Sam FrancisPolitical reporter
Sir Keir Starmer/Instagram
Sir Keir Starmer has said it is “not easy” for young men “growing up in this day and age”, in an open letter to his son to marking International Men’s Day.
The prime minister urged men to talk openly about their mental health, reflecting on his strained relationship with his own father who he “never really spoke” to.
His comments come as the government launched England’s first men’s health strategy, aimed at tackling issues predominantly faced by men such as suicide, alcohol abuse and problem gambling.
In the letter to his 17-year-old son, who he has not publicly named, Sir Keir said there were “pressures on young men that are difficult to talk about”.
Sir Keir also spoke about his experience of not having “a very close relationship with my own dad” shaped his relationship with his own children.
The prime minister has made much of his background, repeatedly mentioning in speeches his father was a toolmaker and his mother a nurse, who suffered from a debilitating form of arthritis known as Still’s disease.
In his letter, Sir Keir wrote that he and his father “never really spoke” and “never really got to know each other”.
The prime minister said spending time with his son was “one of the highlights of my week”.
“You’ve grown into a confident, kind, wonderful young man. And I’m so proud of you,”
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