← Back to House of Commons Debates
International Men’s Day 2025-11-20
20 November 2025
Lead MP
Josh Newbury
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
NHSEmployment
Other Contributors: 27
At a Glance
Josh Newbury raised concerns about international men’s day 2025-11-20 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Emphasised the importance of addressing prostate cancer by prioritising it in the national cancer plan, updating GP guidelines for early conversations with men at risk, providing clear advice on online risk checkers, and funding nationwide awareness programmes. Highlighted personal experiences related to prostate cancer and mental health.
Southend West and Leigh
Discussed the importance of Movember in highlighting male suicide and poor mental health, sharing a personal story about losing a friend due to suicide. Emphasised the need for better mental health support and spaces for men, such as Men's Shed and Andy’s Man Club.
Warinder Juss
Lab
Wolverhampton West
Supported the argument about the importance of addressing men’s mental health issues. Highlighted that domestic abuse also affects men and expressed support for better mental health strategies.
Natalie Fleet
Lab
Bolsover
Celebrated positive male role models, highlighted the importance of paternity leave and flexible working, praised a local charity supporting men’s mental health, and called for more discussion on men's health.
Hitchin
Acknowledged the bravery of fellow MPs in discussing personal experiences related to mental health. Criticised the narrow statutory paternity leave offer, which only benefits some of the wealthiest families, and called for improvements through the upcoming review.
Connor Rand
Lab
Altrincham and Sale West
Acknowledged the Government's initiative to mark International Men’s Day by launching a men’s health strategy. Advocated for improving paternity leave to support new fathers, citing that one-third of new dads do not take any leave due to financial constraints. Emphasised the importance of creating role models for younger boys through active fatherhood.
Matt Turmaine
Lab
Watford
Paid tribute to fellow MPs and the Prime Minister's social media post on International Men’s Day. Delivered a dad joke, highlighting the importance of addressing employment challenges faced by men and boys post-education. Advocated for creating a supportive environment that encourages conversations about fears without leading to despair.
Sarah Russell
Lab
Congleton
Recognised positive role models in her community, including local schools discussing masculinity with students. Welcomed Government funding for school rebuilding and the men’s health strategy. Emphasised the importance of supporting mental health initiatives through various community groups and called for increasing paid paternity leave.
Sam Rushworth
Lab
Bishop Auckland
Rushworth acknowledges progress in supporting men over the past year, including the introduction of a men’s health strategy. He emphasises the importance of paternity leave for fathers to bond with their children and maintain mental well-being.
Scott Arthur
Lab
Edinburgh South West
Arthur discusses the work of Dads Rock and Andy's Man Club, highlighting the importance of community support for new dads. He shares a personal story about Euan, who received legal guidance and built friendships through these organisations.
Amanda Martin
Lab
Portsmouth North
Martin congratulates Josh Newbury on securing this debate and acknowledges the importance of supporting men in their role as fathers. She does not provide further details or statistics but supports the call for better paternity leave policies.
Jim Dickson
Lab
Dartford
Supports the men's health strategy and highlights the issue of online gambling affecting young men. Also mentions the importance of online safety in protecting boys from harmful content.
Emphasises the need to restore trust, dignity, opportunity and a sense of belonging for men who have been forgotten or ignored. Discusses her tool theft campaign which disproportionately affects male workers and stresses on strengthening paternity leave.
Jeevun Sandher
Lab
Loughborough
Highlights the economic challenges faced by non-graduate men, noting that about 25% of them are not working today compared to only 10% in the 1980s. Stresses the importance of creating good jobs and addressing issues such as deindustrialisation.
Stella Creasy
Lab/Co-op
Walthamstow
Welcomes the introduction of a men's health strategy, acknowledges previous debates being held in Westminster Hall, and emphasises the importance of understanding the challenges faced by men and boys to raise a generation that is happy and content.
Claire Jones
Lab
Walthamstow
The MP discusses the importance of addressing societal pressures on men, emphasising vulnerability as a sign of strength. She also mentions the need for better support and recognition of issues such as prostate cancer, particularly highlighting the work of researchers at Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine.
Calvin Bailey
Lab
Leyton and Wanstead
The MP emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and better treatment pathways for prostate cancer. He highlights recent advancements in research, particularly mentioning the work at Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine. The speaker also calls for easier access to PSA testing and supports targeted screening for high-risk groups.
Chris Bloore
Lab
Redditch
The MP congratulates his colleague on securing the debate and reflects on personal experiences with male role models. He emphasises the need for honesty about men's health issues, acknowledging that men are less likely to seek support early. The speaker also highlights the Government’s men’s health strategy and praises colleagues who speak openly about their mental health challenges.
Mims Davies
Con
East Grinstead and Uckfield
The shadow Secretary welcomed the debate, acknowledging the positive contributions made by men and boys. She emphasised the importance of addressing unseen issues such as head injuries and highlighted the critical areas where young men are falling behind: education, employment, health, family/fatherhood, crime, and digital behavior. Davies called for more support for mental health initiatives, recruitment of male health ambassadors, and funding for community-based programmes.
Wes Streeting
Lab
Sheffield Central
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care praised the debate's contributions, particularly those by Josh Newbury and Natalie Fleet. He highlighted the positive impact men have on society in various roles beyond traditional masculinity stereotypes, and acknowledged the tough realities faced by working-class men such as economic injustice, poverty, and inequality. Streeting also emphasised the Government’s commitment to addressing these issues through initiatives like the first-ever men's health strategy, which includes expanding access to support services, promoting self-care among men, and challenging stigma.
Arthur
Lab
Edinburgh South West
Made a contribution during the debate but specific details were not provided in the text except for Wes Streeting's humorous comment about his lack of humour compared to Dr Arthur's 'terrible dad jokes'.
Natalie Fleet
Lab
Bolsover
Emphasised the role of men and boys as allies, advocates, mentors, and role models in inspiring others, lifting up society, changing lives, and bringing joy to those around them. She highlighted the importance of male health issues such as suicide prevention.
Sandher
Con
Loughborough
Spoke about economic injustice, poverty, inequality, educational disadvantage, lack of security and opportunity that hold back men and boys from working-class backgrounds. He highlighted the need to change the odds for everyone rather than just a few exceptions.
Southend West and Leigh
Discussed the impact of male suicides, noting that it is not an individual tragedy but affects everyone around them. He emphasised the importance of being open about emotions as a sign of strength.
Amanda Martin
Con
Portsmouth North
Campaigned for tougher punishments for perpetrators of tool theft, which causes significant stress and anxiety in construction workers, making them four times more likely to die by suicide.
Portsmouth North
Emphasised the equal responsibility of all individuals to ensure a more just and equal society, highlighting the importance of standing together to support men and women. The speaker noted that while there are differences between sexes, people are born equal and have a duty to work towards equality.
Madam Deputy Speaker
Ms Nusrat Ghani
Acknowledged her brothers and husband for their contributions in enabling her to hold the position. She expressed gratitude without providing specific policy details or statistics.
Thanked the Backbench Business Committee and Members across the House for supporting the debate on International Men's Day. He highlighted various issues affecting men, including mental health, physical well-being, and the challenges of fatherhood. Newbury emphasised the importance of better paternity leave to enable all fathers from different backgrounds to be present during their children’s formative months.
Government Response
The Minister outlined the Government's response through the first-ever men’s health strategy that covers physical and mental health. It includes expanding access to support services, helping men take better care of themselves, challenging stigma, and empowering every man to reach out for help. He also mentioned initiatives such as investing £3 million in community-based men's health programmes, workplace pilots with EDF, support for minors, new research on rising cocaine and alcohol-related deaths, action on gambling, and prostate cancer screening recommendations.
Shadow Response
None
Shadow Response
The shadow Secretary praised the debate's focus on men’s health and wellbeing, calling for improved mental health support, restored suicide prevention funding, and increased employment opportunities. She also mentioned the importance of positive role models and initiatives like Scouts and after-school clubs to provide a sense of community and purpose for young men.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.