Andy Burnham to tackle issues 'ignored by Westminster' on second week of summer tour

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The Prime Minister aims to resolve the 'toxic dump, fly-tipping and environmental vandalism scandal'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will look at issues "ignored by Westminster for too long" during the second week of his summer tour of the UK.

These issues include ending rough sleeping and resolving the "toxic dump, fly-tipping and environmental vandalism scandal".

Mr Burnham will also be at Number 10 North during the week, marking a month since it was established.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister wants to bring back hope that we can finally fix the difficult issues facing the country that have been ignored by Westminster for too long.

"This includes taking on issues that others have said are intractable, like ending rough sleeping and resolving the toxic dump, fly-tipping and environmental vandalism scandal that is blighting communities across the UK.

"The coming week will see the Prime Minister take on some of these issues as he continues his tour around the UK, which will inform his upcoming 10-year plan to make Britain better off."

In his first week of travelling around the country, the Prime Minister visited Derbyshire, the West Midlands, Devon, and Cornwall to hear from local people and businesses.

He also announced a series of policies, including "easy to exit" rules to help consumers cancel subscriptions and a ban on retailers making misleading claims about discounts.

Mr Burnham said he would also give councils new powers to block vape and betting shops in a bid to save Britain’s "hollowed-out high streets".

The Prime Minister chaired a Cobra meeting to discuss efforts to deal with the extreme heat conditions across the UK, announced support for farmers to help manage drought pressures, and visited families affected by wildfires in the West Midlands.

In his very first speech as Prime Minister, Mr Burnham vowed to eradicate rough sleeping.

But he isn't the first person in No10 to make the pledge - Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer both pledged to cut rough sleeping while in office.

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And rough sleeping has steadily risen, with an estimated 4,793 people sleeping on the streets in a single night last autumn, according to Government figures released in February.

Mr Burnham visited locations connected with the ongoing heatwaves in his first week touring the UK.

On Saturday, he visited a family-run potato farm near Truro, Cornwall, admitting the Government had a "long way to go to build back trust" with British farmers.

He also visited Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where 54 people were left injured as a result of the "apocalyptic" wildfires.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said 19 houses had been destroyed and 18 damaged.

Ongoing wildfires in south Wales have forced the Prime Minister to call in over 100 military personnel to assist firefighters and emergency workers.

In a statement, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said "specialist resources including a helicopter and expert tactical advisors" had been deployed to several incidents.

On Friday, he visited the Met Office in Exeter and viewed a weather map which played a critical role in the timing of D-Day.