Ulster Unionist Leader To Meet With Prime Minister

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Mike Nesbitt is due to meet Prime Minister (PM) David Cameron today, 18 May, in Downing Street.

The meeting is the first time in over a decade the PM has met an Ulster Unionist Leader at the start of a new parliament.

Mr Nesbitt said he intends to include support for mental health services as the main agenda of the meeting.

He said: "I welcome the opportunity for a private conversation with the Prime Minister, and will use it primarily to continue the conversation we began at Stormont House last December, when I impressed upon David Cameron Northern Ireland’s appalling rates of poor mental health.

"Put simply, the last figures I saw revealed that 12% of people in Great Britain claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) do so because of mental health issues, where the corresponding DLA percentage in Northern Ireland is 23%, which is double.

"There is clear causal linkage to the Troubles, which means it is not covered by the Barnett Formula, and is a legacy issue.

"If we can devote hundreds of millions into Dealing with the Past in terms of case reviews for victims and survivors, there is a compelling case to do something for the tens of thousands of our people who are denied fulfilling, meaningful lives because of poor mental health, measured in trauma, especially Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, alcohol and drug abuse, and attempted and completed suicides."

Mr Nesbitt said the meeting is symbolic of the "continued revival" of the UUP.

He added he is interested to hear Mr Cameron's views on human rights and what the PM hopes to achieve by introducing a Human Rights Bill to parliament.

(LM/CD)