Butler said she would take leave to fully recover from surgery, but said the prognosis was good because the condition had been diagnosed at a relatively early stage. “Of course, everything came to a standstill when you hear the terrible word C – it ‘s a shock, but an early diagnosis means it’ s something I’ll get over again. “The NHS caught my cancer early, the operation was a complete success and I will fully recover,” said the 52-year-old. “A mammogram saved my life,” he told the BBC. “Without a mammogram, my cancer would not have been discovered.” Butler, whose mother and sister survived breast cancer, said she initially shared her diagnosis with her partner and sister-in-law and then had a panic attack when she realized she had to make the news public. Butler, a Brent Central MP since 2015, said that while she is a workaholic and loves her role as an MP, she would listen to medical advice and take time to recover. Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to her “courage, strength and determination”, saying: “I’m sorry you went through this, but know that I and the whole party are behind you.” Butler became the first black woman to speak at the Communities’ box office in 2009, when she was a junior cabinet minister. Last year, people living in the area where he grew up campaigned to be honored with a blue plaque by the local council. She called the moment she was placed in the building that once housed her father’s bakery “one of the most precious prices” of her life. In 2020, Vogue named her one of the 25 most influential women in the United Kingdom, saying she “has spoken out strongly about underrepresentation and highlighted cases of racial discrimination in society – and politics”. Butler said she would take time away from Westminster to recover, adding that her staff would keep her constituency office operational and she hoped her absence would be short-lived. He added: “I want to end my statement by thanking the NHS and all those who enlist. I have seen firsthand how the NHS is under tremendous pressure – Royal London seemed crowded, people were waiting in chairs at the A&E for beds, NHS staff was exhausted and many were suffering from PTSD. “Covid-19 has removed many of them. So many people missed appointments (many at their own risk), results are delayed and work is postponed. “If we want to show our appreciation for the amazing NHS staff and rebuild our health service, then we need to invest properly in the NHS, both structurally and in the people who keep it running.”
