A CORNISH MP has reacted to the tragic announcement of the death of the popstar Tom Parker, of band The Wanted, to an aggressive brain tumour at the age of just 33.

Derek Thomas, who is MP for St Ives, West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as being chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on brain tumours (APPGBT), paid tribute to Tom on Facebook, writing: “I had the great honour of meeting and working with Tom Parker during his battle to fight his brain cancer. Sadly, a battle he has now lost.

“Tom turned his battle into a campaign to highlight the lack of effective treatment and support for brain tumour sufferers and all those of us engaged with this area will respond with greater urgency and effort to improve the situation.

“Tom inspired me to step up my work to help cut through the barriers that stand in the way of real progress in the treatment of brain tumours. I extend my sincere sympathies to his wife and their two little ones.”

Also paying tribute was Hugh Adams, head of stakeholder relations at Brain Tumour Research, who said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of Tom’s passing and send our deepest condolences to Kelsey, their children and all of Tom’s loved ones. His loss will be greatly felt by his bandmates from The Wanted, their fans and throughout the pop world.

“Since being diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in October 2020, Tom has spoken openly and honestly about the impact of the disease and in doing so, has helped to raise awareness of the devastation caused by brain tumours.

“In October 2021 the charity and a number of our supporters were fortunate to attend a never-to-be-forgotten The Wanted show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, documented in the extraordinary and emotional Channel 4 documentary ‘Tom Parker: Inside My Head’.

“We also met Tom at Westminster and in December - he attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT), where he established himself as a passionate advocate for more research into the disease.

“Tom’s tragic death highlights the fact that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer - yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has historically been allocated to this devastating disease.

“We remember Tom for his passion, intelligence, eloquence and determination in the face of such adversity and will continue to remember him as we focus on our vision of finding a cure for all types of brain tumours.”