New PM Burnham launches drive to end long-term rough sleeping on first day in office

Andy Burnham used his first day as prime minister on 20 July 2026 to launch a government drive to end long-term rough sleeping across the UK. He visited The Passage, a London homelessness charity, before delivering his inaugural Downing Street speech. The government said the first steps will involve helping long-term rough sleepers into secure housing. Official figures put England's rough sleeping count at a record 4,793.