Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his father Roy would want him to be "back out there" to bring forward "the changes that he always pushed me to make" as he returned to work on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister stated his relatives have been "helped through this difficult time by people’s warmth and compassion", highlighting messages from across political divides.
Downing Street confirmed the passing of his father Roy, who lived with Alzheimer’s, earlier this week, leading Mr Burnham to pause public engagements.
Asked about his wellbeing on returning to work, Mr Burnham said: "We’re doing OK, thank you.
"It is hard, and it will be hard for a little while. But better to get back to the job," he remarked.
Speaking at McLaren’s Technology Centre in Woking, Mr Burnham noted: "I also want to thank the leaders of the other parties, all of whom sent a message.
"It shows there is decency in British politics still, and that’s that’s what we need to see.
"So it’s a thank you from us all, the whole family. But my dad would want me to be back out there … bringing some of the changes that he always pushed me to make."
Mr Burnham has previously discussed his father's condition, which prevented Roy from knowing his son was now Prime Minister.
That personal experience remains a key motivation behind the Prime Minister’s push for social care reform.
In a major speech this July, Mr Burnham pledged action to assist "my dad and the millions like him" affected by system inequities.
On X this Wednesday, he posted: "We are grateful to everyone who has shared a kind message about my dad, particularly the leaders of the other parties.
"My family and I have been helped through this difficult time by people’s warmth and compassion. It means a great deal to us and we wanted to say thank you."
Sympathies were expressed to the Prime Minister by opposition leaders, including Kemi Badenoch of the Conservatives, Sir Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, and Zack Polanski of the Green Party.
Dementia UK’s chief nursing officer, Paul Edwards, noted that by discussing his story, the Prime Minister "helped shine an important light on the profound impact that dementia can have on the whole family, as well as the urgent need to improve dementia care and support".
Roy Burnham, who died in his mid-80s, worked as a telephone engineer for the Post Office and later BT.
He raised Mr Burnham alongside his mother Eileen and two brothers in Culcheth, Cheshire.
In his 2024 memoir Head North, co-written with Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, Mr Burnham reflected on his 1970s and 1980s upbringing.
He recalled: "Neither my dad, Roy, nor my mum, Eileen, went to university.
"But both could have done if they had grown up in a different time and in a different place.
"Their knowledge of that fact seemed to make them all the more determined that their three sons would go. But that did not make them pushy parents in any way.
"Their approach was one of quiet encouragement and confidence-building. Our family home in Culcheth was always full of music, life, laughter, love and support."
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