Archie Goodburn's heart-breaking cancer plea to Andy Burnham must not go unheeded – Christine Jardine

This week it felt as if the nation experienced a glimpse of an issue with which too many families across the UK are already familiar. Seeing one of Scotland’s leading athletes, Archie Goodburn, break down as he, in his words, begged the Prime Minister to do more to tackle brain cancer was both heart-breaking and inspiring.

That the Prime Minister responded on Instagram was at least an assurance that he had listened, but he will be judged on what happens next. For me, Archie's decision to use his breakfast TV appearance to call for the establishment of a national brain cancer lead and for Burnham to “give us a chance to fight for our lives” was not a surprise having come to know him, and his family, as I have over the past two years or so.

In that time, we have fought alongside him for access to the new brain cancer drug which, despite its availability in other parts of Scotland, he was being denied. Now he has it, but he is using the platform of his Commonwealth Games success in his determination to help others.

READ MORE: Watch: Archie Goodburn's emotional message after Commonwealth final

Swimmer Archie Goodburn made an emotional appeal about funding for cancer research after the Commonwealth Games final | BBC Breakfast screenshot

Biggest killer of under-40s

The scale of the challenge has led to calls for the appointment of a brain cancer lead as part of the Labour government’s National Cancer Plan. It will demand more than platitudes from the Prime Minister.

Brain tumours are the biggest killer of children and adults under the age of 40 across the UK. More than 13,000 people a year are diagnosed with brain cancer with only a 12.9 per cent survival rate after five years for those with a ‘high-grade’ tumour. Yet we continue to call it ‘rare’.

In 2018 the then Conservative government promised £40 million to brain tumour research but, by the time they left office, only £15m of it had been spent.

Of course, this shouldn't be a political issue. But with failures like that and a Scottish government whose response to our approaches has felt less than urgent, it is difficult not to be.

When we were practically pleading with them for Archie to be allowed access to the drug Vorasidinib, which was already available in parts of Scotland, they passed the buck to the health board.

READ MORE: Andy Burnham to meet with Edinburgh swimmer Archie Goodburn after emotional brain cancer plea

Governments must work together

When I spoke to the UK Labour health minister, they recognised the need for urgency, and then we all came up against the devolution barrier. It infuriates me that health, and this area in particular, is one where administrative boundaries intervene when we need our governments to work together.

MPs – and their Holyrood counterparts – are not just elected to toe the party line on big policy issues. We all, including the Prime Minister, carry a responsibility for the wellbeing of our constituents and to stand up on their behalf.

I have been assured of a meeting with ministers and have written to the PM. And while those polite responses are reassuring, it's time for action.

It sounds like a cliche but like all cliches it is only one because it is true. Lives depend on both governments recognising the need for action on brain cancer and doing it quickly.

Archie has thrown down the gauntlet. We all have to hope that Burnham picks it up and acts.

Christine Jardine is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West