Jon Ashworth pledged to help eradicate the inequalities men with prostate cancer after speaking with campaigners at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester last week.

Despite being the most common cancer in men, those affected by or at risk of prostate cancer continue to face a number of injustices, particularly when it comes to access to the best treatments and aftercare support for their condition.

Prostate Cancer UK was at the Labour Conference calling for urgent action on these issues. As well as pledging long term commitment to helping bring about real change for men, politicians were being asked to show their support for the charity’s game plan by signing up to Men United – a new team which seeks to unite people across the UK against the common enemy of prostate cancer.

On Sunday 21 September Jon Ashworth, along Gloria De Perio MP, spoke at Conference on the renewal of The Labour Party.

This renewal of the Party focusses on Ed Miliband’s plans to open up the Party, recruit supporters and work more closely with trade union colleagues.

Part of the aim of opening up the Party is to meet community activists on the ground and join with them in their campaigns. Over the summer Labour’s Seaside Express, led by Jon and Gloria, saw coaches of Labour students campaigning in key marginal seats.

Jon stated: “It is clear that politics as usual simply cannot carry on. Loyalties to political parties is breaking down and trust in politics and institutions is at a low time low. So as part of Ed Miliband’s plans to change the Party, over the Summer Gloria and I wanted to go to communities, to meet community activists and talk to them about their campaigns on the ground and ask them to join with us, and many of them did.”

Two community activists, who Jon met in Brighton & Hove and agreed to become Registered Supporters, talked with Jon and Gloria in the main Conference Hall about their campaign for their local park to have the play equipment removed by the Council re-installed.

Jonathan Ashworth MP joins the fight against breast cancer by wearing pink.

Jonathan Ashworth MP for Leicester South has joined the fight against breast cancer by taking part in Breast Cancer Campaign’s flagship fundraiser, wear it pink day.

The theme of wear it pink this year is to ‘look good, do good’ in support of breast cancer research. On Friday 24 October people across the country will come together to find fun and stylish ways to wear pink in the office, at home or at school.

Donations raised by this year’s fashion inspired event will go to Breast Cancer Campaign to fund lifesaving breast cancer research.

Jon said: “Every year in the UK over 50,000 women and around 350 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadly, 12,000 women and 80 men die from this disease each year.

This is why we need to support Breast Cancer Campaign’s fundraising efforts to support world-class breast cancer research that saves and improves lives, giving people quicker diagnoses and more effective treatments.”

“I hope you’ll all join me by wearing it pink on Friday 24 October and showing your support for breast cancer research.”

Wear it pink on Friday 24 October to support Breast Cancer Campaign’s lifesaving research.

For more information or to register for wear it pink and receive your fundraising pack visit:

www.wearitpink.org

Yesterday Jonathan Ashworth returned from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, where he stayed in the West Bank as part of a delegation with Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East, and CAABU (the Council for Arab-British Understanding).

While in Ramallah Mr Ashworth met with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and the British Consul-General Alastair McPhail, and also with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

He also went to Jerusalem to meet with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), and toured Hebron.

Jon also met with the Israeli Foreign Affairs Spokesperson.

In addition to official meetings and briefings, Mr Ashworth also visited schools, hospitals and Taybeh brewery – the only microbrewery in the Middle East.

He has written a blog on his visit, which is on Medical Aid for Palestinians’ website. The blog can be accessed here:
www.map-uk.org/news/archive/post/142-a-chance-to-lead-an-ordinary-life