Conservative MP Philip Hammond insults mentally ill with flippant remarks on suicides

So yet again another Conservative MP hits the news for making flippant remarks.

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This time it is Philip Hammond MP who during an interview, suggested that the train service he used from Surrey to London was:

"pretty reliable, unless somebody jumps off the platform at Wimbledon, which happens with monotonous regularity."

In the Daily Telegraph, Dr Peter Byrne, from The Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

"There was very little mention of mental health in the Government spending review and it is a pity to hear these kinds of views come through in such ill-considered remarks.

"There is nothing inconsiderate or amusing about people taking their own lives."

I think the attack on Philip Hammond should actually come from closer to home though.

Only in June this year one of Philip Hammond's Conservative colleagues, David Ruffley MP jumped in front of a train at Victoria Station, thankfully he survived and is now back at work.

Thank goodness for Ruffley that he wasn't at Wimbledon Station otherwise he would not have got any sympathy from Hammond, just a whinge about the delay he had caused.

Seriously, MPs and others need to think clearly before they open their mouth and make flippant comments - or as my Mum used to say - engage brain before putting mouth into gear.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen in mental health joke gaffe

The Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, Andrew Bridgen strayed into the area of mental health in a debate in the House of Commons, unfortunately for him he tried to make a joke of it, never a good idea.

Andrew Bridgen MP: "As for those suffering from mental health problems, especially selective amnesia, I can see plenty in this Chamber."

Neither did he then go on to apologise, another mistake.

Mental health is a serious issue in this country and making light of it by politicians, who should know better, is not helpful.

It is this petty playground throwaway comments that stop mental health being treated as a serious illness.

Mental health is everyone’s business. We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. But sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to any one of us, including Andrew Bridgen MP.

You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time.

There’s a stigma attached to mental health problems. This means that people feel uncomfortable about them and don’t talk about them much. Many people don’t even feel comfortable talking about their feelings. But it’s healthy to know and say how you’re feeling.

Hopefully Andrew Bridgen will apologise for his childish comment.