Actress Julie Walters says public won't let government's dementia vow be 'cast aside'

Actress Julie Walters, whose grandmother died with vascular dementia, says Prime Minister Boris Johnson cannot “cast aside” his 2019 election pledge to double funding for dementia research and is backing a petition urging him to keep his promise.

The BAFTA-winning actress, who starred in the films 'Educating Rita', 'Billy Elliot', 'Mamma Mia!' and Harry Potter films, has said “enough is enough” and has joined over 45,000 people to date (17 March) backing Alzheimer's Research UK’s petition for the government to increase dementia research funding to over £160 million a year.

’We all loved her to bits’

Dame Julie Walters said: “As someone who witnessed the effects of dementia growing up, I am proud to be standing with the tens of thousands of people who are calling on government to deliver on its election promise to double investment into researching the condition.

“My grandmother had vascular dementia and she lived with us when we were kids. We didn’t really understand her symptoms, but we all loved her to bits.

"I still don’t know how my mother coped having to care for her and look after three young children. It’s appalling that over half of us know someone affected by dementia, yet there are no treatments to slow, stop or prevent it.

’Enough is enough’

“Far too many families are being forced to experience the pain dementia causes on a daily basis because of the lack of treatments and to put it simply, enough is enough.

“There is an urgent need for research to bring about life-changing treatments for people affected by dementia. I’d urge everyone to sign this petition, so we can make it clear to government that we will not let their promise be cast aside.”

Julie Walters joins other stars calling for more funding including Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Brian Cox and Stephen Tompkinson.

Her appeal comes as Alzheimer's Research UK reveals 94 per cent of 89 dementia researchers polled said they are very worried research progress is at risk due to fewer funding opportunities during the pandemic.

Covid has threatened progress and led to researchers leaving

A YouGov poll by the charity reveals Covid has threatened research progress, with studies delayed and pioneering researchers being forced to consider leaving the field.

One in five researchers are considering leaving or have already left dementia research. More than a third (34 per cent) are thinking of leaving research altogether. Dementia research funding was not in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget.

A separate survey reveals one in five (18 per cent) of the 1,746 people asked, think the government’s pledge to increase dementia research funding to over £160 million a year has become more important since the start of the pandemic, however, only seven per cent believe it will actually keep its promise.

A quarter of people who have died with COVID-19 in England, Wales and Scotland had dementia, while social distancing measures have been particularly challenging for people with dementia and their loved ones. There are almost one million people living with dementia in the UK today but there are currently no treatments to slow, stop or prevent the diseases that cause it.

The charity supports dementia research projects worth nearly £34 million in UK universities. To date no details have been given about how or when the government's promised funding will be made available. Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: “While it’s right that the response to the pandemic has had to take priority, dementia is our greatest long-term health crisis and the lives of people affected by dementia are being torn apart by COVID-19.

"The search for life-changing dementia treatments has never been more critical. We’re so grateful to have Dame Julie Walters standing with the thousands who have signed our petition calling on government to deliver on its election promise."

To donate money to dementia research you can visit Alzheimer's Research UK's website or call 0300 111 5555.

To sign the charity’s petition click here.