Political opinion: Alex Ballinger MP celebrates launch of Labour’s Men’s Health Strategy
Alex Ballinger MP welcomes the launch of Labour’s bold plan to tackle physical and mental health challenges faced by men and boys in Halesowen, and reduce inequalities.
Men and boys across England will benefit from Labour’s tailored healthcare and support as the government launches its first Men’s Health Strategy.
Launched on International Men’s Day, the bold plan sets out comprehensive action to tackle the physical and mental health challenges men and boys face every day, including suicide which is one of the biggest killers of men under 50.
The plans centre around a £3.6 million government investment over the next three years in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men. Investment is focused in local communities across areas of England where men are at most risk of taking their own lives, including some of the most deprived areas in the country.
The focus on suicide prevention includes a partnership on the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative with the Samaritans, which looks to help tackle the stigma around men’s mental health and embed health messaging into the matchday experience.
This comes on top of Labour's expansion of mental health teams in schools to ensure an additional 900,000 pupils have access to support by April 2026, giving children a foundation of good mental health right at the start of their lives.
The strategy also includes measures to support men with prostate cancer - which impacts 1 in 8 men in their lifetime - touching so many families across the UK. Men suffering from the disease will benefit from improved care including the development of home prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for monitoring the disease.
Other key commitments in the Men’s Health Strategy include:
Investing £3 million into community-based men’s health programmes, designed to reach those most at risk and least likely to engage with traditional services
Men’s health training for healthcare professionals through new e-learning modules and resources
Workplace health pilots with EDF Energy through the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Programme to support male workers in male-dominated industries
Enhanced lung disease support for former miners, with increased investment in the Respiratory Pathways Transformation Fund in areas with significant former mining communities
Funding research to help prevent, diagnose, treat and manage the major male killers and causes of unhealthy life years in men
A £200,000 trial of new brief interventions to target the rise in cocaine and alcohol-related CVD deaths, particularly among older men
The men’s health strategy supports the government’s ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, while increasing it for everyone.
Alex Ballinger, Labour MP for Halesowen said: “Men can be less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence. Men’s health is suffering, having a significant impact on families, workplaces and communities. This government has put our NHS on the road to recovery, but it’s not enough to wait for men to come forward to the NHS – we’re partnering with the premier league, charities, and social media influencers to bring better support direct to men and boys.
“I want to take this chance to highlight the amazing work of ANDYSMANCLUB in Halesowen who arrange group sessions where men aged eighteen and above can speak openly about their mental health in a judgement-free, non-clinical environment.
“Labour’s strategy is meeting men and boys where they are helping them and their families in Halesowen to get on and live longer, healthier lives.”
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: “For too long, men’s health has been overlooked. There has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships. The fact is that life can be really difficult for men in today’s society. Men are dying nearly four years earlier than women, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for men under 50.
“This strategy marks a turning point - the first time we’re taking comprehensive, co-ordinated action to address the health challenges facing men and boys.
“Teaming up with the Premier League will harness the power of football to break down barriers and reach millions of men who might never walk through a GP’s door.
“We know men are less likely to come forward for healthcare. From partnering with the premier league to rolling out health support in the workplace - we’re meeting men where they are and giving them the support they need to live longer, healthier lives.”
