A BRAVE MP stood up in the House of Commons this afternoon and announced he is HIV positive.

Brighton Kemptown's Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle spoke in Parliament ahead of the 30th anniversary of World AIDS day.

But he told MPs that next year he will mark ten years since being diagnosed, and described how he felt “numb” and a “sense of nothingness” when he found out.

He took the step in a bid to break the stigma surrounding HIV, and says it is “no longer a death sentence”, as those affected can live a normal life with ever-improving medication.

In his speech he said: “When you are first diagnosed, you get that call from the clinic and they just say, you need to come in.

“You know immediately something is wrong and so all the different worst case scenarios flash through your mind.

“In the NHS room with cream carpets and plastic seating they tell you. It hits you like a wall. Nothing quite prepares you for when you hear it.

“I remember looking up and hoping that maybe the ceiling would open up and I would be sucked up. It would all be a dream and it would all be over.”

 

His speech followed the campaign by National HIV Testing Week, urging people to “Give HIV the finger” and get tested regularly.

Mr Russell-Moyle, who has been the MP since his victory in 2017, is one of eight openly LGBT people in Parliament, and is the first to come out in the chamber as HIV positive.

He said he was inspired by HIV campaigner Gary Pargeter who runs Lunch Positive in Brighton.

“I felt that if Gary and so many others can talk openly about it then so should I,” the 32-year-old MP said.

He said that his medication means he won’t get sick, and he can’t pass on the disease to anyone else.

“I wanted to be able to stand in this place and tell all those who are living with HIV, that their status does not define them, we can be whoever we wish to be,” he said.

But Mr Russell-Moyle fears that while new figures show parts of the country have halted the rise in HIV diagnoses, cuts to public health budgets could see figures going in the wrong direction.

Meanwhile, there is also still a great deal of homophobia and bigotry towards people with the condition, sparked by a scare campaign in the 1980s.

He called for investment in medication such as PrEP, a pill which prevents HIV, to be available universally on the NHS.

Mr Russell-Moyle said as much action is needed to tackle stigma, as it can stop people having the confidence to get access to the medication they need.

His speech has been praised by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for a "brilliant and historic" speech.

Mr Corbyn said around the world there are "appalling" levels of prejudice against those with HIV around the world.

He said Britain needs to send out the message that it has changed its attitudes and closed its minds to prejudice.

Mr Russell-Moyle received a standing ovation from the Labour benches in a break with usual protocol, while the Tory benches were mostly empty.

Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle MP said it was a "very brave and moving speech".

Jim Shannon from the Democratic Unionist Party wished him good health.

SNP MP Patrick Grady said it was "incredibly powerful and moving testimony" in a speech that will be heard around the world.

Health Minister Steve Brine, Conservative, said he did not know that Mr Russell-Moyle was about to say what he did and joined the clapping.

He said: "The look on his face when his colleagues clapped was amazing. It was an incredible speech and a very brave thing to do."

After the speech, the Brighton Kemptown MP spoke to The Argus.

He said: "My announcement today will come as a surprise for many across the country.

I have been asked if I am worried about the public’s reaction, of whether my constituency will be supportive. Those people clearly do not know Brighton.

“It is a privilege to represent one of the most dynamic, forward thinking and accepting communities in the country.

"My decision to make public, this very private aspect of my life was because of the ground-breaking organisations in my constituency who moved me to do so.

“The pride they have in their work and their unique bravery is something which I looked to and was directly inspired by.

"We are leading in Brighton, not just nationally on HIV & AIDS research and treatment but internationally. The Sussex Beacon, Lunch Positive, The Martin Fisher Foundation are just a few examples of exceptional treatment and support offered to those in Brighton.

"We are an example for the rest of the country to follow.

 “Coming out today with my status will be newsworthy but the recognition should go to the countless who have come before me to fight – and it has been a fight for many – this disease.

"We are where we are today because of giants in our community that have paved the way for where we are today. I could not be more proud to represent Brighton Kemptown, today more than ever.”

HIV charity chief Ian Green, from Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We’re extremely grateful to Lloyd, and his decision to use his platform to help us work toward zero HIV stigma and zero HIV transmissions in the UK.

"It is so important for people living with HIV to be better represented across public and political spheres, and as a serving MP to be openly living with the virus, Lloyd is already impacting positive change.

"People diagnosed with HIV today can live long, healthy lives like anybody else, and Lloyd proves this."