Sadiq Khan MP: A better side to politics

Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan is nervously awaiting Sunday's London Marathon which he is running for the Dispossessed Fund. It's been another bad week for politics. Maria Miller and the expenses scandal have been all over the news, further eroding peoples trust in parliament and politicians. How much worse can things get?? But there is another side to politicians that doesn't always make the headlines, but shows our real commitment to public service and improving our country. And it's never been more apparent to me than over the past few weeks, while I've been training to run the London Marathon. Ten MPs are braving the 26.2 mile course this year, including six Labour and four Tories. Each of them are making a huge personal sacrifice (it's one of the hardest thing I've ever done!) to raise awareness and money for some amazing charitable causes. I'm running to raise funds for the Dispossessed Fund, which supports more than 700 charities and projects across London that tackle poverty and inequality in our capital. As Shadow London Minister, I've had the opportunity to visit many of their projects in recent weeks. The stories I have heard from the people whohave benefited from the charity will keep me going on Sunday when when my legs are screaming at me to stop. The support I've been given by MPs from all parties has shown parliament at its best. From George Osborne to Nick Clegg, politicians have put aside party differences to support a great cause. I've had advise on training yand nutrition from Tory and Lib Dem MPs I would never normally speak to, all equally excited by the greatest race on earth. Six Shadow Ministers will join the 35,000 runners and 650,000 spectators on Sunday - Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, Jim Murphy, Dan Jarvis, Jamie Reed and myself. There's been a lot of friendly banter around the Shadow Cabinet table and I'm sure the rest of our colleagues can't wait for it to be over! Tory MPs Alan Cairns, Edward Timpson, Graham Evans and Jason McCartney are also running. All ten of us have been sharing tips and listening to each other moan after a long training run. The London Marathon epitomises everything that is great about the city that has been the backdrop of my life, and like millions of Londoners, has made me the person I am today. Along the 26.2 mile route we'll be passing through six different London boroughs. From the high streets of Deptford and Woolwich, to weaving my way between Canary Wharf skyscrapers and then onto the Embankment, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the route will be one of contrasts - as will the background of those running it. So to those who say that politicians are all in it for themselves and can't put aside their differences, I say not so! And if you don't believe me, come along on Sunday –you’ll soon be cheering us on.. Wish me luck! You can follow Sadiq's progress on twitter with @SadiqKhan and #YesWeKhan and on creating an individual-centred approach to dementia care, former Care Minister Paul Burstow says no real progress will be made without ‘truly bold’ research funding commitments. Dr Shibley Rahman highlights the urgent case to ensure that dementia sufferers and their carers can access the support they need to live well. This most simple of rights are routinely denied to so many – not through any malice or ill intention, but simply by not doing enough to design systems and services from the point of view of those who need them most. The idea of a care navigator able to call on and coordinate all available health and social care, as well as housing support and voluntary sector provision is a persuasive one. It is something that the Richmond Group of charities, among others, have for a long time called for – and it is something I would like to see the Liberal Democrats deliver in the next government. Better managed and coordinated care would be a huge step forward and could make all the difference to dementia sufferers and their often strained carers. But we need to do so much more – we need not just to manage the heartbreaking decline but to stop dementia in its tracks. We need to understand much better how to protect against the disease, how its toll can be minimised, we need to work tirelessly to promote prevention and work towards better management – and cure. And we will not achieve this without making a truly bold commitment to greater funding for dementia research. The Prime Minister recently announced a doubling of funding for dementia research from £66m in 2015 to £122 in 2025. But we should be more ambitious still – we should be doubling the budget by 2020. With Alzheimer’s Society saying dementia has become the new normal – the matter is now, more than ever, truly urgent. Paul Burstow is former Care Minister and Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam The original article, Living well = greater wellbeing, written by Dr Shibley Rahman, is available to .