Call for Leicestershire Reform councillor to 'educate himself' after 'depression isn’t real’ tweet linked to him

The post, which was shared by X account Reform Party UK Exposed, allegedly quotes Joseph Boam expressing his views on the illness, including telling people they will “always be depressed” if their “life is depressing”, and that sufferers should “fix it”.

Reform Party UK Exposed said the message was posted in December 2022 under the account name ‘Lord Joseph Boam II’. In response, the 22-year-old councillor has branded the allegation “fake news” and a “political smear”, and said he was focused on “delivering for the people [he] was elected to serve”.

However, the Leicestershire Conservative Group has now publicly called for Councillor Boam to “educate himself on mental health matters” and to “understand how big an issue this is to people in Leicestershire”. The group added: “Depression is real, its effects can be devastating and all those suffering from it deserve our support, not our dismissal.”

In addition to representing Whitwick on Leicestershire County Council, Cllr Boam is also the new lead member for adult social care and deputy leader of the authority. Among its responsibilities, the adult social care team seeks to support and safeguard vulnerable adults, including those with physical and mental health concerns.

The tweet on the Lord Joseph Boam II account reads: “Depression isn’t real. You feel sad, you continue with life because there’s no alternative. You will always be depressed if your life is depressing. Fix it.”

The Leicestershire Conservative Group said: “Depression affects millions of people in this country every year. The strength it takes to come forward and seek help for that is immense and we have huge admiration for everyone who does so.

“We as a society, tragically, see far too often the effect depression and other mental health conditions can have, with suicide being the single biggest killer of people under the age of 35 in this country. We are therefore deeply disappointed to read the comments from the new lead member for adults and communities.

“Depression is real, its effects can be devastating and all those suffering from it deserve our support, not our dismissal. We therefore call on Joseph Boam to educate himself on mental health matters and to understand how big an issue this is to people in Leicestershire.”

Cllr Boam told the LDRS: “I won’t be engaging with fake news or political smears. My focus remains on delivering for the people I was elected to serve.”

Reform UK became the largest party on the authority at the local elections at the start of May, taking 25 of the 55 seats on offer. The Conservatives, who had run the authority continuously for the past two decades, went from 42 seats in 2021 to 15, and is now the main opposition. Cllr Boam was elected as the member for Whitwick with 1,601 votes.