Robbie Moore MP: 'A minister for men and young boys would demonstrate everyone is important'
The harm inflicted on young men by social media companies and influencers came under the spotlight at a forum in Yorkshire which was attended by two shadow ministers.
Business leaders and health professionals attended the event at the Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley which heard the case for the creation of a Government minister for men and young boys.
Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley, who is Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, chaired Ilkley and District’s second Mental Health Forum in collaboration with local GP Dr Caroline Rayment. This year’s forum focused on the challenges facing young men today.
Mr Moore said this topic has become increasingly prominent both in Dr Rayment’s clinical practice, and in wider national conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
Last month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled a social media ban for under-16s which he said would give youngsters back their childhood.
Speaking after the event, Mr Moore told The Yorkshire Post: "This is a hugely important issue. As a member of Parliament, I get a lot of correspondence from parents and I do a lot of outreach at primary schools and secondary schools about the challenges facing young boys and young men.
"That's why bringing everyone together in the same room, for a second year, means you're getting everyone to talk about those issues.”
He said the forum was allowing stakeholders to engage with one another about the clinical challenges “and also how we take a proactive approach rather than just being reactionary all the time”.
"I don't just believe in talking, I like delivery. We had our first health and wellbeing event last year which was all about the impact of social media which resulted in putting pressure in getting that social media ban for those aged under 16.
"Today's event has been about men's mental health and young boys' mental health, where there are just as much challenges. We've heard calls today to have a minister specifically responsible for men and young boys; I think that is a great call because it demonstrates that everyone is important.
"We've got a minister for women and girls. I think we need the same level of attention to address those challenges for our young boys as well."
Dr Rayment, a GP partner at Grange Park Surgery who is clinical lead for Wharfedale & Silsden Community Partnership, said: “We are all aware of the pressures on our young men and boys, represented in TV programmes such as Adolescence and articles about ‘toxic masculinity’.
"We discussed last year the pressure that social media is putting on our young people and the rise of social media influencers. This year, we are seeking to explore the mental health of the young men within our community, the challenges they are facing, and how these challenges are impacting the health and wellbeing professionals who are trying to help them.”
Dr Luke Evans MP, Shadow Minister for Health, told the forum that 14 men lose their lives to suicide each day in the UK.
He added: “We know that boys achieve on average half a grade lower than girls at GCSEs. At A levels, a girl outperforms a boy by over a grade and a half..
He added: "Nine in 10 boys in custody said they had been excluded from school. These are huge factors that are going to play into your mental health and mental wellbeing. They need to be addressed.”