Miliband in drive to end taboo of mental illness

The Labour leader will criticise TV personality Jeremy Clarkson and writer Janet Street-Porter for articles which he claims belittled the mentally ill and contributed to a national taboo on the issue.

Many people could get treatment for mental problems but are “intimidated” from seeking help by the fear of being mocked and subjected to “lazy caricatures”, he will say.

Failure to address mental health issues is blighting the lives of millions of people, adding £10bn to annual NHS spending and costing business £26bn a year in reduced productivity, sickness absence and the cost of replacing staff who can no longer work, he will warn.

In a high-profile speech in London, Mr Miliband will say: “One in four of us will have a mental illness at some point in our lifetime. It is the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age.

“There are so many people in Britain today who could be treated but who are intimidated from seeking help. And so many people who need support but who believe that no one will care.

“For far too long our leading politicians have been far too silent about mental health, part of a taboo running across our society which infects both our culture and our politics.

“It is a taboo which not only blights the lives of millions but also puts severe strain on the funding of our NHS and threatens Britain’s ability to pay our way in the world. It is a taboo which must be broken if we are to rebuild Britain as one nation.

“There are still people who abuse the privilege of their celebrity to insult, demean and belittle others, such as when Janet Street-Porter says that depression is ‘the latest must-have accessory’ promoted by the ‘misery movement’.

“Jeremy Clarkson at least acknowledges the tragedy of people who end their own life but then goes on to dismiss them as ‘Johnny Suicides’ whose bodies should be left on train tracks rather than delay journeys.

“Just as we joined the fight against racism, against sexism and against homophobia, so we should join the fight against this form of intolerance. It is not acceptable, it costs Britain dear and it has to change.”

Mr Miliband will announce the creation of a taskforce headed by the chair of Barts NHS Trust, Stephen O’Brien, to draw up a strategic plan for mental health in society.