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'Andy Burnham’s record on homelessness has left a lot to be desired,' Reform UK's Richard Tice warned

Andy Burnham has pledged to work to "get everyone in for Christmas" as he seeks to build on his vow to end rough sleeping.

The Prime Minister is attempting to repeat efforts made during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Everyone In scheme resulted in thousands of rough sleepers across England being taken in off the streets.

This week, the Government committed to "offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas" - although there is no defined period for how long local authorities would be expected to accommodate people.

It is also understood that not every rough sleeper would necessarily take up the offer.

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.

The figure was a new record high and marked the fourth annual increase in a row, with 43 per cent of all people sleeping rough at that stage in London and the South East.

Mr Burnham has also said he will host a national summit this autumn to "bring together leaders from across society - from business, finance, charities, health, faith communities and more - to ask what role each of them can play in ending rough sleeping".

The Prime Minister, who pledged as his "first instruction" on day one in No10 "to end rough sleeping in our country", suggested that people living on the streets had gradually become accepted.

He said: "No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.

"I won’t accept it. That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.

"We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again. But it needs all of us. Government will put the money in, but I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too."

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Mr Burnham has announced an additional £102million to fund immediate routes off the streets this winter - including an £8.4million boost to the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.

The funding will sit alongside the £340million announced last month to support long-term rough sleepers into settled accommodation.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "When the Prime Minister pledged to end rough sleeping, we said we’d move urgently from words to action. Today we’re delivering on that promise.

"This funding will help thousands of people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives.

"Working alongside councils, mayors and charities, we’re backing local areas to tackle rough sleeping at its roots, giving people the security, dignity and opportunity they deserve, and restoring hope to those who have been let down for far too long."

Homelessness charities welcomed the announcement as a "strong start".

Shelter chief executive Sarah Elliott said: "The Prime Minister’s pledge to get everyone sleeping rough off the streets by Christmas is a game-changing move and exactly the kind of bold leadership needed to end the housing emergency."

Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly said: "Andy Burnham promised to end rough sleeping in Manchester, and failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary.

"Now he is pledging to end it nationally without any plan for delivery. And as with many of his other commitments, there is very little detail on how this one will be paid for."

Deputy Reform UK leader Richard Tice dismissed the pledge as "yet another vague announcement with no substances which uses our most vulnerable for political point-scoring".

"We’ll believe it when we see it. Andy Burnham’s record on homelessness has left a lot to be desired," he said.