Political support for Breast Cancer Campaign
Throughout the year, politicians around the UK help to support Campaign. The charity works hard to get them involved in fundraising activities and events and hope their support will raise awareness of the charity.
Party conferences In autumn 2009, Breast Cancer Campaign joined forces with Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Care to hold joint events at the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat party conferences. With the theme of breast cancer inequalities, four key topics were chosen to be discussed by attendees at each event; age, secondary breast cancer, lymphoedema and black and minority ethnic women. There was an excellent attendance at all three events, including representatives from each of the respective health teams, including Mike Penning MP (Conservative Party Conference), Ann Keen MP (Labour Party Conference) and Norman Lamb MP (Liberal Democrat Party Conference) and Rt Hon Kevin Barron MP, Chair of the Health Select Committee- attended the Labour event. Also present were an impressive range of experts from key organisations such as the Royal College of GPs, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Surgeons, the Equality and Diversity Forum and Cancer Black Care. The three charities are working together to take forward the suggestions that came out of these meetings and following the conferences a report was produced with recommendations as to how the issues discussed could be addressed. Read the report |
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wear it pink Each year, Campaign holds photo calls with politicians from across the UK to give them the chance to get involved in our biggest fundraising day of the year - wear it pink. This year, politicians in Westminster, the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament dressed up in pink accessories to show their support for the charity. An impressive number of MPs attended the photo call in Westminster, sponsored by longstanding Campaign supporter Shailesh Vara MP. MPs included Health Services Minister Ann Keen MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Minister for Women and Equality Harriet Harman MP, Secretary of the All-Party Group on Breast Cancer Sharon Hodgson MP, Shadow Health Minister Anne Milton MP, and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg MP. Mr Vara has again tabled an Early Daily Motion (EDM) that allowed MPs to add their support to ‘wear it pink’. In Wales, the event was once again sponsored by Irene James AM, and saw a host of Assembly Members (AMs) showing their support by wearing it pink. AMs included Edwina Hart AM, who is the Minister for Health and Social Services and Peter Black AM, who is Shadow Minister for Health, Local Government and Housing. In Scotland, Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) also showed their support by wearing it pink. This included the sponsor Margaret Smith MSP as well as Tavish Scott MSP, who is Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party, and Jackson Carlaw MSP, who is the Shadow Minister for Public Health. Around 200 politicians from across the UK supported wear it pink in 2009. |
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Charity visits The charity invites local politicians to join staff, fundraisers and supporters at our research site visits. It’s a chance for them to find out about the Campaign-funded research carried out in their local constituency. John Leech (left), MP for Manchester Withington, attended a visit to the University of Manchester. He met Dr Rob Clarke (right) and Campaign-funded researcher Kath Spence, who looked at whether disruption to factors controlling breast stem cell division led to breast cancer formation. |
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Friendship Walks He said, "I am very pleased to be able to support the Edinburgh Friendship Walk and to have met many of my constituents en route. Taking part in this event for Breast Cancer Campaign is a great way to help raise funds for breast cancer research and I would encourage people to organise their own walk later in the year." |
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House of Lords support Campaign is supported by four Patrons in the House of Lords: Baroness Morgan of Dreflin, Baroness Fookes, DBE (right), Baroness Northover and Baroness Crawley. This group represents the three leading parties and each has a political or personal interest in health issues. All provide valuable support for Campaign and its work within Parliament. Find out more about Campaign's House of Lords Patrons |
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New MP Seminar This well attended event was an opportunity for new MPs to hear about breast cancer, useful information on key issues relating to breast cancer and ways they can help improve breast cancer health services and research. The seminar gave new MPs the chance to listen to and question the experts – a breast cancer researcher, patient and clinician. The MPs discussed with the experts why breast cancer was still so common and what can be done to improve treatment and research for those with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Campaign also asked for comments from our supporters via social media and these were put to the MPs during the seminar. The event has helped to raise the profile and understanding of breast cancer among new MPs. MPs attending reported that they learnt a lot about breast cancer and what they can do to help. New MP Jenny Chapman said “I thought the event was very useful. The personal testimony has stuck with me.” |
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General Election 2010 Thanks to our supporters we had a fantastic response from candidates – over 600 parliamentary candidates backed our pledge and 110 of these were elected as MPs. We also secured the backing of the then Health Minister and, as a result of our campaign, an MP questioned Health Ministers in the House of Commons about support for breast cancer research. We are now asking all MPs to take action to maintain the CRSF. Read more about our current campaign to Save Breast Cancer Research. |
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Interview with Paul Burstow |
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