Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois was present to witness his long-time friend, the “bionic peer” Craig Mackinlay, when he was formally introduced as a member of the House of Lords recently.
The new peer earned his nickname following a very serious bout of sepsis, which unfortunately led to his losing both his upper arms and lower legs. After multiple operations, these have now been replaced with modern prosthetics, which are activated by brain impulses.
Craig, the former MP for South Thanet in Kent, was made a peer in recognition of his brave struggle against the disease and his subsequent campaigning to raise awareness of the risks of sepsis.
Commenting on the occasion, Mark said:
“The whole of Parliament has been impressed by Craig’s very brave struggle against sepsis and his determination to campaign to raise awareness of the disease. I was honoured to be present to see him join the House of Lords, via which he has vowed to continue campaigning against this awful form of illness.”
