Responding to the Conservative General Election 2024 manifesto, Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said:
“The Conservative Party has today published its 2024 General Election manifesto including a number of initiatives to strengthen the nation’s mental health. This includes the long-awaited reform of the Mental Health Act to address the unacceptable disparities within the use of the Act, which we have long called for. We welcome the commitment to introduce this in the first session of Parliament to ensure its prompt implementation, so that everyone detained under the Act is treated with dignity and equity.
“We also welcome pledges to enhance mental health support through the expansion of talking therapies to reach even more people and boost Individual Placement and Support employment services. It is vital, however, that changes to the social security system do not further disadvantage people with mental health difficulties. Restricting access to disability benefits and increasing the use of sanctions is harmful to people’s mental health, will cause higher levels of mental ill health, and will do nothing to help people get or keep work.
“We also know that nearly three quarters of mental health problems emerge by age 24, which is why we’re pleased to see an emphasis on improving support for the youngest. This includes the expansion of Family Hubs to every local authority area, full roll out of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges, and early support hubs for young people in each local community.
“While these commitments are a promising step in the right direction, we remain concerned that little action has been pledged to identify and address the root causes of poor mental health, such as poverty and inequality. The party’s immigration policies are also a major cause for concern for the mental health of people seeking asylum in the UK, risking greater traumas for those who have already experienced traumatic events. And increasing the number of prison places rather than investing in more community sentencing options will do little to tackle crime but cause significant harm to mental health, including for prisoners’ families.
“All political parties must also commit to adopting a clear and long-term strategy for mental health supported by adequate and sustainable funding for the full range of essential mental health services. We urge whoever forms the next government to make mental health a priority so that we can achieve the vision set out in A Mentally Healthier Nation.”
