Ashley Dalton, the health minister, has stepped down from her position.
A year ago, she received a diagnosis of terminal breast cancer.
Health Minister Resignation
See Image of Labour’s Ashley Dalton (Photo: PA)
Health minister Ashley Dalton has stepped down from her position. The MP, who disclosed her diagnosis of advanced breast cancer in January 2025, informed Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a letter that she feels it is now the "appropriate moment to make the necessary adjustment".
Terminal Cancer Diagnosis
Ms. Dalton’s letter stated: “I now feel it is the appropriate moment to implement the necessary adjustments that will allow me to manage my condition effectively while concentrating on my role as a constituency MP by stepping back from my ministerial responsibilities.”
In a post on X, she stated: “I have made the choice to resign from my ministerial duties so that I can concentrate on my role representing you, the residents of West Lancashire, while I continue my oral chemotherapy treatment.”
Focus on Constituency Role
The Labour representative for West Lancashire has been appointed as a minister in the Department of Health and Social Care following the dismissal of Andrew Gwynne. Mr. Gwynne was removed from his position as a health minister and suspended from the Labour Party due to what he described as “poorly considered” remarks that he expressed regret over.
In January 2025, she disclosed her diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, which followed surgery in the summer of 2024. The MP, elected in 2023, informed her constituents at that time that it was "business as usual" despite her diagnosis.
Letter to Prime Minister
Ashley Dalton stated that although there is currently no cure for metastatic breast cancer, it can be managed effectively. She described it as “the most positive news she could have wished for,” as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health Secretary disclosed that the surgery she had in July 2024 successfully eliminated all visible cancer cells, resulting in “no signs of disease.”
Ms. Dalton still has cancer that has spread beyond her breast; however, there are no detectable tumours in her body at this time. The MP indicated that, as a result, she will not require any additional treatment unless new cancer cells are found.
Nonetheless, she will undergo regular scans to detect and address any new cancerous growths as swiftly as possible. Despite the circumstances, Ms. Dalton has assured residents in her West Lancashire constituency that her office continues to operate “as usual.”
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