Andy Burnham has postponed his public engagements until tomorrow following the death of his father, Roy Burnham. Roy, 86, a former BT telephone engineer, passed away yesterday after a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Downing Street confirmed the cancellation of the prime minister’s scheduled activities, citing the family bereavement as the reason. Throughout his father’s illness, Mr. Burnham has been open about the personal impact of Alzheimer’s, noting that his father was unaware of his son’s rise to the office of prime minister.

Ahead of assuming the premiership in July, Mr. Burnham expressed profound sadness that his father did not know he was about to take up the nation’s top political role. He has also indicated that his father’s struggle with the illness played a significant role in shaping his commitment to reforming the social care system in the United Kingdom.