Yahoo News Parliament is having a 'collective breakdown' over Brexit, warns senior MP
Parliament is in the grips of “a collective breakdown” due to the stress of Brexit, one MP has claimed.
Education Committee chair and former Conservative minister Rob Halfon told The Sun that repeated votes and the stress of political deadlock is causing MPs to behave “in ways that were unimaginable just a year ago”.
He told the newspaper: “It feels like the Commons is having a collective breakdown – a cross between Lord of the Flies and One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest.
“People are behaving in ways that were unimaginable even just a year ago, whether they be Remainers, Leavers or in-betweens. The Brexit madness has affected us all”.
The newspaper also reported that one female Conservative MP had said a male Labour MP had tearfully confided in her about not being able to go home to see his children after the Easter recess was cancelled.
The warning from Mr Halfon comes after it was revealed that MPs are being offered mental health support in order to help them cope with the ‘extraordinary pressure and work loads’ of Brexit.
Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle emailed MPs to highlight access to a confidential 24-hour counselling phone line, saying: “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.”
On Tuesday, Remainer Tory MP Huw Merriman told BBC Radio 5 Live he had ‘lost four inches off my waistline’ due to the stress of Brexit.
