INTERNATIONAL NEWS - According to bbc.com, the United Kingdom's new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, in his first speech, has pledged to make ending rough sleeping one of his government's immediate priorities.

Burnham said his first instruction as prime minister would be to begin work to end rough sleeping across the country.

The commitment builds on a pledge he made after becoming Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017, when he set a target to end rough sleeping in the city region by 2020.

Figures from England's local authorities show that an estimated 268 people were sleeping rough across Greater Manchester in 2017, according to data published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

By 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, that figure had fallen to 125. Although Burnham did not meet his original target, the number of people sleeping rough dropped further to 90 in 2021.

However, the latest figures for 2025 show rough sleeping in Greater Manchester has increased again, rising to an estimated 197 people.

Homelessness in England reaches record high

Rough sleeping has also increased across England in recent years.

Government estimates show that 4,793 people were sleeping rough on a single night in England during autumn 2025 – the highest figure since national records began.

Official rough sleeping statistics are based on annual "snapshot" counts conducted by local authorities on a single night each autumn. The figures do not include everyone experiencing homelessness, such as people staying in temporary accommodation, hostels or other forms of emergency housing.

Burnham's announcement signals that tackling homelessness and rough sleeping will be among the key priorities of his new government.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’