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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/28/pmqs-verdict-corbyns-measured-approach-upends-may-on-mental-health
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| PMQs verdict: Corbyn's measured approach upends May on mental health | PMQs verdict: Corbyn's measured approach upends May on mental health |
| (3 days later) | |
| Key points | Key points |
| Jeremy Corbyn focused his questions on mental health spending, starting by mentioning two families whose loved ones, Teresa Colvin and Connor Sparrowhawk, died in care. Is May confident these cases could not happen again? | Jeremy Corbyn focused his questions on mental health spending, starting by mentioning two families whose loved ones, Teresa Colvin and Connor Sparrowhawk, died in care. Is May confident these cases could not happen again? |
| May says she hopes the lessons from these cases have been learned. A report into Southern Health, where both were patients, is due later this year. | May says she hopes the lessons from these cases have been learned. A report into Southern Health, where both were patients, is due later this year. |
| Corbyn asks why there are 5,000 fewer mental health services now than in 2010. May says more money is being put into mental health services, with 1,400 more people accessing mental health services every day. But she says this is about services in the community too, pointing to an initiative for mental health training in schools. | Corbyn asks why there are 5,000 fewer mental health services now than in 2010. May says more money is being put into mental health services, with 1,400 more people accessing mental health services every day. But she says this is about services in the community too, pointing to an initiative for mental health training in schools. |
| May says her government gave parity to mental health in the Health and Social Care Act – with Corbyn hitting back that this came thanks to a Labour amendment in the Lords. He adds that the money never followed and that analysis shows mental health trust have less money than five years ago. | May says her government gave parity to mental health in the Health and Social Care Act – with Corbyn hitting back that this came thanks to a Labour amendment in the Lords. He adds that the money never followed and that analysis shows mental health trust have less money than five years ago. |
| May says spending has increased to a record £11.6bn and adds that dealing with mental health needs various approaches. | May says spending has increased to a record £11.6bn and adds that dealing with mental health needs various approaches. |
| Corbyn says mental health spending fell between 2010 and 2015. Too often problems have to be dealt with by friends or relatives. Why is only 6% of the budget spend on children and young people, when they make up 20% of the population? | Corbyn says mental health spending fell between 2010 and 2015. Too often problems have to be dealt with by friends or relatives. Why is only 6% of the budget spend on children and young people, when they make up 20% of the population? |
| May says spending on mental health services for young people is going up. And she is taking action in other areas. As home secretary she addressed the problem of mental health patients being held in cells. There has been a dramatic reduction. | May says spending on mental health services for young people is going up. And she is taking action in other areas. As home secretary she addressed the problem of mental health patients being held in cells. There has been a dramatic reduction. |
| Corbyn acknowledges the work the police do. But his point is there should be more professionals. The number of child and adolescent psychiatrists has fallen by 6%, he says. | Corbyn acknowledges the work the police do. But his point is there should be more professionals. The number of child and adolescent psychiatrists has fallen by 6%, he says. |
| May says the government is addressing this. But there is a wider issue here: the use of social media. Corbyn says he hopes May will support Labour’s digital bill, which will ensure adequate protections for young people. He mentions a letter from someone waiting months for treatment. The NHS affects us all, he says. It is in crisis, and that is particularly acute in mental health services. Will May commit to ringfencing mental health services? | May says the government is addressing this. But there is a wider issue here: the use of social media. Corbyn says he hopes May will support Labour’s digital bill, which will ensure adequate protections for young people. He mentions a letter from someone waiting months for treatment. The NHS affects us all, he says. It is in crisis, and that is particularly acute in mental health services. Will May commit to ringfencing mental health services? |
| May says the NHS is receiving extra funding. An extra £10bn is going in, she says. That is because the government has adopted a balanced approach to the economy. Labour’s approach would mean increased debt, and ordinary people would pay the price. | May says the NHS is receiving extra funding. An extra £10bn is going in, she says. That is because the government has adopted a balanced approach to the economy. Labour’s approach would mean increased debt, and ordinary people would pay the price. |
| Snap verdict | Snap verdict |
| The last two weeks have probably been the best for May since the general election (given the wide praise she has had for her stance on Russia, the diplomatic coup she achieved with the coordinated spy expulsions, and Brexit moving forward), and perhaps the worst for Corbyn (antisemitism and Russia), but this afternoon the May resurgence came to a shuddering halt as Corbyn comprehensively and gracefully upended her at PMQs. He picked a second-tier public policy issue where the government’s record is weak and focused on specific questions, not party policy rhetoric – often the best way for the opposition leader to score a hit at PMQs. But he did it well, picking up on points that May made when she replied, and he adopted a more-in-sorrow-than-anger tone (giving credit to May for caring about this, paying tribute to the police) that enhanced his credibility. Crucially, though, he was on winning ground on points of substance. May just couldn’t answer his argument about how the commitment to mental health parity in the NHS has not been matched by parity of funding. May seemed to run out of things to say after her second answer and towards the end she made a particularly far-fetched attempt to make a connection between mental health and the activities of Corbynite Twitter trolls – although she did not quite have the courage to make the link explicit, and in the end her insinuation was left hanging. | The last two weeks have probably been the best for May since the general election (given the wide praise she has had for her stance on Russia, the diplomatic coup she achieved with the coordinated spy expulsions, and Brexit moving forward), and perhaps the worst for Corbyn (antisemitism and Russia), but this afternoon the May resurgence came to a shuddering halt as Corbyn comprehensively and gracefully upended her at PMQs. He picked a second-tier public policy issue where the government’s record is weak and focused on specific questions, not party policy rhetoric – often the best way for the opposition leader to score a hit at PMQs. But he did it well, picking up on points that May made when she replied, and he adopted a more-in-sorrow-than-anger tone (giving credit to May for caring about this, paying tribute to the police) that enhanced his credibility. Crucially, though, he was on winning ground on points of substance. May just couldn’t answer his argument about how the commitment to mental health parity in the NHS has not been matched by parity of funding. May seemed to run out of things to say after her second answer and towards the end she made a particularly far-fetched attempt to make a connection between mental health and the activities of Corbynite Twitter trolls – although she did not quite have the courage to make the link explicit, and in the end her insinuation was left hanging. |
| Memorable lines | Memorable lines |
| May accuses Labour MPs of “chuntering” after she says mental health spending was raised to record £11.6bn: | May accuses Labour MPs of “chuntering” after she says mental health spending was raised to record £11.6bn: |
| It’s all very well Labour members chuntering about this but dealing with mental health means addressing it in a variety of ways. We are taking more steps dealing with mental health than the labour government ever took when they were in power. | It’s all very well Labour members chuntering about this but dealing with mental health means addressing it in a variety of ways. We are taking more steps dealing with mental health than the labour government ever took when they were in power. |
| Corbyn on mental health spending: | Corbyn on mental health spending: |
| It’s quite clear that mental health spending is insufficient. Can the prime minister explain why only 6% of the overall mental health budget is spent on children and young people when they make up over 20% of our population. | It’s quite clear that mental health spending is insufficient. Can the prime minister explain why only 6% of the overall mental health budget is spent on children and young people when they make up over 20% of our population. |
| PMQs | PMQs |
| Jeremy Corbyn | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Theresa May | Theresa May |
| House of Commons | House of Commons |
| Mental health | Mental health |
| Health | Health |
| analysis | analysis |
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