Andy Burnham calls on wider society to help end rough sleeping by Christmas

PM says public money alone won’t solve problem but ‘we did it in the pandemic, we can do it again’

• ‘Burnham’s writing cheques, this one might bounce’: homeless people doubt PM’s plan

Andy Burnham has said government money alone may not be enough to get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas, as experts called for more of a plan to deal with the problems that cause homelessness.

Speaking on a visit to the north-east of England, the prime minister said he felt “very passionately” about tackling rough sleeping and wanted the wider society to play a part in wiping it out.