Mental health charity banned from unveiling statue of Winston Churchill in a straitjacket

September 21, 2004

A mental health charity protesting against the stigma of mental ill health has been barred from unveiling a statue of Winston Churchill in a straitjacket in London's Trafalgar Square.

The statue, planned to be emblazoned with a "prejudice, ignorance and fear" sash, was banned by the Greater London Authority on the grounds that it was bad taste.

But the charity was determined to go ahead with its protest, so, last Wednesday, put the statue onto a truck and displayed it to the public by driving around central London.

The protest comes three months after a survey by the government's social exclusion unit reported that only 21% of people with a long-term mental health problem were employed - the lowest of any disabled group. More than a million who wanted to work were jobless

The unit found increasing discrimination at every level of society against conditions such as depression and anxiety, which one in six adults experience at any one time.

In response the government launched a five-year plan to tackle the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems

Rethink's chief executive Cliff Prior said: "Mental illness is the last taboo. People deny it, try to hide it and hide from it.

"We are determined to break out of the straitjacket and challenge prejudice, ignorance and fear wherever they appear.

"The statue has been banned on grounds of good taste, and yet it is acceptable to deny hundreds of thousands of people opportunities and the best possible chance of recovery on the grounds of prejudice, ignorance and fear."

Winston Churchill experienced bouts of depression throughout his life. He referred to it as his "black dog."

Prior said: "We chose the former prime minister to show that mental illness should not be a barrier to leadership, historic significance and broad popularity."

"We are challenging the widespread public view that people who have had these experiences are incapable of holding public office or contributing greatly to the world around them."

See:
June 28, 2004: Government launches scheme to tackle mental health stigma
June 14: Social exclusion unit reveals how millions of lives are destroyed by the stigma of mental health problems - increasing discrimination at every level of society

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