Funding increase for Alzheimer’s research is fitting tribute to Barbara Windsor

BARBARA Windsor faced her dementia battle with true courage.

Now her influence will live on in Boris Johnson’s tremendous efforts to boost the war against this terrible disease.

The PM has revealed how he was inspired by Babs, who died in 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

The Carry On icon implored him to tackle the devastating condition with the same urgency as cancer.

So not only is he doubling research spending, but he is harnessing the world-beating team that tackled Covid.

Building on The Sun’s Jabs Army, he is calling for a volunteer Babs Army for vital clinical trials when the funding is in place.

Boris writes movingly of the heart-breaking moment when bubbly Babs no longer recognised her devoted husband Scott.

“That’s the cruel brutality of what this disease did to Barbara — and what it continues to do to many of our loved ones today,” the PM says.

“But we can unite to change that.

“So let’s come together around this national mission in Barbara’s memory and in honour of all those we have lost to this cruel disease.”

It is a vital first step in tackling Britain’s biggest killer, which still has no known cure — and Boris rightly sees this as a proud part of his legacy.

But it also a fitting tribute for one of our greatest British stars.

Maseratis misery

THE prospect of easy money is tempting many Albanians to risk the treacherous Channel crossing to Britain.

As one of the country’s police chiefs, Saimir Boshnjaku, says: “The people that make money from drugs come back here driving Maseratis and Mercedes.’’

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Efforts to step up the deportations of Albanian criminals are welcome.

But with its nationals now making up one in four of those who illegally arrive on our shores, this will only scratch the surface.

Tirana must do much more to deter its people from seeking a new life in the UK.

And our Government must do everything it can to support an Albanian crackdown.

Attacks on freedom

THE savage stabbing of novelist Salman Rushdie was terrible enough.

But the death threat tweet sent to JK Rowling after the attack is also appalling.

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It is sickening enough to see such social media hatred directed at authors just for expressing their views.

But this fresh outrage poses a chilling threat to the future of free speech.