Former Labour MP Jon Ashworth has disclosed that he suffered a major stroke on New Year's Day, caused by a blood clot resulting from undiagnosed high blood pressure. The 47-year-old, who lost his Leicester South seat in the 2024 general election, said the event was a 'lightning bolt out of the blue' and that he is now 'on the mend'. He experienced stiffness in his left arm and loss of sight in his left eye.
Ashworth admitted he had repeatedly ignored invitations for free GP health checks, saying he was 'too busy'. He now urges others to attend such checks, emphasising the importance of monitoring blood pressure. He told The Mirror: 'What caused my stroke was really high blood pressure. When I got the message from the local GP saying you need to come in for your health check, I was like “I’m too busy” and kept putting it off.'
The Stroke Association warns that by 2035, someone in the UK will have a stroke every three and a half minutes, up from the current average of every five minutes. The charity is calling for urgent action to address risk factors including diet, stress, and lifestyle issues. Ashworth echoed this, advocating for expanded access to blood pressure checks and 24/7 availability of thrombectomy procedures across stroke sites.
Before his stroke, Ashworth had been training for a double marathon for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics. He now hopes to run a half marathon for the charity in autumn as part of his recovery. He described his rehabilitation, which includes physical therapy and practising Shakespearean monologues to test his speech and memory.
