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Jeremy Paxman has said Parkinson’s disease “makes you wish you hadn’t been born”.

The former Newsnight presenter spoke after a visit to Downing Street, where he delivered a list of recommendations on how to support people with the neurological condition.

He co-hosts the Movers And Shakers podcast, which discusses the difficulties of living with the disease.

The show also features Vicar of Dibley co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer and former BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones.

To mark World Parkinson’s Day, the group presented the “Parky Charter” – as well as a petition signed by tens of thousands of people.

Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

The Parky Charter has five recommendations:

• Swift access to specialists for individuals with Parkinson’s under the NHS

• The introduction of a Parkinson’s UK pamphlet for enhanced awareness and support

• The implementation of a “Parkinson’s passport” granting automatic entitlement to specific benefits

• Improved comprehensive care, including regular consultations with a Parkinson’s nurse

• Increased government funding into research for a cure

Paxman stepped down as the host of University Challenge after he was diagnosed in 2021.

The 73-year-old said: “(Parkinson’s) may not kill you but it will make you wish you hadn’t been born.”

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that their proposals will “rightfully receive the attention they deserve” – but Paxman is sceptical that things will change.

Paxman said: “The fact that they have ignored all their responsibilities to date indicates to me that they’re not going to get any better.

“And I suspect that the form of words devised by the ministry of health will confirm that.

“I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere. You feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall.”

He also expressed frustration at the public’s treatment of Parkinson’s sufferers.

The Leeds-born broadcaster said: “You want to say, get the f*** out of the way, that’s what you want to say.”

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The hosts of The Movers and Shakers podcast outside Number 10. Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Former BBC News presenter Mardell also appears on Movers And Shakers with Princess Diana’s divorce barrister Sir Nick Mostyn, and the journalist Gillian Lacey-Solymar.

He said: “None of us began our podcast with the slightest intention of becoming campaigners, let alone taking a charter to Downing Street.

“But the more we heard from our listeners throughout the series about the way they had been treated, ignored and misunderstood, the more shocked and outraged we became.”

About 153,000 Britons have been formally diagnosed, but 200,000 are estimated to have it. Two people are told they have the condition every hour.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We want a society where every person with a neurological disease, along with their families and carers, receives high quality, compassionate care – and having a better understanding of diseases like Parkinson’s is vital in making sure we can provide the right care at the right time.

“That’s why we committed to spend at least £375m in research into neurodegenerative diseases over five years, so that we can better understand these conditions and improve outcomes for patients.”

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Teenager living in ‘continuous pain’ after surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar carried out ‘inappropriate’ operations

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Teenager living in 'continuous pain' after surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar carried out 'inappropriate' operations

A 15-year-old boy who was operated on twice by a now unlicensed Great Ormond Street surgeon is living with “continuous” pain.

Finias Sandu has been told by an independent review the procedures he underwent on both his legs were “unacceptable” and “inappropriate” for his age.

The teenager from Essex was born with a condition that causes curved bones in his legs.

Aged seven, a reconstructive procedure was carried out on Finias’s left leg, lengthening the limb by 3.5cm.

A few years later, the same operation was carried out on his right leg which involved wearing an invasive and heavy metal frame for months.

He has now been told by independent experts these procedures should not have taken place and concerns have been raised over a lack of imaging being taken prior to the operations.

Dr Yasser Jabbar. Pic: Linkedin
Image:
Yaser Jabbar rescinded his UK medical licence last year. Pic: LinkedIn

His doctor at London’s prestigious Great Ormond Street Hospital was former consultant orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar. Sky News has spoken to others he treated.

Mr Jabbar also did not arrange for updated scans or for relevant X-rays to be conducted ahead of the procedures.

The surgeries have been found to have caused Finias “harm” and left him in constant pain.

“The pain is there every day, every day I’m continuously in pain,” he told Sky News.

“It’s not something really sharp, although it does get to a certain point where it hurts quite a lot, but it’s always there. It just doesn’t leave, it’s a companion to me, just always there.”

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Finias Sandu's surgery pictures
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Finias’s surgery pictures

Care of over 700 patients being assessed

Mr Jabbar rescinded his UK medical licence in January last year after working at Great Ormond Street between 2017 and 2022.

The care of his 700-plus patients is being assessed, with some facing corrective surgery, among them Finias.

Finias Sandu in hospital

“Trusting somebody is hard to do, knowing what they have done to me physically and emotionally, you know, it’s just too much to comprehend for me,” he said.

“It wasn’t something just physically, like my leg pain and everything else. It was emotionally, because I put my trust in that specific doctor. My parents and I don’t really understand the more scientific terms, we just went by what he said.”

Finias Sandu in hospital

Doctors refused to treat Finias because of his surgeries

Finias and his family relocated to their native Romania soon after the reconstructive frame was removed from his right leg in the summer of 2021.

The pain worsened and they sought advice from doctors in Romania, who refused to treat Finias because of the impact of his surgeries.

Finias Sandu in hospital

Dozens of families seeking legal claims

His mother Cornelia Sandu is “furious” and feels her trust in the hospital has been shattered. They are now among dozens of families seeking legal claims.

Cyrus Plaza from Hudgell Solicitors is representing the family. He said: “In cases where it has been identified that harm was caused, we want to see Great Ormond Street Hospital agreeing to pay interim payments of compensation for the children, so that if they need therapy or treatment now, they can access it.”

Finias Sandu in hospital

Finias is accessing therapy and mental health support as he prepares for corrective surgery later in the year.

A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital told Sky News: “We are deeply sorry to Finias and his family, and all the patients and families who have been impacted.

“We want every patient and family who comes to our hospital to feel safe and cared for. We will always discuss concerns families may have and, where they submit claims, we will work to ensure the legal process can be resolved as quickly as possible.”

Finias Sandu with his mother and sister
Image:
Finias with his mother and sister

Service not ‘safe for patients’

Sky News has attempted to contact Mr Jabbar.

An external review into the wider orthopaedic department at the hospital began in September 2022.

It was commissioned after the Royal College of Surgeons warned the hospital’s lower limb reconstruction service was not “safe for patients or adequate to meet demand”.

The investigation is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

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Keir Starmer says closer EU ties will be good for UK jobs, bills and borders ahead of key talks

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Keir Starmer says closer EU ties will be good for UK jobs, bills and borders ahead of key talks

Sir Keir Starmer has said closer ties with the EU will be good for the UK’s jobs, bills and borders ahead of a summit where he could announce a deal with the bloc.

The government is set to host EU leaders in London on Monday as part of its efforts to “reset” relations post-Brexit.

A deal granting the UK access to a major EU defence fund could be on the table, according to reports – but disagreements over a youth mobility scheme and fishing rights could prove to be a stumbling block.

The prime minister has appeared to signal a youth mobility deal could be possible, telling The Times that while freedom of movement is a “red line”, youth mobility does not come under this.

His comment comes after Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, said on Friday work on a defence deal was progressing but “we’re not there yet”.

Sir Keir met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen later that day while at a summit in Albania.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen ahead of their bilateral meeting as he attends the European Political Community Summit (EPC) in Tirana, Albania. Picture date: Friday May 16, 2025. Leon Neal/PA Wire
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Ursula von der Leyen and Sir Keir had a brief meeting earlier this week. Pic: PA

If agreed, the deal will be the third in two weeks, following trade agreements with India and the US.

More on European Union

Sir Keir said: “First India, then the United States – in the last two weeks alone that’s jobs saved, faster growth and wages rising.

“More money in the pockets of British working people, achieved through striking deals not striking poses.

“Tomorrow, we take another step forward, with yet more benefits for the United Kingdom as the result of a strengthened partnership with the European Union.”

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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she is “worried” about what the PM might have negotiated.

Ms Badenoch – who has promised to rip up the deal with the EU if it breaches her red lines on Brexit – said: “Labour should have used this review of our EU trade deal to secure new wins for Britain, such as an EU-wide agreement on Brits using e-gates on the continent.

“Instead, it sounds like we’re giving away our fishing quotas, becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again and getting free movement by the back door. This isn’t a reset, it’s a surrender.”

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Man arrested at Luton Airport in connection with fires at properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer

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Man arrested at Luton Airport in connection with fires at properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer

A second man has been arrested in connection with fires at two properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The 26-year-old was arrested around 1.45pm at Luton Airport on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

The arrest was made by counter terrorism officers. The man has been taken into police custody in London.

It comes after a Ukrainian man, 21, was charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.

Roman Lavrynovych appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was remanded in custody.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation because of the connections to the prime minister.

Emergency services were called to a fire in the early hours of Monday at a house in Kentish Town, north London, where Sir Keir lived with his family before the election.

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Damage was caused to the property’s entrance, but nobody was hurt.

A car was also set alight in the same street last Thursday.

There was another blaze at the front door of a house converted into flats in Islington, also linked to the prime minister, on Sunday.

One person was taken to safety via an internal staircase by crews wearing breathing apparatus.

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