Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd reveals chemotherapy treatment after diagnosis

Tony Lloyd has been the MP for Rochdale since 2017

A veteran Labour MP has revealed he is having chemotherapy after a recent cancer diagnosis, meaning he will not attend Parliament.

Tony Lloyd, who has served Rochdale since 2017, said his doctors had told him to "socially isolate and avoid meetings".

He said his immune system was "compromised" so he was at a higher risk of catching infection.

The 72-year-old was admitted to intensive care in 2020 with Covid.

Mr Lloyd said in a statement on Twitter his chemotherapy treatment, which was being delivered "as a day patient to hospital", would continue for the next couple of months and was "not very intense".

He said he would not attend Parliament during his treatment and would not meet people in his constituency.

"I shall hold advice surgeries as usual though by way of Zoom or telephone, and constituents who want to use this facility are welcome to do so," he said.

"It's obviously my ambition to get back to normal both for me as an individual and as a Member of Parliament as soon as possible but in the meantime, I shall concentrate on getting better."

Posting on Twitter, Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer said: "Tony, I and the whole of the Labour Party are wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you soon."