International Men’s Day

Alistair Strathern Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)]

I start with a thank you to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for the incredible way in which he opened the debate. Securing it was important enough, but the bravery that he has shown today, as well as the leadership that he has shown on so many of the issues he spoke to in his speech, will perhaps serve men right across the country far better in the future than politics has managed to do in the past. It is a day after International Men’s Day, but I cannot think of a better model of a modern, strong man than the vision of himself that he set out today, in being so brave in sharing that deeply personal experience with us all.

As my hon. Friend finished, I want to start with a dad joke—as we know, all good jokes need some forewarning. Last week, I went to the Library—I do not know why in this place, but I wanted to find a book on paranoia. I went up to the librarian, tapped her on the shoulder and asked her where I might be able to find one. She leaned over to me and whispered, “I am afraid, sir, they’re all right behind you.” [Hon. Members: “Oh.”] That is as good a reaction as my jokes get in this place—it is great to see everyone else lowering themselves to my level for one day.

The point behind the campaign is a really important one: paternity leave in this country is a bit of a joke. When I have held events with new mums, new dads and new parents across my constituency, it has been heartbreaking to hear about the impact that the challenge of paternity leave has on them. I have seen mums with high-risk pregnancies along with dads struggling to see whether they will be able to take off enough time before the birth—let alone after—to be there to support them. New mums have told me heartbreaking stories of how they have had to go through caesarean recoveries alone after the dads had to return to work. That cannot be good enough. As progressives, the statutory paternity leave offer, which is so narrow and tight that only some of the wealthiest in society can really take it up, should not be good enough for us. We have to do far better. I really hope that we will make the most of the upcoming paternity and parental leave review to put that right.

As so many have already said, that is not the only issue failing men today. As was identified in yesterday’s landmark announcement, men’s mental health, its issues and strategies have not been forensically focused on in this place for far too long. I know about that from my own challenges, after a bad concussion left me out of work for the best part of six months. I was unable to comprehend and struggled to read at times—some Members might be wondering what has changed. While I can joke about it now, it was no laughing matter at the time.

I was lucky that I had friends who pointed out the fact that my symptoms went well beyond concussion; I was getting quite deeply depressed. They ensured that I got the right support and guidance to get back to work and feel comfortable and confident in myself again. While all I can do to thank Joe, George and Alex is put their names on the record and forever associate them with me—a dubious privilege I am not sure they will be so grateful for—I want to highlight the importance of making sure that no man should ever be in the position of having to go through such a challenge alone.

I am lucky to have great groups in my constituency such as For Men to Talk in Hitchin, Stotfold’s men’s health walking group, and the great group in Shefford, where I live, run by Steve Coxon. They are there to ensure that men have spaces where they can reach out. That is why it is so important to see investment in these groups and a wider community approach to men’s health front and centre in the strategy.

We know that we need to do far more. The fact that this strategy was the first of its kind speaks to a wider problem in our politics—that at times we shy away from being confident in speaking to the challenges that affect men particularly and specifically. As progressives, this should be our fight. We should be making sure that society is there for vulnerable lads at school and dads and mums going through vulnerable births. We should make sure that we are there for men at the darkest moments of their lives. These are big progressive causes, and we should be comfortable taking them on and being loud and proud about speaking to them.

At the end of the day, men’s issues are issues not just for men but for everyone. We all have men and women in our lives, and we should all be passionate about policies that tackle the challenges they face. We should be full-throated and proud in not shying away from them.