Dame Tessa Jowell, the former Labour Cabinet minister who played a pivotal role in securing the London Olympics, is being treated for brain cancer, it has been revealed.
The ex-Culture Secretary pledged to help others with cancer as the news was revealed by her family on her 70th birthday. She was diagnosed with the illness in May.
In a message on her Twitter feed, the peer wrote: “Thank you for so much love and support on my birthday.
“More people living longer better lives with cancer is my birthday pledge.”
Dame Tessa, who stood down as the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood in 2015, was a prominent member of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s governments.
As Culture Secretary, she led London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics in the capital.
On Instagram, Ella Mills, Dame Tessa’s daughter-in-law, wrote how she was “so inspired by her bravery and fight against cancer”.
She wrote:
“The last few months have been some of the hardest of our lives, after Matt’s Mum was suddenly diagnosed with brain cancer in May.
“Her bravery, optimism, love and support for others during this process has inspired us both so much, and today, on her 70th birthday, we’re all pledging to try and do everything we can to make people’s lives with cancer better for longer.
“I’m sure so many of you have had to deal with this process too, and Matt and I will work to find new ways of supporting and enhancing people’s lives who have been affected.”