Edinburgh MP Scott Arthur named Scottish MP of the Year for Rare Cancers Act
‘This award recognises the hard work of everyone in my team, as well as the many charities and supporters that backed my Rare Cancers Act’ - Scott Arthur MP
Edinburgh South West Labour MP Scott Arthur has been named Scottish MP of the Year in recognition of his success in getting his Rare Cancers Bill passed at Westminster.
The award, at Holyrood magazine’s annual Showcasing Scotland Summer Reception and MP Awards, is made on the basis of nominations by MPs, peers and members of the public to celebrate an MP’s achievements both in parliament and in the constituency.
Dr Arthur’s Bill, which became law in March this year, is designed to incentivise research and investment into treatments for rare types of cancer.
He was able to introduce the Bill after winning one of the top places in a ballot of MPs for the right to launch a Private Member’s Bill just months after being elected to Westminster at the 2024 general election.
The Bill, which won the backing of the Government, was inspired by his father-in-law, Ivor Hutchinson, who died from the rare brain cancer glioblastoma in 2018, aged 76, as well as the delays in diagnosis and treatment faced by patients with a rare cancer.
Dr Arthur argued that because there was a relatively small market for the drugs for each type of rare cancer, there was little incentive for pharmaceutical companies to pursue new treatments for such cancers - and that meant some of the treatments currently used had not advanced for 20 years or more.
The new law will initiate a review of “orphan drug” regulations which could incentivise companies to trial existing cancer drugs for treating rare cancers, encouraging life-saving treatments to be trialled in the UK.
It defines ‘rare cancer’ in law for the first time - any cancer where fewer than six in 100,000 people a year are diagnosed with it. It also requires the appointment of a National Speciality Lead for Rare Cancer Research and will see a single UK database created for clinical trials and patient data on an opt-out basis, giving patients increased access to trials and giving researchers easier access to relevant patients.
As well as earning ministerial support and a place in the government’s Cancer Plan, the Bill was supported by over 40 charities and thousands of campaigners, including Edinburgh’s Kira Noble - “Kira the Machine” - who has been fighting her personal battle with the disease for more than a decade.
Dr Arthur had been shortlisted for the award alongside two Lib Dems - Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael and North East Fife MPWendy Chamberlain.
Dr Arthur said: “I’m incredibly honoured to have been named Scottish MP of the Year. This award recognises the hard work of everyone in my team, as well as the many charities and supporters that backed my Rare Cancers Act. I’m so proud of the effort that went into getting this Act into law.
“Having now spent two years as an MP, I am looking forward to the opportunities of the coming years and remain dedicated to serving the communities of Edinburgh South West.”
At the same ceremony, Edinburgh North & Leith MP Tracy Gilbert won the Braveheart award for her willingness to speak out on controversial issues and advocate for her constituents.