Leicestershire County Council has become the first authority in the country to formally select a Reform UK leader.
Former Conservative councillor Dan Harrison was confirmed as head of the council on Wednesday (May 14) after the party won 25 of its 55 seats at this year’s local election.
His deputy, Joseph Boam, also officially took up his office last week.
Cllr Boam will combine his deputy duties with those of lead member for adult social care.
In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cllr Boam said he was “incredibly honoured” to have been appointed to the two positions. He added: “It’s a huge privilege to be entrusted with this responsibility, and I’m committed to delivering real change and support for residents across our county.”
Depression
Reform Party UK Exposed X account shared a message and wrote: “Joseph Boam (@Joseph_Boam) Deputy Leader of Reform UK in Leicestershire has been given the portfolio of adult social care. Adult social care. Here’s his view on depression. @reformparty_uk will likely find a mealy-mouthed way to explain this one.”
The message he has written said: “Depression isn’t real. You feel sad, you continue with life because there’s no alternative. You will always be depressed if your life is depressing. Fix it.
Suicide
Sadly, there is a final alternative and it is taking your own life.
Each year, across the UK, approximately 6,000 people take their own lives. While women are more likely to attempt suicide or be diagnosed with a mental health condition like depression, men account for around three-quarters of all suicides.
Here are some Suicide statistics shared by The Priory
4,639 men took their own life in the UK in 2020
74% of all suicides in the UK involve men
The rate of suicide in men (15.4 per 100,000) is over three times higher than in women (4.9 per 100,000)
Men aged 45-64 have the highest rate of suicide by age (20 per 100,000)
Suicide is the second biggest cause of death in young males (1-19 years old)
Fake news
He has since denied it was a real message.
So people asked if these two were also fake news…
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