A Liberal Democrat frontbencher used a mic in the House of Commons today as she continues to recover from a nerve injury.
Anna Sabine, who is her party’s culture, media and sport spokesman, spoke into the device as she responded to a Government minister’s statement on online safety.
The Frome and East Somerset MP has previously revealed how she underwent thyroid surgery earlier this year.
This resulted in an injury to her recurrent laryngeal nerve, which controls the vocal cords.
It is the same type of injury as suffered by the BBC‘s Nick Robinson when he had an operation to remove a tumour on his lung in 2015.
The injury left the broadcaster, the former BBC political editor who is now a presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme, only able to manage a whisper for a while.
Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine used a mic in the House of Commons as she continues to recover from a nerve injury
It is the same type of injury as suffered by the BBC’s Nick Robinson when he had an operation to remove a tumour on his lung in 2015
In a statement posted on her website in July shortly after her surgery, Ms Sabine wrote: ‘Anyone who knows me knows I’m rarely lost for words, so these last couple of weeks without much of a voice have been quite an adjustment.
‘But I’m in good company; Nick Robinson went through exactly the same thing after his surgery, and he’s back on the radio every morning sounding exactly like himself. That’s given me real confidence about what’s ahead.
‘I’m now focused on giving myself the best possible chance of a full recovery, which means a further period of voice rest over the summer.’
She added she would be having follow-up appointments with doctors and speech and language therapists, after her ‘wonderful care’ at Royal United Hospital in Bath.
‘This will not stop me being an effective voice for Frome & East Somerset,’ she continued.
‘My team and I are continuing to work on every issue that matters to residents, from bus services to healthcare, and constituents should keep contacting my office as normal.
‘When Parliament returns in September, I expect to need some practical adaptations to make sure I can continue to represent this constituency fully, whether that’s in the Chamber, in committee, or in meetings.
‘I’m confident, working with the House authorities, that we can put the right arrangements in place, and I won’t let this get in the way of doing the job I was elected to do.’
