Labour peer Tessa Jowell diagnosed with brain cancer

Labour peer Tessa Jowell has been diagnosed with brain cancer, her family has revealed.

Baroness Jowell vowed to help fight to ensure all patients live "longer better lives with cancer" as she went public with news of her illness on her 70th birthday.

Her daughter-in-law Ella Woodward, the food blogger known as deliciouslyella, said the politican had been diagnosed in May.

Ms Woodward said the family had gone through "some of the hardest" months of their lives since Baroness Jowell was diagnosed in May.

She wrote: "Her bravery, optimism, love and support for others during this process has inspired us both so much, and today, on her 70th birthday, we're all pledging to try and do everything we can to make people's lives with cancer better for longer."

The peer later posted a family picture on Twitter saying her "birthday pledge" was to support others with the illness.

Baroness Jowell was one of the Labour party's best known faces during Tony Blair era and was hailed as the woman who brought the Olympics back to Britain.

The former social worker was elected to Parliament in 1992 and rose swiftly through the Labour ranks, becoming a close ally of former Prim Minister Mr Blair.

She was appointed public health minister after Labour's 1997 election triumph - becoming one of the 101 "Blair Babes" female Labour MPs - and was promoted to employment minister and minister for women in 1999.

She joined the Cabinet as culture secretary in 2001, where she masterminded the UK's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

The then-Ms Jowell became Dame Tessa in the 2012 Birthday Honours for political and charitable services and was later made a peer.

Sarah Lindsell,chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: "Our hearts go out to Tessa Jowell and her family after being diagnosed with a high grade brain tumour.

"And we applaud her pledge on her 70th birthday to help people whose lives are turned upside down by this devastating disease."