Starmer tells son how ‘proud’ he is of him but acknowledges pressure he faces

Sir Keir Starmer has told his son how “proud” he is of him and how he enjoys sharing a takeaway in a video message to mark International Men’s Day.

The Prime Minister talked of his strained relationship with his own father but said he had always been determined that his bond with own son “was going to be different”.

In a video letter posted to Instagram, Sir Keir tells his son, who he has not publicly named: “It feels like only yesterday that we brought you home, so nervous but so excited for the journey ahead.

“Today, almost unbelievably, you’re already 17. You’re taller than I am and you’ve grown into a confident, kind, wonderful young man, and I’m so proud of you.

“I didn’t have a very close relationship with my own dad.

“When my mum, your grandma Jo, was sick, and she was very sick, he cared for her devotedly, but he and I never really spoke, we never really got to know each other.

“I was determined that my relationship with you was going to be different and spending time with you is one of the highlights of my week, whether it’s a takeaway or going to watch Arsenal.”

The Prime Minister talked about the difficulties of young men “growing up in this day and age”, with the pressures they face and questions about mental health, masculinity and social media.

“I remember when we watched Adolescence together, as a dad it was tough to see at times,” he said.

“But if there is one hope I have it’s that we keep talking, keep learning from each other, keep helping each other.

“The reason I do the job I do – and I know that means huge sacrifices for you, for your sister and your mum – is because I want the world for tomorrow’s generation to be better.”

Sir Keir told how, when he was younger, he often had a voice in the back of his head that said he was not good enough or “right” for certain things.

“If I have one message for you and for every other child growing up, it is this – don’t listen to that voice,” he said.

“Every young person has something to offer and I want to make sure every child realises their dreams, so your generation has the future that it deserves.

“You and your sister are my pride and joy. Love Dad.”

It comes as a new Government strategy for men’s health is being launched to tackle issues such as suicide, alcohol abuse and problem gambling.

The strategy, which will be published in full by the Government on Wednesday, aims to set out plans for dealing with the physical and mental health challenges specifically facing men.

The Department of Health said men are less likely to seek help and can suffer in silence, and are more likely to smoke, drink, gamble and use drugs than women.

The Government says it will invest £3.6 million over the next three years in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men in local communities where men are at most risk of taking their own lives, including some of the most deprived parts of England.

Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men under 50 and three-quarters of all suicides are in men.

The Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative with the Samaritans, which offers football match same-day support and online help for men, will also be promoted in a new Government partnership.

Some £200,000 is also being committed to a trial looking at how men, particularly those who are older, can be warned against taking cocaine while drinking.

The peak age for heart deaths linked to drinking is 55 to 64, while consuming alcohol in combination with cocaine carries an 18 to 25-fold increase in risk of immediate death over cocaine alone.

In England, there were 1,118 deaths involving cocaine in 2023, almost a third higher than the previous year (857 deaths) and nearly 10 times higher than in 2011 (112 deaths).

Alcohol and cocaine mix together in the liver to form a new compound – cocaethylene – which increases the risk of death, such as from a heart attack.

Other measures in the strategy include building up the evidence around “what works” in tackling gambling harms, such as addiction.

Further measures to be set out in the strategy include home-testing blood kits for men with prostate cancer, a £3 million commitment to community-based men’s health programmes, and new voluntary e-learning modules and resources for NHS staff specifically on men’s health.

Workplace health pilots with EDF Energy will also run to support men in “male-dominated industries”.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “For too long, men’s health has been overlooked.

“There has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships.

“The fact is that life can be really difficult for men in today’s society. Men are dying nearly four years earlier than women, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for men under 50.

“This strategy marks a turning point – the first time we’re taking comprehensive, co-ordinated action to address the health challenges facing men and boys.”

Rapper Professor Green, whose father died from suicide, said: “Like too many families, mine has lived through the unthinkable impact of male suicide.

“Today marks the start of government working with experts to tackle that.”