Britons united on mental health, but politics lags behind, polling finds

Britons are far more united on mental health than the political debate suggests, according to polling published today by the Wellcome Trust and More in Common. The findings form the backdrop to the launch of Head On, a new campaign backed by more than 20 organisations, public figures, including Alastair Campbell, and people with lived experience, calling on political leaders to turn that public consensus into action.

The message is clear: on one of the country’s biggest health challenges, the public is ahead of Westminster and three quarters of Britons (75%) say the government should do more to improve mental health services.

While mental health continues to shape people’s lives, families and experience of the NHS, campaigners say the political response has failed to match either the strength of public concern or the scale of unmet need. Eighty years after Nye Bevan set out the founding vision for the NHS, they argue Britain now needs that same level of ambition for mental health.

Head On brings together more than 20 organisations (including Rethink Mental Illness, Mental Health UK, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), YoungMinds, Wellcome and Mental Health Foundation, among others). Public figures including rapper Shocka, poet and Britain’s Got Talent star Sonny Green, and mental health activist Ben West joined charities and people with lived experience outside parliament to send a simple message: mental health must be central to the country’s health, social and economic renewal.

The gap between public concern and political action has real consequences. In England, the numbers waiting 18 months for mental health treatment far outstrip those for physical health. Behind those delays are people and families waiting too long for help, often until problems escalate into crisis.

Even as other issues have become more divisive, public support for mental health has remained remarkably strong between 2023 and 2026. In a polarised climate, it stands out as a rare point of agreement, bringing together people on both the left and the right. Britons are nearly three times more likely to say that those speaking about mental health have genuine health and welfare concerns than to accuse them of making excuses (63% vs 22%). Campaigners argue that this consensus leaves political leaders with both a clear mandate and a responsibility to act.

Alastair Campbell, author, strategist and activist, said:

“Mental health is not a divisive issue. On the contrary, this polling shows voters of all stripes want more to be done, and especially the kinds of voters Labour risk losing to Reform at the next election. I think the Government is missing a trick on mental health and need to show more ambition and commitment to getting people treatment and support.”

Head On is calling on the Government to treat mental health with the same seriousness and urgency as physical health, and to work with the sector on a practical plan for faster, fairer and more modern care.

Professor Miranda Wolpert, Director of Mental Health at Wellcome, who are funding the Head On campaign said: “This important campaign should galvanise politicians to urgently prioritise mental health to transform lives. We are in the midst of a revolution in mental health science, leading to innovative ways of tackling mental health problems at the earliest possible point. The challenges are real, but so are the solutions.”

Brian Dow, Mental Health UK CEO and Head On partner, said:

“Mental health is one of the defining public health challenges of our time, and the public understands that. There are families up and down the country who are facing the reality of mental illness every day, their experiences are at odds with what we have been hearing through the news and political discourse. We need to reset this conversation. People now want to hear solutions, not blame. Through the Head On campaign we want to work with the Government to more quickly get these solutions to the people who need them.”

At a time of deep division, mental health unites us. That’s the message behind Head On, a landmark campaign from more than 20 mental health organisations calling on political leaders to show leadership and help build a mental health system our nation can be proud of.

Further information on Head On, including the campaign’s case for change and details of the Westminster launch, can be found at headoncampaign.org.