Congratulations to Andrea Gillies for winning the coveted Orwell Book Prize, Keeper: Living with Nancy. A journey into Alzheimer’s.

It’s not a sexy subject, and normally this award is given for a political book. But this true, poignant swept judges off their feet. Maybe they thought that one day it could be them, just like it could be us. Maybe they have a loved one battling this disease, for which there is no cure, no hope, just helplessness and fear.

The Keeper tells the bewildering story of a human being stripped bare of normal reasoning, responses and functioning abilities through no fault of her own. That’s Altzheimer’s disease for you. It’s a book I am reading right now, and I can resonate with Andrea’s painful experiences as she describes caring for her much loved mother-in-law with this cruel disease, and the untold agony it causes the families and loved ones, as well as confusing turmoil for sufferers.

I was in the gym the other day when Dot, a sprightly, cheerful senior citizen on the cross trainer next to me, asked about my plans for the week. She thought the eclectic mix of events I had lined up was fascinating, and said: “You won’t get Alzheimer’s then.”

If only it was that easy, I thought, that all you needed was a stimulating and varied lifestyle to save yourself from the grip of this disease of the brain. I reflected on the tragic fate of Iris Murdoch, whose brilliantly intelligent and active brain failed to save her from the grasp of Alzheimer’s – and her life must have been so much more interesting than mine.

I hope Conservatives still press ahead with their pledge to increase funding into research for Alzheimer’s. I made a video about it, which you can view at this link, at the last Conservative Party conference with the then Shadow Health Minister Stephen O’Brien speaking in support of more research, though I see he is now a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Dept of International Trade.

I am also disappointed that Conservative manifesto plans recommending a voluntary insurance scheme of up to £8,000 to fund care for those with dementia has been replaced with a commission into long-term funding of adult social care which could take a year to report back. A decision about this needs to be tackled now, and not put on the back burner and forgotten about.

Andrea, if you read this, please send every MP a copy of your book in the hope that it will influence them too. If it can win the Orwell Prize, maybe it will move politicians into making decisions to funding much needed research into this disease and fund long term care. After all, Alzheimer’s is a disease which sufferers cannot prevent and for which there is no cure.

*The number of people with Alzheimer’s is expected to at least double over the next two decades. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 417,000 people in the UK.