London: An Indian-origin Member of Parliament, who had taken some time off parliamentary work for mental health reasons, said that she is excited to be back in the House of Commons from Monday.
Nadia Whittome, born in the UK to a Punjabi father and representing her birthplace of Nottingham in central England for the Opposition Labour Party since her win in the December 2019 General Election, is also the youngest MP in the Commons traditionally referred to as the Baby of the House .
The 25-year-old announced on social media that she is making a “good recovery” and feeling well to resume her work in time for Parliament being reconvened after its summer recess on Monday.
I wanted to let everyone know that I’ve returned from my leave of absence and I’m now back to work, Whittome said in a video posted on her social media platforms.
Thank you sincerely for all your support and understanding during my leave of absence. The response was truly humbling. I’m excited to be back, she said.
The young MP said she had felt encouraged by all the support she had received as others shared their experience of mental health struggles and suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) like her.
I was glad to hear that my decision to be open about my diagnosis could in some small way help other people to be open about theirs. But awareness alone is not enough. I was privileged to be able to take time off work to get better, but that should be a right for everyone, not a privilege.
We need full sick pay, wages people can live on in the first place, and stronger worker rights, so that everyone who needs to take time off work can. And, that is what I will be fighting for now I’m back, she said.
Her boss, Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer, shared the video with the message we’re all delighted to have you back, Nadia .
In May, Whittome took to social media to announce her decision to take time off and said she felt it was important for her to be honest that it is mental ill-health she is suffering from specifically PTSD.
One in four people will experience mental health problems each year, but there is still a great deal of shame and stigma surrounding it. Through being open about my own mental health struggle, I hope that others will also feel able to talk about theirs, and that I can play a small role in creating greater acceptance and facilitating healthier discussions around this issue,” she had said.
Starmer had wished her well at the time: “I respect Nadia’s bravery in speaking openly about her mental health and I look forward to welcoming her back to Parliament.”
At the peak of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Whittome had returned to her previous role of a care-worker on a part-time basis and said she would donate the salary from her role at the ExtraCare retirement home to a local COVID-19 support fund.
Following her election in 2019, she had promised to donate a large part of her MP salary to her local community, stating at the time that she hoped it “sparks a conversation about earnings”.