Newly-elected Labour County Durham MP gives emotional speech about feeling 'overwhelmed' by online abuse
by James Harrison, Harry Taylor PA Political Staff · ChronicleLiveLabour MP Sam Rushworth has opened up about feeling "overwhelmed" since joining Parliament, leading a debate on International Men’s Day to shed light on male suicide and mental health issues.
The Bishop Auckland representative, who was elected for the first time in July, spoke of his experience visiting a South Durham charity where men openly discuss their problems.
Mr Rushworth shared: "The session started by each man taking turns to update the group on their week, beginning with saying how they feel on a scale of one to 10."
He continued: "I sat listening, touched by the openness of those who were sharing and the non-judgmental kindness."
When it was his turn to share, he admitted to freezing briefly, contemplating his response. He questioned: "Do I quickly say something positive and move on?
"Or do I be honest and make myself vulnerable? Do I tell the truth that this week I’m a five, not quite rock bottom, but feeling little joy in life? "
He also confessed to feeling anxious and out of place in his new role, admitting that the online abuse MPs receive does affect him and that he often lies awake at night feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of meeting his voters’ expectations.
He concluded: "I did it. I shared where I feared that maybe these men might struggle to relate to me as a member of this place. I found understanding nods and expressions of appreciation."
Mr Rushworth took the opportunity during the backbench business debate to highlight the challenges men face, informing MPs that suicide has become the leading cause of death among men under 50.
He said: "May I be clear at the outset of this debate that International Men’s Day is not a call to diminish the importance of women’s rights, nor to overshadow the progress made in gender equality for all."
"Rather it is to recognise that gender inequality harms everyone, men and boys, as well as women and girls.
"Men are more likely to die prematurely, more likely to develop alcohol addiction, more likely to be homeless, more likely to take their own life, more likely to be sent to prison, but also likely to be a victim of violent crime."
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community