David Cameron persuades Tories to double funding for dementia research because it 'can be beaten'

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Former Prime Minister David Cameron successfully persuaded his former Tory government colleagues to dramatically increase spending on dementia research

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David Cameron joined Dementia Friends in 2013

David Cameron has persuaded the Tories to double funding for dementia research - and insists the disease can be beaten.

The former prime minister, whose mother Mary has Alzheimer's disease, has welcomed a £150m-a-year raise.

Speaking to scientists, he said: "Last week I met with the Health Secretary and I can exclusively reveal that he said they were going to have a dementia strategy out of 10 years and double the funds allocated to research.

"We are a country of 60 million people and soon a million people will fall into this world of darkness. And regardless of the emotional pain, and I see that with my mother, who is in her late 80s , think about the cost.

“It now costs more than stroke, more than heart disease, more than cancer. We are only going to solve this problem through scientists.”

David Cameron's mother has Alzheimer's disease (
Picture:
Getty Images)
He was speaking at an event at the Silverstone Interactive Museum, organized by F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart's charity Race Against Dementia, which brought scientists from around the world to the event , including the United States, Australia, the Netherlands and Switzerland.< /p>
Sir Jackie, 83 - whose wife Helen has dementia - said: 'It's a very small area of expertise that will eventually come out on top and break through. It sure will happen.'

Mr. Cameron has made research a priority at Downing Street and is chairman of Alzheimer's Research UK.

Under his premiership, he nearly quadrupled research funding, from £27m in 2009-10 to £98m in 2015-16.

However, it has since backed off despite a previous Tory manifesto promising to double it by another £800million over the next decade in 2019 after Barbara Windsor wrote to Boris Johnson.

Politics Jul 11, 2022 0 96 Add to Reading List

David Cameron persuades Tories to double funding for dementia research because it 'can be beaten'

Exclusive:

Former Prime Minister David Cameron successfully persuaded his former Tory government colleagues to dramatically increase spending on dementia research

Video loading

Video not available

Click to playTap to play

David Cameron joined Dementia Friends in 2013

David Cameron has persuaded the Tories to double funding for dementia research - and insists the disease can be beaten.

The former prime minister, whose mother Mary has Alzheimer's disease, has welcomed a £150m-a-year raise.

Speaking to scientists, he said: "Last week I met with the Health Secretary and I can exclusively reveal that he said they were going to have a dementia strategy out of 10 years and double the funds allocated to research.

"We are a country of 60 million people and soon a million people will fall into this world of darkness. And regardless of the emotional pain, and I see that with my mother, who is in her late 80s , think about the cost.

“It now costs more than stroke, more than heart disease, more than cancer. We are only going to solve this problem through scientists.”

David Cameron's mother has Alzheimer's disease (

Picture:

Getty Images)

He was speaking at an event at the Silverstone Interactive Museum, organized by F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart's charity Race Against Dementia, which brought scientists from around the world to the event , including the United States, Australia, the Netherlands and Switzerland.< /p>

Sir Jackie, 83 - whose wife Helen has dementia - said: 'It's a very small area of expertise that will eventually come out on top and break through. It sure will happen.'

Mr. Cameron has made research a priority at Downing Street and is chairman of Alzheimer's Research UK.

Under his premiership, he nearly quadrupled research funding, from £27m in 2009-10 to £98m in 2015-16.

However, it has since backed off despite a previous Tory manifesto promising to double it by another £800million over the next decade in 2019 after Barbara Windsor wrote to Boris Johnson.