‘Andy Burnham’s greatest take a look at can be difficult the deeper issues behind homelessness’
The latest annual national statistics, published by the Government in February, estimated there were 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England
Voice of the Mirror has its say…
Andy Burnham knows better than most how brutally difficult it is to get people off the streets for good. As Greater Manchester mayor, he made tackling rough sleeping a defining mission. His “A Bed Every Night” scheme helped initially drive numbers down, but the problem stubbornly returned as homelessness rose across the country. That experience matters now he is Prime Minister.
His pledge to get everyone indoors by Christmas, backed by £442 million, is ambitious, humane and desperately needed after rough sleeping hit record levels last year. But warm words and emergency beds alone will not end this issue. Mr Burnham himself has seen how homelessness is driven by far deeper problems, from soaring rents and too few affordable homes to addiction, mental ill-health and family breakdown.
The policy sounds impressive. The test will be whether councils have the homes, staff and long-term support to make it work. Getting people through the door this Christmas is only the beginning. Keeping them off the streets will be the real measure of success.
Treat fairly
Channel 4 has every right to challenge established thinking. But with ADHD, it also has a responsibility not to turn a serious medical condition into provocative television. Calling a programme The Great ADHD Myth? risks sowing doubt before a single piece of evidence is heard.
For people whose diagnosis and medication have transformed their lives, that framing can feel deeply dismissive. There are legitimate questions about diagnosis, prescribing and whether schools do enough to support children who struggle. They deserve proper scrutiny. So do concerns about medication and its long-term effects. But those questions must be explored with balance, care and evidence, particularly when children are involved. ADHD UK is right to demand that those helped by treatment are heard too. Debate is healthy. Stigma, sensationalism and reducing complex lives to television entertainment are not.
By your side
Cancer does not care about rank, wealth or privilege. The Queen’s account of longing to speak about the King’s diagnosis captures the fear familiar to countless families. Charles chose to carry on, but nobody should face cancer alone. That is why places such as Maggie’s Cancer Support Centre, offering expert help and simple human support, matter so much.
