MSP unveils bowel cancer diagnosis and urges Scots to get tested

Scottish Tory MSP Edward Mountain has announced he has been receiving treatment for bowel cancer in the past year.

The Highlands and Islands representative made the announcement through a video on Twitter, sporting a stoma bag which read “shit happens”.

Speaking to the camera, Mr Mountain said his condition had been detected through finding blood in his stool.

“If you catch this early, it can be treatable – as I found out,” he said.

“During the last year, I’ve undertaken radiotherapy and chemotherapy, I’ve had surgery remove the area where the bowel cancer was.

“I’ve still got a little bit more to do – should be clear of this by the end of May, which is really exciting.”

He added: “But you can avoid all this if you follow the simple instructions and find the symptoms early – that way you can avoid the unpleasantness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, because bowel cancer will be dealt with before it becomes a problem.”

Mr Mountain’s announcement drew support from across the political spectrum, including the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

She said: “This is really important – please have a listen.

“Thanks to @1edmountain for raising awareness – and best wishes to him for continued recovery.”

Scottish Tory leader, Douglas Ross, also thanked the MSP for his “really important and brave” message, while former leader, Ruth Davidson, said: “God love you, @1edmountain for keeping your humour – and for spreading this important message.”