MPs offered mental health support to help cope with 'extraordinary pressures' of Brexit

MPs are being offered mental health support in order to help them cope with the ‘extraordinary pressure and work loads’ of Brexit.

The UK is in political deadlock as ministers fight over the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union, which has so far been delayed from the original exit date of March 29.

Theresa May has until April 12 to secure support for her deal, or the UK could leave the bloc under a no-deal scenario.

On Thursday, the Telegraph reported how MPs are being offered counselling to hep them cope with long working hours and mounting pressure as deadline day looms.

Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle emailed MPs to highlight access to a confidential 24 hour counselling phone line.

He said: ‘Colleagues and all staff have been working around the clock sicne we returned after Christmas.

‘February recess was cancelled and it appears the Easter break will be much shorter than planned.

‘Members of Parliament, Parliamentary staff and House employees are all human and it is vital that in times of heightened stress in the workplace we can access the necessary health and well being support.

‘Members of Parliament and staff are resilient but Brexit has meant we are all working very long hours for extended periods of time whilst facing extraordinary pressure.

‘In order to fulfil our duties and do our work on behalf of constituents we must take care of our health and well being.’

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It follows news that civil servants working at the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are being offered mental health support to deal with the stress of a potential no-deal.

The department, headed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, has one of the biggest workloads in preparing for a no deal, dealing with the potential impact on food, water, waste and animals.

A spokesperson for Defra said: ‘The health, safety and well-being of our staff is always a priority for Defra and we have a range of services on offer to support staff’s mental health.

‘This short-term contract expired at the end of January and bolstered our own well-being services for two months while we made changes to our existing employee support.’

And on Tuesday, Remainer Tory MP Huw Merriman told BBC Radio 5 Live that he had ‘lost four inches off my waistline’ due to the stress of Brexit

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘I’ve lost a lot of weight. I’ve gone from over a 34 to almost under a 30 now, and that’s purely down to what’s going on.’