Our plan would have saved the NHS millions and provided vital support to young people… not only did Labour break their manifesto promise to fund it – they axed my unpaid role entirely, claims DR ALEX GEORGE

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Dr. Alex George, a former contestant on Love Island, has criticized the Labour government for not keeping its promise to provide funding for youth mental health hubs. These hubs would be local centers offering support to young people who are struggling with their mental health.

Alex, age 34, was a volunteer Youth Mental Health Ambassador for the Conservative party from 2021 to 2024. In this role, he strongly supported a program that would have offered free counseling, community centers, and private guidance to people under the age of 25.

I was really excited when Alex talked about these support hubs – he’d even discussed them with Keir Starmer before the election, and they were actually in Labour’s manifesto! It’s incredibly disappointing to hear that, despite all that, the government hasn’t followed through with the funding. It feels like a promise that’s been broken, and it’s a real letdown for those of us who were hoping for this kind of support.

Alex is a doctor working for the National Health Service and also appears on reality television. He became a well-known advocate for mental health awareness after his younger brother, Llyr, tragically took his own life in July 2020.

I’ve been following him for a while now, and I was really moved by his new book, Am I Normal?. It’s incredibly honest about everything he went through after losing his brother – his struggles with addiction, and finally understanding his ADHD and OCD. It’s a really powerful story of recovery and self-discovery.

‘I do not want any further part of politics or government’, Alex told The Life of Bryony podcast.

The current system prevents people from making positive changes, even when they have good intentions. It essentially blocks their efforts to do good.

I had a conversation with Keir Starmer several months before the election, during which we discussed creating mental health support hubs for young people. I was thrilled to see them include this idea in their official manifesto.

It didn’t matter to me if I received credit, I simply wanted them to provide the funding for the hubs. The charity I’m involved with, YoungMinds, had already completed all the necessary groundwork.

I just… I can’t believe it! They promised to support the thing I’m so passionate about, they swore they would! And now that they’re actually in charge, they’ve completely abandoned it. They’ve twisted the whole program, changed it into something unrecognizable, and it’s just… it’s not working the way it was supposed to. It’s heartbreaking, honestly. They’ve ruined everything!

Alex explained that the proposal was a clear win for improving mental health care, as the hubs were intended to help young people before their issues became more severe.

He believed the initial £200 million investment would quickly pay for itself, significantly improving people’s lives and saving the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds in the near future.

Alex explained that he believed it was a firm commitment, and the Labour party wished to maintain their working relationship with him.

‘I did not hear from them for six months and then they said, we don’t want to continue your role.

It doesn’t bother me how I was treated, but it’s frustrating to have worked so hard and still not achieve what felt within reach.

Investing in the hubs was a clear and sensible decision. It likely would have resulted in savings of hundreds of millions of dollars very quickly.

It feels strange to discuss finances here, but that’s just how things work in politics. Focusing on emotions won’t get you anywhere – it’s simply not productive.

It could have significantly improved things. There was widespread support for the idea, with MPs from different parties all agreeing it was a good move. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition, and five years later, it still hasn’t been implemented.

Alex believes that government funding and attention towards mental health have decreased since the height of the pandemic.

He strongly criticized Health Secretary Wes Streeting, claiming Streeting was trying to fault patients instead of fixing problems within the healthcare system. He specifically mentioned Streeting’s proposal for an investigation into whether conditions like ADHD are being over-diagnosed.

‘They are turning on the people that these problems are affecting’, Alex said.

Instead of focusing on whether there’s a problem, let’s just find a solution. Some people worry we’re diagnosing too often.

ADHD is significantly underdiagnosed in our country compared to other European nations. As a result, many people are living with the condition without even realizing it.

It’s inaccurate to claim we’re diagnosing too much – the real issue is a lack of support. Let’s focus on funding services and ensuring people can get the help they deserve.

‘Is it really reasonable to wait five years to be assessed for anything?’

If you need confidential support, you can call the Samaritans at 116123 or find a local branch to visit. More information is available at www.samaritans.org.

You can find the full episode with Alex, where he shares how getting sober helped him cope after his brother’s death, by searching for The Life of Bryony on your favorite podcast app.

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2026-01-19 10:04