Angela Rayner defends Andy Burnham's record of tackling rough sleeping after homelessness announcement

'We've got to keep a relentless focus on it'09:11, 19 Aug 2026Updated 09:20, 19 Aug 2026Prime Minister Andy Burnham's record of tackling rough sleeping in Greater Manchester when he was mayor was today defended by the Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner.‌Mr Burnham vowed to end rough sleeping in one of his first major policy announcements after becoming PM.‌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.‌Click here for the latest on Greater Manchester's politics in our newsletterMr Burnham is planning to revive the 'Everyone In' scheme - when thousands of rough sleepers were taken off the streets during the pandemic - and wants to host a major national summit on the is