with presenter Jayne Secker announcing that Andy Burnham’s father has d!ed. Roy Burnham had been living in a care home with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, and the prime minister has now cancelled all engagements today and tomorrow following his father’s passing.
Secker said: “Just bringing you a bit of breaking news. We’re just hearing from Downing Street that the prime minister has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the de@th of his father, Roy. That has just been announced by Downing Street. You may recall that when Andy Burnham began as prime minister and stood on the steps at Number 10 on the 20th July, his mum was there but his dad wasn’t.”
The presenter continued: “His dad, Roy, had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and Andy Burnham had spoken openly and quite emotionally about the impact that that has had on his family and partly informs his commitment to social care.”
Secker added that Roy, who worked as a telephone engineer for British Telecom, had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for a “long time” and was being cared for in a residential home, with support from his partner, Eileen.
Tributes have flooded in online, with many sending their condolences to the Labour leader.
One said: “My Grandad has Alzheimer’s and although he’s on medication I know it won’t last forever RIP to Andy’s father, sending love to all the family.”
A second posted: “Very sad news. Condolences to @andyburnham.”
Another said: “Regardless to anyone’s political stance, this is very sad.”
Roy passed away following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease (Image: PA)
A fourth added: “Condolences to Andy and his family. A rare occasion where politics should be ignored.”
Burnham has frequently spoken about his father when explaining why he is so determined to reform adult social care in England.
He also revealed that his father did not know he had become prime minister in July because of his condition.
“That’s a sadness because he would be [proud]. The way I look at it, it’s his achievement as well. A whole family achievement although he doesn’t know it,” he told The Times.
However, during an appearance on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, Burnham revealed that staff at Roy’s care home had shown him footage of his son entering Downing Street for the first time.
