Rethink welcomes verdict on Mental Health Act for MPs

13th January 2010

Recommendations to scrap a ruling in the Mental Health Act that removes parliamentary members from their seat if they come under the legislation for longer than six months has been welcomed by Rethink.

The charity's director of public affairs said that a Speaker's Conference committee decision to suggest repealing Section 141 is good news.

Paul Corry added: "Discriminatory laws like this can stop people who want to be open about their mental health standing for public office or getting involved in politics."

According to Mr Corry, many individuals are too quick to discount the abilities of a person with psychological problems to recover and hold a demanding job.

Nine out of ten people with conditions of this kind have to deal with daily discrimination that is "totally unnecessary", he commented.

Published yesterday (January 12th), the committee's report also urged major political parties to release their targets for equal representation within their organisations in 2015 and 2020.

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