Diane Abbott to warn of British ‘masculinity crisis’

During the talk, Ms Abbott will highlight research by the Men’s Health Forum, a charity which aims to tackle male health inequalities, which suggests that men are more likely to take their own lives than women, have lower educational attainment at all levels of the education system, are more likely to be homeless, and are less likely to access NHS services.

This is because there are structural and cultural issues which prevent men from seeking help, the research concludes.

The charity also suggests men are more likely to work full-time and to work longer hours than women, making access to services such as GP surgeries more difficult.

Social norms can mitigate against men expressing their emotions or appearing vulnerable, it adds, meaning common psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety, are under diagnosed in men.

Ms Abbott will argue that today’s generation is “caught between the ‘stiff-upper lip’ approach of previous generations and today’s cultural tornado of male cosmetics, white collar industry, and modernised workplaces”.

The male role of the past as provider and earner has come under pressure from consumerism, she will say, leaving Britain’s boys growing up in a culture of “hyper-masculinity”, which is fuelling misogyny and homophobia.