General Election 2024: The MND Guarantee
When the General Election was called, we asked candidates to sign the MND Guarantee, a commitment that they'll champion people living with and affected by MND in the new Parliament.
We're really pleased to announce that 85 elected MPs pledged their support for people with MND. That smashed all our targets for this campaign and thank you all for your help and support!
Tell your MP why MND matters to you
- Click below to expand a template email you can send your MP - whether they signed the MND Guarantee or not - explaining what MND is and outlining our requests for the Government.
- Go to Find my MP on the Parliament website to find your MP's name and email address.
- Paste the template into your email, edit the sections in bold with the relevant information, and send it to your MP. Please put [email protected] in the Bcc field so we can tell which MPs have been contacted.
Template email to send to your MP
Dear [insert MP's name],
Huge congratulations on being elected as MP for [insert constituency].
My name is [insert your name] and I'm writing as a constituent and supporter of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. [Describe any connection with MND or with the Association you feel comfortable sharing.]
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a fatal, rapidly progressing neurological condition affecting more than 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. MND kills a third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis. A person's lifetime risk of developing MND is around 1 in 300. There is no cure.
We have five priorities for this parliament ranging from accessible housing, access to treatments, and improved cost of living support, to sustainable social care and support for MND carers. You can read our five MND asks of the new government here.
I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and a representative from the MND Association, to help you understand a bit more about how this devastating disease impacts people and how you can support constituents living with and affected by MND locally.
We're committed to finding a cure for MND but until that day, and with your help, we hope to continue to work to ensure legislation works for everyone living with and affected by MND.
Best wishes,
[Insert name]
[Insert your address so the MP knows you live in their constituency]
If you’d like to find out more about talking to your MP - including whether they signed the MND Guarantee - please get in touch with us on [email protected] or 02038758910.
If you’re a former candidate or new MP and would still like to sign the MND Guarantee, please sign here.
Why is this important?
To ensure the MND community has a strong voice in Parliament we need as many supportive MPs as possible.
MPs can champion people with MND in different ways.
They could:
- Join the All-Party Parliamentary Group on MND
- Assist in the casework of constituents with MND
- Ask parliamentary questions
- Take part in relevant debates
- Support one or more of our 5 MND asks of government.
Our priorities for the new government
Accessible homes
We need a major change in the way adaptations are provided in the home for people with MND. Too many are living in unsuitable and unsafe housing. We are asking local authorities to remove the red tape and fast-track assessments for people with MND for these adaptations; as well as for the government to consult on increasing the upper limit of a Disabled Facilities Grant and revising the means test.
Access to treatments
This parliament will be a critical period for MND research, with unprecedented levels of research activity to develop new disease-modifying and life-extending drugs for MND. Now is the time for sustained investment and support to bring these drugs to those who need them.
Improved cost of living support
People with MND have been hit disproportionately hard by the cost of living crisis, especially regarding energy bills. We are asking for targeted support including a rebate on electricity costs for equipment used in the symptomatic care of MND and a reversal of eligibility changes to the Winter Fuel Payments.
Sustainable social care
We need the government to provide a sustainable social care funding settlement with a clear plan to address workforce shortages, to ensure the sector can fully support people with MND.
Support MND carers
Unpaid carers are the backbone of support for people with MND. The financial support they receive does not reflect the contribution they make and too many are excluded from support at all. We are calling on the government to review the level and eligibility criteria of Carer’s Allowance to ensure it meets the needs of carers.