David Burton-Sampson MP: speeches

Speeches

• 29 Apr 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q11. While our NHS across England has seen noticeable improvements thanks to the work of this Labour Government, Southend hospital and the wider Mid and South Essex NHS Trust has continued to struggle. I thank the Department of Health and Social Care for working with me and my colleagues on that issue, and for placing the trust on the intensive recovery programme. Does the Prime Minister agree that that is the right action, and will he meet me to discuss our wider plans to improve healthcare in Southend as part of our Opportunity Southend initiative?

• 20 Nov 2025 · International Men’s Day · Hansard source

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  I agree with everything that my hon. Friend just said. Domestic abuse is abhorrent, and although it does mainly affect women, we cannot deny that it also affects men. We need to look into and address it. I was delighted to see the first ever men’s health strategy launched yesterday, starting to address head on the issues that I have raised, with £3.6 million invested in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men as well as expanding mental health teams in schools and a partnership with the Premier League’s “Together Against Suicide” initiative with the brilliant Samaritans. Moving forward, we absolutely need to keep the focus on supporting men’s health, and especially their mental health. We want to see more men’s spaces continue to evolve to be more supportive of men’s emotional needs. I will continue to work hard through the all-party parliamentary group on male suicide to drive and promote better mental health for men. We must see suicide rates come down before we lose too many more of our sons, brothers, fathers and partners. To finish, in the spirit of the Dad Shift request for as many dad jokes as possible, here is mine. Why did the maths book look so sad? Because it had too many problems. On that note, if you feel that you have too many problems, do not hold them in—get talking.

• 20 Nov 2025 · International Men’s Day · Hansard source

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  Madam Deputy Speaker, you may or may not have noticed the unusual growth appearing between my nose and top lip. Yes, it is Movember, and for the first time I have had the opportunity to prove to everyone that I can grow facial hair—if that is what you can call it. My Mo is becoming the subject of much contention, with many suggesting that this premiere of what I now affectionately call Bob should remain after 30 November, while I am gaining a growing respect for those whose sensible opinion is that Bob needs the chop—and that is exactly what will happen. Movember is one of many great organisations focusing on men’s health, including improving men’s mental health. I am growing this Mo to highlight a plight that many of us will have been touched by: not just poor mental health but male suicide. As I have said in this place before, I have been personally impacted by male suicide, having lost a good friend a year ago last week. A year on, I know that for me and all those who were part of his life the initial shock may have gone but the sense of loss and pain still lingers, as do the endless questions of “What if?”—for no one more so than my friend’s husband. We often forget that suicide has a profound effect on those left behind, especially partners. Suicide survivors, as they are known, will often go on to develop depression or post-traumatic stress disorder and need psychiatric care. Most worryingly, people bereaved by suicide are 65% more likely to take their own life than somebody bereaved by a natural loss. The story of my friend is sadly a story that is repeated time and again. The stats around male suicide are simply shocking. Three in every four suicides are male, and it is the leading cause of death among young men aged 20 to 34, with the highest rates of suicide among men aged 40 to 54. Many of these men have been in contact with either their GP or other primary care services prior to their death, but men account for only 33% of referrals to NHS talking therapy, which does not match with the fact that 75% of deaths by suicide are men. What is leading to this? It is often thought that men just do not talk about their feelings, similarly to how they ignore signs of ill health, and that much of this is because of cultural norms around masculinity that cannot be broken for fear of appearing weak—but is that really the case? As I have just said, many men will reach out to primary care; an estimated 43% of men aged 40 to 54 who die by suicide saw their GP in the three months before their death. What men often do not do is talk about their feelings in environments where they are likely to get more peer support from their community. Some amazing work is being done in this space by organisations such as Movember, Men’s Shed and Andy’s Man Club.

• 22 Jul 2025 · Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment · Hansard source

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  It is not lost on me that I have huge shoes to fill in this place, as I stand here representing the constituency that was Sir David Amess’s. I send my thoughts to his wife Lady Julia and all the family, and I hope that we can find a way to give them the answers that they need. This is my second year of contributing to the Sir David Amess summer Adjournment debate, and the last year has gone so quickly, but the passage of time has not eroded the memory of Sir David Amess. Many Members on both sides of the House, and many people in my constituency, will never forget him. He is very much missed. In my constituency, Tony Martin, who runs the Chalkwell lifeguards station, set up a temporary memorial to Sir David, with lots of pictures from his life and his time in Parliament. It was a fantastic temporary display, and I am delighted that over the last couple of months I have been able to work with Lady Julia and some of Sir David’s team to put in place a permanent display on the wall of the lifeguards station. I thank everybody who has been involved in that project. Of course, one of Sir David’s legacies is that his death led to Southend becoming a city. Every city needs a cathedral, and I have been trying to get one, but it is proving difficult, because Chelmsford has one and there can only be one per diocese. However, I am working with the Bishop of Bradwell to see what we can do about giving special recognition to the historic St Mary’s church, where Sir David had his Southend funeral. I hope that we can get this over the line and that I will get the support of the Church Commissioners in making it happen. I want quickly to recognise the charity Trust Links, based in my constituency, which turned 25 years old a couple of week ago. Its chief executive officer Matt King and its founder Cheryl Higgins have done absolutely fantastic work in transforming a derelict plot of land in Westcliff into an outstanding project, which tackles loneliness and social isolation through a range of different activities. The staff there work on mental health as well—it is a true example of what the Government want to do in moving from hospital to the community. We have been struck by two tragedies in Southend over the last couple of weeks. I want to recognise the death of seven-year-old Leonna Ruka, who was killed by a falling tree in Chalkwell park on 28 June. I send my sympathy to her family. On Sunday 13 July, we had the plane crash at Southend airport; again, I send my thoughts to the families of the four people who were killed. I sincerely thank the emergency services, Southend-on-Sea city council and its leader Councillor Daniel Cowan, the airport staff and the airport’s CEO, Jude Winstanley, for everything they have done on both of these tragedies over the last couple of weeks. Most importantly, I thank the amazing Southend community, who have come out, laid flowers and paid tributes to the family. It has been absolutely heartbreaking to see what has happened over the last couple of weeks. This is the end of my first year as an MP, and it has been an absolute privilege and honour to serve the people of Southend West and Leigh. We have achieved a lot, and there is plenty more to come. I am looking forward to it, and I wish all Members in this House a very happy and pleasant summer recess.