PM not ruling out inquiry into funeral scandal

The prime minister says he is "not going to rule out" a public inquiry into the Legacy funeral home scandal.

Andy Burnham said he was "shocked to my core" by the case which saw Hull funeral home owner Robert Bush jailed for 20 years after admitting failing to bury or cremate people and giving bereaved relatives the ashes of strangers.

"I cannot do anything other than just feel with everything I've got for the families who've been affected," said Burnham.

Having recently suffered the loss of his father, he said he could not imagine the "extra distress" that families of Bush's victims must have faced.

Burnham added that he was committed to "bringing forward proposals for the regulation of the funeral service".

In a video message to the PM, Jasmine Beverley, whose stillborn baby boy was discovered at the funeral home almost two years after his funeral was held, called on the prime minister to order a "public inquiry to ensure that we can find out why these feelings happened and for them not to happen again".

In response, Burnham said he was "not going to rule it out", adding: "I don't want to raise false hope either, but I will look at it carefully and seriously."

He confirmed he was in discussions with local MPs about regulation of funeral services.

"I want real change to come out of this case, real change," he said.

Burnham added: that he could "commit to bringing forward proposals for the regulation of the funeral service".

After hearing the prime minister's comments, Beverley said: "I'm pleased that he hasn't ruled out a public inquiry, because we need to fully understand where the failings occurred in order to ensure effective regulation.

"A public inquiry is the only way we can properly establish what went wrong and what needs to change."

The trial of Bush at Hull Crown Court in July heard that 35 bodies and more than 100 sets of ashes were found by police raiding the funeral home in March 2024.

He admitted 67 offences, including denying 30 people a decent and proper burial, theft from 12 charities, and fraudulent trading over a period of almost 12 years.

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