When Harry met Speaker Hoyle

Harry Brown was 17 years old when his unexplained headaches and extreme tiredness resulted in the diagnosis of a rare cancer – Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

It meant the teenager spent the best part of six months in hospital, firstly at St James’s University in Leeds, and then Great Ormond Street in London, where he enrolled in ground-breaking CAR T-cell therapy trial.

Harry’s time away from school meant he was unable to join his A-level politics classmates on a trip to Westminster.

But when Make-A-Wish UK became aware of Harry’s ambition - and tipped off the Speaker of the House of Commons – Sir Lindsay Hoyle immediately asked him and his family to visit.

Harry, now 18 and in remission from cancer for a year, said the trip was ‘a dream come true’.

‘I have always been interested in politics and wanted to hear the Speaker’s views about his role as referee and in interpreting the constitution - plus I love watching Prime Minister’s Questions - so this was the perfect wish for me,’ he said.

‘If you are told you can ask for anything you want, it is actually an incredibly hard choice to make – but having missed out on the trip to Parliament, I knew that was the one I wanted.

‘Going to Parliament gave me a few days to forget about the illness completely and to focus on something positive, so I am grateful for the experience.’

Accompanied by his parents Helen and John, and 13-year-old brother George, Harry quizzed the Speaker about how he got into politics (through local government) and the political figure he most admires (Betty Boothroyd) before the family were invited to watch Prime Minister’s Questions in the gallery above the Chamber.

Harry, from Harrogate and a student at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, said his experience has spurred him to advocate for children with serious illnesses, and he is now a campaigner for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Sir Lindsay said Harry’s story ‘was nothing short of inspirational’.

‘To have been through so much and to have missed so much, yet to turn the experience into a positive is awe-inspiring,’ he said.

‘Harry asked me some insightful and thoughtful questions about politics and Parliament. If he wants it, I think a bright career in politics beckons.’

Alanna Harmsworth, from Make-A-Wish UK, said ‘Supporting Harry’s wish and turning his idea into a reality has been fantastic. I am grateful to everyone who got involved at the Houses of Parliament who helped to make Harry’s dream come true.

‘In the UK, every hour, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, making them eligible for a wish just like Harry’s. These wishes provide much needed joy and strength during their toughest times. With the generosity of the public, we can continue to support families and grant more magical wishes.’