Episode 2: MP Johnny Mercer - Mental Health Stigma and Help for Veterans

The stigma of mental health often prevents those who are unwell, from reaching out for the help and support they so desperately need and deserve. We invited Plymouth's newly-elected MP, Johnny Mercer, to tell us about his crusade to stamp out the stigma of mental health and to improve services for veterans. Some questions we ask: What it's like to be an MP? Where Johnny's passion for mental health awareness comes from? How we'll smash the stigma of mental health? Whether mental health is a priority for the current government? Want to learn more about Johnny? Here you go: Johnny Mercer is the Conservative MP for Plymouth, Moor View. Born in Kent and raised with his seven siblings by two working parents, Johnny learned early on in his life the vital qualities of teamwork, dedication and perseverance. He achieved ‘average’ results at school, where he spent more time on the sports field than in the classroom. Being part of a large working family and contributing to the family home meant that employment and not university beckoned, and Johnny worked as an intern in the financial sector of the City of London. From a military family, and with three brothers in the Royal Navy, Johnny could only resist the allure of the military for so long. He elected for the Army over the Royal Navy and subsequently graduated from Sandhurst in 2002. A former British Army Officer, he served from the tactical to the strategic level throughout a career across the globe, including multiple combat operations. Twitter: @JohnnyMercerMP Facebook: /JohnnyforPlymouth Website: http://johnnyforplymouth.com/