Lib Dem Cllr Rosie Sharpley Stands Up for Mental Health at Party Conference (Woking Liberal Democrats)

Woking Liberal Democrats <info@wokinglibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dem Cllr Rosie Sharpley Stands Up for Mental Health at Party Conference

September 23, 2008 12:00 PM

Rosie takes part in a "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" protest at the Lib Dem Party Conference

As the Liberal Democrat's prepare to debate mental health at their party conference, Goldsworth Park Councillor and Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Rosie Sharpley took part in a 'Mad Hatters' protest held by mental health charity Rethink to show just how 'mad' mental health policy can be.

Councillor Sharpley joined Rethink campaigners dressed up as Alice in Wonderland, the white rabbit and mad hatters, to protest about the inequalities that still exist for people with mental ill health.

· People with mental illness die ten years younger because they don't get equal access to physical healthcare under the current system.

· More than half of employers won't give people with a history of mental health problems a chance to get back into work.

The Lib Dems will on Wednesday be voting on a motion calling for equal entitlement to treatment for mental health service-users and an end to mixed-sex mental health wards.

Rosie Sharpley said:

"It is wrong that in the 21st century people with a mental illness still often get treated like second-class citizens, they have a lower life expectancy than others and struggle to get back into work after being ill. I support Rethink's call for change and I'm really pleased that my party is showing a commitment to mental health by making it a key policy priority".

Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, held the Mad Hatters tea party at the entrance to the Liberal Democrats party conference zone on Sunday 14th September from 11.00am - 12.30pm.