What we’re doing for the Scotland and Wales parliamentary election campaigns and how you can get involved. 

We’re urging the next Scottish and Welsh governments to adopt policies that promote and enhance mental health and wellbeing, and better utilise the skills, expertise and capacity of the counselling and psychotherapy workforce.  

On 7 May, voters in Scotland and Wales will go to the polls to elect parliamentary members. These elections are an opportunity to put counselling on the agenda of all MSPs across Scotland and MSs across Wales. 

What we’re asking 

 Scottish Government  

  • Use the counselling workforce to strengthen NHS provision  
  • Support Scotland’s third sector counselling services to further enhance mental health outcomes for all   
  • Strengthen the school counselling offer in Scotland  
  • Restore vital mental health support for Scotland’s students  
  • Ban conversion practices  

Download and read our full manifesto for Scotland  

Welsh Government 

  • Prioritise mental health and wellbeing 
  • Use the counselling workforce to strengthen NHS provision  
  • Supporting Wales’s voluntary sector counselling services 
  • Extend and strengthen school-based counselling  
  • Ban conversion practices in Wales 

Download and read our full manifesto for Wales  

Our members across Scotland and Wales could make a greater contribution to help address gaps in the mental health system if investment was available to unlock their capacity. 

How can you help? 

You can help by reading our manifesto asks and then writing to candidates in your area to ask them to support our campaign. 

We’ve developed a simple template which sends an email to prospective parliamentary candidates in your constituency. This is a huge opportunity to promote the benefits of counselling and psychotherapy to the next Scottish and Welsh governments. 

Steve Mulligan, Four Nations Lead says,

"These are the most important elections in both nations for a very long time. In Scotland, record numbers of MSPs have retired this year meaning there will be a huge influx of new parliamentarians for us to urgently build credibility with. In Wales, the Senedd is increasing the number of MSs by one third, while the polls are pointing towards seismic changes to the political leadership of the nation for the first time in 25 years since devolution. It’s more important than ever that we build strong cross-party alliances, visibility and trust. We need our members to help us put counselling firmly on the agenda with all candidates standing for election, by taking action to support our campaign and to promote our manifesto asks. Our members across Scotland and Wales could make a greater contribution to help address gaps in the mental health system if investment was available to unlock their capacity."