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Cancer Matters: General Election 2019

The 2019 General Election was a vital opportunity for us to join together and make our voices heard.

In the run-up to Polling Day, Macmillan campaigners worked hard to make sure new MPs will put support for people with cancer at the top of their agenda when they join Parliament.

Whoever you voted for, cancer matters. Join us to continue our campaigns for vital changes for people living with cancer in 2020. Over the past six weeks, Macmillan campaigners took thousands of actions for people living with cancer and their loved ones.

Campaigners reached 80% of Parliamentary candidates with the message that cancer matters.

Over 200 candidates have pledged to fight for a system where people living with cancer can live life as fully as possible if elected.

To everyone that took action – thank you. Without campaigners like you, it would be impossible to speak out for everyone affected by cancer.

What we are calling for

One in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer during our lifetime. 

Macmillan wants to make sure that:

  • The NHS and care workforce is fit for the future
  • People can access the right care and support when they need it
  • Cancer doesn't come at a financial cost.

What does Macmillan want political parties to commit to?

During the election, we asked political parties to include these pledges in their manifestoes. This government will:

  • introduce a fully costed workforce plan for health and social care, owned and delivered by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care*
  • introduce reforms to ensure long-time sustainability and funding of social care. This will include a pledge to provide care free at the point of use* 
  • end the ‘five-week wait’ for benefits
  • legislate for financial service providers to have a legal duty of care for vulnerable consumers.

*N.B.: Because health is a devolved issue, this pledge only applies to people living in England. If you want to know more about what is happening in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales then please email campaigns@macmillan.org.uk.

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Why campaigning is important

What is the job of an MP?

The job of an MP is to represent the interests of their constituents in Parliament and help them with issues locally. Once elected to Parliament, MPs can vote on legislation that affects all of us – from funding for health services, to rules around welfare benefits.

MPs work to make things better for people living in their constituency, including people living with cancer and their friends and family. This is why it's so important for your candidates to know cancer matters to you.

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MPs vote on legislation that affects all of us. That's why we must ensure that prospective MPs understand how important it is that people with cancer get the right support and services.

Cancer matters to you, and it should matter to candidates too.

Find out who your new or returning MP is.