The number of Met Police working days lost due to mental health has increased by almost a third in the last four years.

According to figures released on 21 September by the Mayor’s office, the total of mental-health related absences among Met Police officers and staff has increased by 30% between the financial years 2018/19 to 2021/22.

Stress, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are among some of the mental health issues that have caused these absences to jump from from 81,576 to 106,412 in four years. 

Former Met Police officer Steve Thornton described the rise in mental health in the Met as “unforgiving” and put it down to a lack of wellbeing resources in the force. 

He said: “The mental health and wellbeing provision from the force is grossly inadequate.

“From a former police officer’s perspective I think officers are not having the chance to analyse what they have been through.

“The mechanisms have been removed. What helped me to get through it all was the nucleus of police officers who ed each other. 

“That unfortunately has been removed because lots of officers are now working remotely … so there is no outlet for them to discuss what they’re going through. 

“There’s no picking up the signs and symptoms of someone who is struggling.”

He also added that some of the counsellors providing for officers and staff are not trauma trained and in one particular case a suicidal officer was told he would have to wait eight to 12 weeks before speaking to a counsellor. 

Steve Thornton runs a wellbeing service for serving and retired police officers, police staff and their families called Trojan Wellbeing. 

The service aims to provide peer and professional to officers, raise awareness and break down the mental health stigma in the emergency services. 

Thornton attributes the increase in criminality in the Met Police to the “mental health crisis”, questioning why “good police officers” find themselves in a position where they are making these decisions.

He stated: “This is something that needs to be looked at unfortunately.”

This data came to light when Labour Politician and Member of the London Assembly Unmesh Desai asked Mayor Sadiq Khan for the statistics during a Mayor’s Question Time in June. 

The full dataset was released by the Mayor’s office in September.

A spokesman from the Mayor’s office said: “The Mayor is working closely with the new Met Commissioner to ensure all officers and staff in the Met receive the appropriate training, equipment and care to succeed in their roles and make London safer.”

In 2019, Police Care UK published results from a research study called ‘Policing: The Job & the Life’. 

The research, which was funded by Police Care UK and conducted by the University of Cambridge, highlighted that one in five serving police officers in the UK are living with either Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD, both of which are anxiety disorders triggered by traumatic events. 

Most of these officers are not aware that they may be struggling with such a mental illness and 93% will go to work as usual regardless.

It also found that 90% of the 18,000 police officers and staff in the UK who took part in the study, have been exposed to trauma and for some this is on a daily basis.

Moreover, 65% did not think this was well managed in their force.

A spokesperson from Police Care UK said: “On average we receive 100-120 new referrals a month, with the majority of these being mental health concerns relating to PTSD, STD, job related anxiety, depression and stress.

“We know this is a real problem and we work hard to fill gaps in provision and to build resilience across the service. 

“We will continue to those working within UK policing as best we can for as long as we can.”

A further investigation into the stigma of mental health in the UK Police Force for the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction in 2020 found that there is still a significant ‘Macho Culture’ within the police.

The investigation highlighted that officers still do not feel comfortable disclosing mental illness as they may be considered weaker or less masculine as a result. 

A number of the participants in the investigation also indicated that alcohol had become a coping mechanism for the pressures of work and psychological symptoms they faced.

The Metropolitan Police has not responded to a request for a comment. 

In response to the soaring mental health related absence figures in the Met Police Service, a representative from the Met Police told the Evening Standard: “The health and wellbeing of our police officers and staff is of paramount importance. 

“The Met have a vast range of ways our people can get the they need during challenging times.

“Specialist Occupational Health is provided to those officers and staff directly affected by traumatic events.”

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By Michael Phillips
December 13 2019, 13.30
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Who was elected in each constituency and some facts about what went on at the polling stations.

• Labour gained only one seat in the whole of the UK, in Putney after losing 59 seats. It’s Labour’s first win in Putney since 2001. It’s a seat held formerly held by former Conservative Education Secretary Justine Greening. 
• In Kensington, the Conservative Felicity Buchan won with a narrow majority of 150. A row broke out between the former Conservative now Liberal Democrat MP Sam Gyimah and Labour’s Emma Dent Coad who whilst exiting the town hall said: “Congratulations to Sam Gyimah for screwing up Kensington.”
• Zac Goldsmith who was appointed by Boris Johnson to a ministerial role, lost his seat in Richmond to Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney. He has praised the Prime Minister for his 86-seat majority. 
• Lib Dem Tom Brake lost his seat in Carshalton and Wallington after 22 years to Conservative candidate Elliot Colburn. 
• First-time Labour MP for Streatham Bell Ribeiro-Addy vowed ‘not to give into bigotry’ after securing a 54.8% vote share with 30,796 votes.
• Lib Dem candidate Helen Thompson lost in Streatham but bounced the Tories into second place with a 23.5% vote share to Conservative Rory O’Broin’s 16%. 
• Chris Philp held Croydon South for the Conservatives after defeating his Labour rival Olga Fitzroy with a majority of 12,339 votes.  
• Conservative MP Paul Scully retained his seat for Sutton and Cheam. 
• Lib Dem Munira Wilson said she was “delighted, overwhelmed and over the moon” after winning the seat for Twickenham. 
• MP for Mitcham and Morden Siobhain McDonagh expressed regret that Labour had “let many of our ers down” nationally despite being re-elected last night. 
• Uxbridge and Ruislip MP Boris Johnson retained his seat with 25,351 votes and an increase on his last election turnout.        
• Milk supplies at the Chelsea and Fulham count ran out by 11.15pm.
• Chelsea and Fulham Tory MP Greg Hands retained his seat after his 2017 victory.      
• Labour MP Marsha de Cordova won Battersea with 27,290 votes defeating Kim Caddy who had 21,622. The Labour MP is currently the Shadow Minister for Disabled People and is legally blind, suffering from nystagmus, a condition that makes the eyes move involuntarily.
• Boris Johnson did not put a cross next to his own name on polling day after ing to vote in Westminster, rather than Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
• Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Helen Hayes, received almost four times the votes for the second-placed Green Party.
• Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley came second in the Dulwich and West Norwood vote with Labour retaining the seat. He hit out at Labour for not ing the Unite to Remain alliance. 
• Conservative MP Stephen Hammond narrowly beat the Liberal Democrats in his Wimbledon seat. 
• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab retained his seat for Esher and Walton despite a risk that he could lose to the Liberal Democrats. 
• Labour MP Seema Malhotra labelled her party’s evening as disastrous despite her personal success in Feltham and Heston. 
• Ruth Cadbury won for the Conservatives in Brentford and Isleworth with 29,266 votes – an impressive 10,514 more than the first-time Labour candidate comfortably . 
• Labour MP Steve Reed held Croydon North comfortably with 36,495 votes, a 65.6% share of the vote.

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By Mark Stillman
December 9 2019, 21.50
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Green Party candidate Claire Jackson-Prior has expressed her anger over the First Past the Post voting system.

Ms Jackson-Prior is standing her second election in Sutton and Cheam, having collected 871 of the area’s 51,970 votes in 2017.

The 46-year-old Sutton resident believes change is needed for a fairer outcome.

Ms Jackson-Prior said: “The voting system for General Elections is not fit for purpose.

“People find it difficult to vote for values they learned because they feel they have to vote against the values they dislike instead.

“It means that people’s views are not properly represented in Parliament. “I expect there to be some tactical voting.”

In four General Elections between 1992 and 2015, the Sutton and Cheam Green Party have collectively gained 2,612 votes, approximately a tenth of the total Conservatives received in the 2017 election alone.

Ms Jackson-Prior said: “It would always be nice to get more people from our party involved in debates on the television but I’m not entirely sure that’ll change any time soon.

“We need a greater access to gain a greater voice. With the Internet it’s easier to get your message across.

“For the Greens, I’m quite happy to be the person that says something totally weird!

“People ask at hustings why I don’t just leave and stop putting myself through it all.

“I was actually surprised how much sitting candidates do themselves. I thought the team would do a lot of it.

“You’ve just got to stand outside in the street sometimes and make your message clear.”

Ms Jackson-Prior also hinted that this could be her last election.

She said: “I won’t be grabbing hold of my position for dear life. I’d be willing to stand aside if someone wanted to have a go.

“If anybody said to me in 2015 I’d be candidate for a General Election I would have found it very amusing. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.

“I know some people take it in their stride. I can’t imagine ever getting to that point. My fellow local Green Party are all aware that I am not personally politically ambitious.

“If any of my colleagues would like to stand as a candidate in a future General Election, I would be very happy to them in any way I can.”

Read more about what’s important to south west London constituencies in our 24-page General Election preview special.

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By Angus Oliver
December 8 2019, 23.20
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While most General Election candidates are motivated by their constituency’s local issues, Paul Scully’s political determination is founded more than 5,000 miles away.

In 2017 he stepped into a vision of hell when greeted with blood, death, despair and the brutal reality of genocide.

Mr Scully, the Conservative candidate for Sutton and Cheam, saw Burmese villages burning on the Bangladeshi border and thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing ethnic and religious persecution.

The Conservative Party deputy chairman had arrived at Kutupalong refugee camp, now the largest in the world, just three weeks after the mass exodus of Rohingya people from Myanmar had started.

He said: “I saw people who had their legs burned off by landmines and a man with his head smashed in by a machete being carried past me.

“The possibility of people contracting diseases was terrifyingly high. It was really horrible to see.”

Mr Scully, 51, is half-Burmese through his father who was born in Myanmar, and is the trade envoy for Burma, Brunei and Thailand.

He was the first MP to go to the Rohingya refugee camps and, having witnessed the gruesome effects of ethnic cleansing, he sought to fight for Burmese, and other ethnic minorities’ democracy and development.

“I saw my job to give the people of Rohingya a voice so that we can get them rehomed and repatriated in a safe way,” Mr Scully said.

“I feel a sense of connection and rapport with the diaspora groups from that part of Asia.

“We have a few thousand Tamils in south west London and I have connected with the community who have made Sutton their home.

“We also have a big Ahmadiyya Muslim community based around the mosque in Morden of people who were persecuted in Pakistan and have moved to the UK, their spiritual home, and there is a growing Indian community as well.

“What those community groups have in common is the desire to have great educations and work really hard.

“Bringing those two things together with a solid family network gives them the best chance of prosperity.

“We are aligned in of what they want and what the Conservative Party offers.

“We want to be able to bring people together rather than treat them as a number of separate communities.”

The completion of Brexit would mean tighter immigration controls in the United Kingdom which would restrict the movement of ethnic minority populations.

But despite being a strong Brexiteer, Mr Scully believes the Conservatives’ proposed points-based immigration system will represent a fairer arrangement than before.

He said: “Immigration is a key concern to people but always what I have tried to do is concentrate not on division but on what binds us.

“First of all it is about making people who are already here feel welcome.

“Then it is about having a level playing field no matter where one comes from in the world.

“I don’t care if someone comes from Greece or Bangladesh, Spain or Australia, if they have the skills we want, they should be allowed to come, contribute and enjoy what we have to offer in London and in Sutton.”

In September 2019, Kutupalong became the largest refugee camp in the world with a combined population of 613,272 people.

The Gambia has since formally accused Myanmar of genocide against Rohingya Muslims by filing a lawsuit to the United Nation’s top court, but Myanmar’s government denies the claims.

Mr Scully said: “The military are trying to push out the Rohingya. They have killed, named and pushed people out.

“We can point towards ethnic cleansing.

“They cannot act with impunity, they cannot act thinking they can get away with it, thinking the international community will let them get away with it.”

Read more about what’s important to south west London constituencies in our 24-page General Election preview special.

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Labour’s new shadow minister for disabilities has hit the ground running  by today securing an opposition debate on the universal credit rollout. 6q4018

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appointed Battersea MP Marsha De Cordova to the role last week, replacing Marie Rimmer.

In today’s debate, Labour are calling for the roll out of the new benefit system to be paused, having last month stated that it is in “total disarray.”

Speaking in Parliament, Ms De Cordova will challenge the nature of universal credit calculations – the s that exist for out of work benefits that exclude disabled people – which results in a real cut for disabled people.

On the well-documented issues with universal credit, she said: “We know that within the benefit system there have been a number of issues that have disproportionately affected disabled people, not least the work capability assessment which is the assessment that everybody has to go through to apply for employment and allowance or ESA as it is known.

“The assessment itself is currently not working and Labour’s position would be to scrap this assessment and also the assessment for the personal independence payment.

“So I suppose for us it is really making sure, working on what that assessment framework should look like.”

Ms De Cordova was only elected as an MP in June, winning Battersea from the Conservatives with 45.9% of the vote.

The Bristol-born politician, who is ed blind, aims to focus on systematic frameworks catering to disabled people, including social security benefits and equality for disabled people.

Speaking of her appointment, she said: “I was incredibly honoured to be asked to step into this role. It is a great opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to getting stuck in.”

The disability employment gap is another area of focus for Ms De Cordova.

She said: “As it stands, we know that the employment gap between non-disabled and disabled people hasn’t closed and we need to close that.

“Disabled people need to be given the same employment rights and opportunities as any non-disabled person.

“I always have been an advocate for this and it’s interesting because my career outside of parliament has always been being a good advocate and voice for disabled people, so to be able to do it in my capacity as shadow minister is a privilege and it is something that I am really grateful to be doing.”

Additionally, Ms De Cordova is prepared to tackle the “poor decision-making on personal independence payment” and ensuring the rights and freedoms of disabled people are protected in any Brexit deal that is negotiated.

MP Debbie Abrahams, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary said: “Marsha came to Parliament with a strong record of campaigning for the rights of blind and partially sighted people, and quickly established herself here as a ionate and committed defender of our social security system.”

Mr Corbyn added: “I am delighted to welcome Marsha to our work and pensions team. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and will help us continue to expose the failings of this Conservative government that has even been found wanting by the UN over its treatment of disabled people.”

Ms De Cordova is confident that Labour can continue their progress and move into government at the next election.

She said: “We are constantly formulating our own policies so that if there is another general election, that we do have strong costed policies that will actually work for all disabled people.

“We want to ensure we understand the social security benefits, and that assessment frameworks that are currently in place are looked at, because they are not working and they are causing a lot of distress for people. So we want to see that greatly improved.”

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A witness to the Harrods Bombing of 1983, national security has always been at the forefront of Louise Rowntree’s politics. 4w5o4c

Running as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Chelsea & Fulham, the 41-year-old firmly believes that Brexit will make the United Kingdom more vulnerable.

Despite campaigning in a Conservative safe seat, Ms Rowntree finds that many constituents may be changing their political allegiances.

She said: “The big difference is the reaction on the doorstep compared to the reaction in the polls.

“I have met many former Labour and Conservative voters saying they are going to vote Lib Dem.

“I have former Conservatives funding my campaign and knocking on doors with me.”

Brexit remains the big issue for voters in this constituency and in light of the Manchester bombings the need for continued data sharing and international arrest warrants have taken on a particular significance.

Ms Rowntree promises an alternative to the Conservative’s ‘hard’ Brexit, with an assurance that Prime Minister Theresa May’s leadership will not go unchallenged.

She said: “Ultimately what the Liberal Democrats are about is giving people a choice.

“Our vision is to have a vote on the final Brexit deal and for many people that is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Nationally the Liberal Democrats have struggled to make substantial headway in the polls, with mixed evidence of a ‘Lib Dem comeback’.

However, Louise Rowntree remains optimistic that she will win her seat and be able to challenge Theresa May’s government.

She said: “I have always loved that Britain embraces democratic opposition.

“Now more than ever, Britain needs a strong opposition to limit the damage being wreaked by the new Conservative government’s closed plan for Britain’s future.”

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The Conservative candidate for Croydon North at the last election said he is doubtful he will run for office again soon. 33r2

Samuel Kasumu lost to Labour and Co-operative’s Steve Reed by 32,365 votes, with Mr Reed’s majority increasing by more than 11,000.

In keeping with the nationwide trend, Croydon North’s turnout rose by 6.2% – the largest increase in the three Croydon constituencies.

Mr Kasumu said he does not know if he will run again in the event of another general election this year.

He said: “If it’s this year, it’s highly unlikely.

“I’ve got a young boy, he’s 22 months, and I need to see him more.

“I’m not sure this form of public life is for me,” he added.

Mr Kasumu seemed to accept that winning Croydon North was never a realistic prospect and said the aims of his campaign lay elsewhere.

He said: “I had three aims – to see if running in an election was something I wanted to do in the future in a seat that is winnable, secondly to help Gavin – I’ve known him for seven or eight years and I think he’s been a great local member of parliament.

“Thirdly was to encourage people from similar backgrounds to myself to consider public life.”

Despite a comprehensive beating, Mr Kasumu remained ebullient about the quality of his team’s local campaign.

“We ran a very, very good local campaign,” he said.

“I know Labour busted out a lot of Momentum folks, but we ran one of the most impressive local campaigns in the Conservative Party.

“I don’t think this is a reflection of Croydon Conservatives, it’s a reflection of the national picture.”

He hoped that the campaign would increase the profile of the Conservatives in Croydon ahead of next year’s local elections.

“In local elections, the Conservatives don’t usually put up many candidates so Labour usually have a bit of a free run.

“I don’t know if the results from today will encourage people, but hopefully I’ve managed to help somehow.”

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Ex-Croydon Central MP and new Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell is being criticised over a delayed fire safety review after the devastating blaze at Grenfell Tower. y5e2u

Mr Barwell is one of a string of housing ministers who did not give the go-ahead to a fire safety regulations.

The regulations review had already been delayed for years by the time Mr Barwell, who was responsible for housing for a year before the election, became a minister.

Former chief fire officer Ronnie King told the Independent: “Mr Barwell said he was still looking at it.”

Mr Barwell lost his seat six days ago but was named Theresa May’s new chief of staff at the weekend after the resignations of advisers Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy.

The All-Party Parliamentary Fire and Rescue Group has been demanding changes to the rules since 2013.

Mr King, a former fire chief in Wales who is an adviser to the All-Party Group, first raised his concern following another tower block fire in south London in 2009, which killed six people.

Regulations were last reviewed in 2006 but Mr King has long been pressing for a change, with Mr Barwell.

Prime minister Theresa May has summoned a meeting of the government’s Civil Contingencies Secretariat to consider their response to the Grenfell Tower blaze.

A spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in the Grenfell Tower and is being kept constantly updated on the situation.

“She has asked for a cross-Government meeting at the Civil Contingencies Secretariat to take place at 4pm to co-ordinate the response and ensure the Government is ready to assist the emergency services and local authorities as necessary.

“The PM’s thoughts are with all of those affected by this terrible incident and the emergency services, who are working tirelessly in very difficult circumstances.”

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The Liberal Democrat candidate for Croydon South has hit back at criticism over her imioned post-declaration speech. 5oj6s

Anna Jones, a former Lib Dem councillor in Epsom, called on the next government to stop vilifying the disabled shortly after Chris Philp was returned as Croydon South’s MP.

Ms Jones refuted comments made by Mr Philp – who won the seat with a 11,704 majority – after he criticised the timing and content of her speech.

She said: “If Mr Philps is upset about me calling on the next government to be more comionate to the disadvantaged in our society then that is his problem, not mine.

“I will always stand up for those who need it the most.”

Ms Jones, who has two disabled sisters, said she has witnessed the effects of changes to the benefit system under the last government.

“I’ve got the chance to see how they have been treated and it’s just appalling.

“If you are disabled in this country, you are treated like a criminal,” she added.

Mr Philp grimaced during Ms Jones’ speech and later said the speech was not a time to talk about party politics.

He said: “She was making very pointed party political points and we debated those points during the campaign.”

“A speech after a declaration is a time to be unified and to be gracious.”

Ms Jones was ed by Labour candidate Jennifer Brathwaite who said Ms Jones was simply stating the truth.

She said: “That’s the reality of the benefit changes that the government has made.

“It does vilify and definitely penalises those with disabilities and that’s the unfortunate reality of the situation.

Mr

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Ex-Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell will become the new chief of staff at Downing Street, two days after losing his seat at Thursday’s general election. 3b436a

He will replace former advisers Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, who both resigned earlier today after the Conservatives fell short of an overall majority.

Mr Barwell, who saw his majority of 165 overturned by Labour’s Sarah Jones, said he was thrilled at the appointment.

He said: “I voted for Theresa May to become Prime Minister.

“I believe she is the best person to heal the divisions in our country that last year’s referendum and the General Election have laid bare, getting the best Brexit deal for the whole country and leading us towards a brighter future outside the EU.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as her chief of staff.”

The announcement comes as Theresa May attempts to finalise her own cabinet after reaching a ‘confidence and supply’ voting agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland.

The Conservatives lost 13 seats at the election on June 8, with Labour picking up 30 and the Liberal Democrats increasing their number of MPs by four.

The Tories had a torrid night in south west London, with five MPs losing their seats.

In addition to Mr Barwell, Battersea’s Jane Ellison and Kensington’s Victoria Borwick saw Labour candidates overcome hefty majorities.

Meanwhile, former Lib Dem cabinet ministers Vince Cable and Ed Davey won back their seats in Twickenham and Kingston & Surbiton.

In one bright area for the Conservatives, Zac Goldsmith won back Richmond Park, beating Sarah Olney by 45 votes.

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