Jeremy Hunt: Chancellor’s younger brother Charlie dies from cancer aged 53

Jeremy Hunt’s younger brother Charlie has died at the age of 53. Charlie Hunt, a father of three, had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of sarcoma cancer in 2020 and died peacefully on August 2, according to a statement from the family to The Daily Telegraph.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer had previously spoken about how the disease had hit his family, after sharing that he’d caught cancer early after spotting a mole that kept growing. Mr Hunt, whose parents also died from cancer, had previously been diagnosed with the disease, which was caught early after he discovered the mole on his head.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said cancer had been “life changing” for his family, before adding: “I had superb treatment from the NHS to remove it, but I am very aware of members of my own family who have had much tougher battles against cancer, and I know that’s what families are going through up and down the country.”

Jeremy Hunt, who is the former health secretary, ran the London Marathon in October last year alongside his younger brother to raise money for Sarcoma UK and the Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre, which is a new facility being built in Guildford.

The NHS describes sarcoma as “a group of rare cancers” that typically begin in the bones or soft tissue, including: “fat, muscle, blood vessels, deep skin tissues, tendons and ligaments”

Charlie Hunt shared on his JustGiving page in October that he had been diagnosed with a “particularly aggressive cancer” in 2020, which had required surgery on his right leg. He said that he did not know if he’d be able to walk or run again, adding: “since then the battle has continued with surgery on both of my lungs”.

Charlie also wrote: “I have been in and out of hospital pretty constantly but have received excellent treatment from the NHS and am still fighting on nearly three years later. It does, however, remain a huge battle for me and my family. I asked Jeremy to run the marathon for the first time with me - an offer that was nervously accepted.”

The brothers have since raised over £22,000 for Sarcoma UK and the Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre after running the marathon together last year. Jeremy Hunt’s father, Sir Nicholas Hunt, died in 2013 aged 82, with his mother, Lady Meriel Hunt, passing away last year.