General Election: still haven't made your mind up?
Tomorrow, we get our chance to vote in the General Election. At such a late stage in the campaign, the real opportunity for political parties is to win the hearts and minds of the undecided voters – and there are plenty who are still unsure of who they're voting for.
You might be one of them. And you’re likely to be thinking about what the parties are saying on the issues that you care most about – whether that be education, the environment or mental health – and trying to work out which party's policies match your views the best.
Because of the sheer volume of noise around the election, and the inevitable spin that comes with party politics, it can be difficult to get a clear view of exactly which party is saying what, and how they differ from each other on certain issues.
"It's great that all the parties are talking about mental health in their manifestos - this is a first and it shows how far we've come."
This is where the party manifestos come in. Even the parties know that most people don’t read the manifestos – some of them are very long, and some of them are very dry documents – and it’s rarely the manifestos that win the votes. Nonetheless, they are your best bet to find out exactly what each party will do in each particular area. And if a party’s not talking about it in their manifesto, it’s probably safe to assume that issue is not one of their priorities.
It's great that all the parties are talking about mental health in their manifestos - this is a first and it shows how far we've come. But what are the parties actually saying about mental health?
Of course, as a charity, we are politically neutral, and would never give any indication of how we think the parties do on mental health. That’s not our place. But we can give you the information, so that you can see for yourselves what the parties are saying – here's our at-a-glance guide.
"Our democracy is a very important part of who we are. Please use your vote this election - it really could make a difference."
Our democracy is a very important part of who we are. Please use your vote this election - it really could make a difference.
Get involved
There are lots of different ways that you can support us. We're a charity and we couldn't continue our work without your help.
Share your story with others
Blogs and stories can show that people with mental health problems are cared about, understood and listened to. We can use it to challenge the status quo and change attitudes.
