Carmichael calls to end the ‘taboo’ and talk about brain tumours

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael. 

Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has warned “structural problems” still standing in the way of the progress on brain tumour research.

Speaking in the brain tumour research funding debate in the House of Commons, Mr Carmichael also highlighted the wider need for more openness in talking about brain tumours among friends and family.

During the debate last Thursday, he  highlighted the progress made since a “quite remarkable” Westminster Hall debate in 2016.

“We said then that we needed the money; we got the money, but now we find that there are structural problems still standing in the way of the progress we need.

“To me, that says that there is probably nobody in charge of the strategy within the department.”

He asked Tory MP Derek Thomas, who was leading the debate, whether he agreed that further progress required a commitment from ministers “that somebody will take charge of this strategy and make it happen?”

Mr Thomas said he agreed.

“Actually, I want the government to go further and make brain tumour research the priority of all cancer research, because we have not seen the progress that we should have in that time,” he added.

Speaking later in the debate Mr Carmichael added: “I speak about this publicly from time to time, and I am always struck by the number of people who say to me, ‘thank you for doing that, because this took my father’–or their brother, their neighbour, their friend or whoever–‘and I had no idea that this had been their life experience’.

“When I was growing up, 40 or 50 years ago, a cancer diagnosis really was not talked about–it was almost taboo–and I think we are in the same place with brain cancers.

“If we are to make the progress we need, we all have to start talking about this much more. The experience has to be shared.”