ANDY BURNHAM ATTENDS CHURCH SERVICE WITH ROYAL FAMILY IN SCOTLAND

Prime Minister Andy Burnham attended a church service at Crathie Kirk on Royal Deeside alongside his wife, Marie-France van Heel, and the King and Queen. The granite church, located near the Balmoral estate, is regularly visited by members of the royal family during their time in Scotland. According to the Press Association, Burnham met with the King and Queen at Balmoral on Saturday, the day before the church service.

The visit follows Burnham's "listening tour" of the UK, during which he visited Ilkeston in Derbyshire, Sheffield in South Yorkshire, Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, Port Talbot in Wales and Belfast in Northern Ireland. Scotland was not included in the tour despite Burnham pledging to visit all nations and regions in Britain. Downing Street stated that Burnham had already visited Scotland when he attended the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow on 23 July, during which he met with First Minister John Swinney and ruled out a second Scottish independence referendum. Swinney later stated he was "surprised" Burnham had not visited Scotland as part of his listening tour.

Former prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have previously attended services at Crathie Kirk with members of the royal family. Burnham told Swinney during their earlier meeting that another independence referendum is "off limits" because it would divert UK Government focus "away from growing the economy and helping families with the cost of living".