Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP Allan Dorans has joined forces with a coalition of charities, neurologists and people with motor neurone disease (MND) to call on the government to target £50million of investment into the terminal illness.

The MP has written to Minister for Care, Helen Whately, in advance of her meeting with campaign leaders later this month urging her to expand government funding for MND research which, according to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, currently stands at less than £5million per year. The charity itself has recently committed £5.7million to research this year alone.

The campaign, United to End MND, led by the MND Association, MND Scotland, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, neurologists and people with the disease, is calling on the government to invest £50million over five years in research directly targeted at understanding the causes and identifying potential treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease.

Mr Dorans said: “I have also pledged my support to scrap the six-month rule, to ensure that those with MND, and other terminal illnesses, are fast-tracked for the benefits they need.”

“This campaign has my full support.”