My tribute to Dame Cheryl Gillan

Dame Cheryl Gillan, Conservative MP for Chesham & Amersham since 1992, passed away yesterday after a long illness.

This is the first time I have ever paid tribute to a Conservative MP who has died, but Dame Cheryl is that very rare Conservative MP/former Conservative MP who merits a tribute from me. During her 29 years in parliament, Dame Cheryl spoke passionately on the subject of autistic people's rights, culminating in her sponsoring the Autism Act of 2009, although this law is not well-enforced at present given how autistic people have suffered in the last decade. It is nevertheless an important blueprint for autism rights in the UK. She also resolutely opposed HS2 even though the Conservatives as a whole voted to push this white elephant through despite clear evidence of the destruction to nature it would cause.

Farewell, Dame Cheryl. Even though in many ways you were just like any other Conservative MP, that achievement for autism rights is definitely one I will always remember. By the way, no politician is perfect, whatever party they might represent.

Dame Cheryl Gillan, born 21 April 1952, departed this life on 4 April 2021, aged 68 years.


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