Andy Burnham marked his first hours as Prime Minister by visiting The Passage, a homelessness charity in Victoria, which boasts Prince William as its royal patron, before heading to Downing Street to deliver his inaugural address.
The new Prime Minister declared that tackling long-term rough sleeping across the UK would be Labour’s foremost priority.
“On my first day as prime minister, I’m announcing this Government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity,” Mr Burnham said in a statement following his speech.
“We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together national and local Government with the investment needed to get it done.”
The Passage holds a particular royal connection; Prince William has served as its Patron since 2019, having first been taken to the charity by Princess Diana when he was just 11 years old.
Mr Burnham’s choice of venue for his opening engagement as Prime Minister drew attention to the alignment between his homelessness agenda and the Prince of Wales’s own campaigning on the issue.
In June 2023, William launched Homewards, an ambitious five-year programme through the Royal Foundation to make rough sleeping “rare, brief and non-recurring.”
At the time of that launch, the prince stated that homelessness should not exist in a “modern and progressive society.”
The initiative identified five locations across the country to pilot new approaches, with Greater Manchester, then under Mr Burnham’s leadership, among the areas pledging cooperation with the Royal Foundation’s efforts.
When William unveiled the Homewards programme three years ago, Mr Burnham, then serving as Greater Manchester’s mayor, was vocal in his admiration for the royal intervention.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he described it as “a tremendous development” and praised the prince for showing “leadership on this particular issue.”
Mr Burnham told the programme: “I think it will give a real sense of hope to everybody who’s working to support people who are homeless.”
He added that those at risk of or already experiencing homelessness would “feel seen” as a result of the prince’s endorsement.
“I think this is a really positive move by the Prince and the Royal Foundation, and in Greater Manchester we’re going to be supporting the Royal Foundation with all of the work with the five nominated places,” Mr Burnham said at the time.
Those words have taken on fresh significance now that he occupies Number 10.
The Prime Minister’s visit to The Passage prompted reaction on social media, with one royal supporter writing: “It’s an honour that the new prime minister recognises William’s outstanding work.”
Another posted: “Prince William’s great job is making an impact.”
