Almost nine years on from announcing its first plans to introduce a new Mental Health Act, the Labour Government now has its plans in front of Parliament. Nine years ago, it talked about using the legislation to reduce the amount of compulsion in the system, now it says that the new law is needed to rebalance the rights of people with mental health problems and the public, with the emphasis shifting to protecting the public from the risk of violence. For the first time in history, a strong coalition of mental health stakeholders has united in opposition to Government policy.
Our knowledge of MPs’ personal attitudes and experiences is limited. Few MPs have ever spoken out about their personal or family experiences of mental health problems. So, we decided to ask them to speak to us anonymously to tell us their view of the Bill and how their knowledge and experience might affect the way they vote. For instance, would an MP with personal or family experience of a mental health problem be more or less likely to back the Government plans? This report draws on a survey of English MPs conducted in May 2006.
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