Brexit and Mental Health Event Brussels

Great to be here and able to host such an interesting event with UK colleagues

from across ‘remain’ parties.

Events like this highlight the importance of working together with colleagues

from across parties to achieve a common goal.

It’s important to have real, open and honest political discourse. This is

something prized by the European Parliament and to me makes it stand out as

an organisation.

The need to work together with other political groups and parties from all over

Europe to get things done and make decisions highlights just how amazing,

influential and revolutionary the European project is. We need more of this back

in the UK to get rid of the hostile adversarial nature of politics and I hope this is

something I will do more of with my colleagues to set an example of how to get

a project done.

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I am very proud to present to you Professor Emmy van Dursen and Professor

Digby Tantam. Both have excelled in their fields and it is a real honour to have

them both here today, having previously met Professor van Dursen in London at

our last event.

Last time we hosted this event over in London it was an experience for all

present and a real emotional insight to the real human impacts of Brexit.

Those who were present at the previous event will know that a YouGov poll

found that 40% of Brits said that Brexit has had some impact on their mental

health.

This effect on mental health is often missed out with the political scrap over

Brexit. Some politicians in Westminster seem to easily forget about the effects

their actions and language have on the citizens of the UK.

I can promise you this event will be eye-opening about the true, human costs of

Brexit, not just to the 3 million EU citizens in the UK but to all in the UK and EU.

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Not to mention all the staff working for MEPs in the European Parliament, facing

constant insecurity about their positions. Hopefully, this event will give you a

real insight into the challenges faced by all these people. Thank you.