Luciana Berger MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health, laid down a Mental Health Day challenge to the government to turn its rhetoric in to reality.

Speaking at Liverpool’s city centre mental health festival, Luciana Berger said:
“The Government has promised parity between mental health and physical health yet delivered deeper cuts to mental health services while the people who rely on them are denied access.

“Labour has shown its commitment to bringing real equality for mental health by appointing the first ever Shadow Cabinet level minister for mental health.

“One in four of us will have a mental illness at some point in our lives. Yet tens of thousands receive the wrong treatment or do not get any help at all. It is shameful that those hit hardest are children and young people.

“It is a national scandal that the biggest killer of men aged 15-49 in our country is suicide.

“My job is to hold the Tory Government to account for their broken promises and to develop a world-class mental health programme to be implemented by the next Labour Government.

“People are rightly demanding parity – it must be delivered.”