Spurred into politics after witnessing the tragic consequences the Foot and Mouth Outbreak had on rural communities, I feel passionately that we need to address the unique factors impacting rural mental health. Having witnessed the mental impacts of shock events such as flooding and animal disease outbreaks as well as seeing rural isolation which is only compounded by a lack of access to centralised services, I triggered an official Commons EFRA Select Committee Inquiry into the issue. Informed by the high instances of mental health issues among the veterinary and agricultural sectors, I have championed more support for rural communities, better access to mental health provision and parity of esteem between physical and mental health since my maiden speech in Parliament.
