Leeds MP Katie White sounds alarm on youth mental health 'crisis' as Online Safety Act sparks debate
Young people’s mental health issues have reached an “absolute crisis” point, a Leeds MP said as she revealed that the plight of struggling children has dominated her constituency surgeries for the last year.
Katie White, who was elected to represent Leeds North West last summer, said the scale of the problem among teens is “horrendous” and unlike anything she had expected.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post in an interview marking her first year in Parliament, Mrs White warned that urgent action is needed to improve access to support, cut waiting times and tackle the root causes of the crisis.
She also backed measures in the government’s new Online Safety Act aimed at protecting children online - although some critics have warned the new age‑verification rules risk infringing privacy, and may prove too easy to bypass in any case.
“Young people’s mental health is a major issue,” said Mrs White. “It’s an absolute crisis. The situation is horrendous. My surgeries are full of young people - or parents on behalf of young people - who are struggling to access mental health provision.”
In response to the situation, the Labour government has committed to recruiting 8,500 additional mental health professionals by the end of its first term.
As of June, the party said that over 6,700 of these positions have been filled. These new recruits are part of a broader strategy to enhance mental health services, including the establishment of hubs offering open-access support for children and young people.
Despite this, Mrs White acknowledged that “we’ve still got a lot to do”. She highlighted the importance of early intervention and comprehensive support systems to address the root causes of mental health issues.
One of these is advocating for smartphone-free initiatives in schools, as Mrs White explained: “I don’t think that’s the only answer, but I think it’s part of the answer.”
It comes as the government’s new Online Safety Act begins to take effect, with fresh rules introduced last week requiring platforms to prevent young people from accessing harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and pornography.
While the legislation has been hailed by many as a world-leading step in protecting children online, it has also faced backlash. Critics have argued that the mandatory age-verification measures, which often require users to scan ID, pose privacy concerns.
Others have warned that the safeguards could be easily circumvented using VPNs, potentially leaving children vulnerable despite the new rules. Reform UK has pledged to repeal the Act, describing it as a “borderline dystopian” infringement on free speech.
Responding to concerns, Mrs White said: “I think that the majority of the country would be in favour of measures that improve our children’s safety online - and I was astounded to see that Reform was starting a fight on this. I was genuinely quite gobsmacked.
“This is a world-leading act. Peter Kyle (Tech Minister) has been clear that he will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure our children are safe online. I’ve been working with local teachers and pupils on these measures.”
She added: “My understanding is that it’s very easy to pass age verification these days. We are moving towards online driving licences, for example. These things can be done in a secure way.
“Certainly, children’s online safety is an issue that is being raised increasingly across my constituency, because they are being exposed to things they shouldn’t be. The widespread implications of that are very damaging. The longer we can prevent that from happening, the better.”
It has now been 12 months since Mrs White was elected with a landslide majority in Leeds North West. She said the role was “even more hectic than I expected”.
“We knew it was going to be a tough job when we came in - and everything I’ve found over the last year has reinforced the idea that this is a 10‑year project,” she explained. “Each cupboard door we’ve opened has been in quite a bit of a mess.”
Her first year has seen her work on high‑profile environmental campaigns, including banning bottom trawling of oceans - a move she says was helped by conservation icon Sir David Attenborough visiting Parliament to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other MPs.
“The climate crisis is what drove me into politics and it has been an honour to work with Ed Miliband and his team on energy,” she said. She also highlighted her support for innovative green businesses in her constituency, including a world‑leading Otley company tracking seabirds.
Reflecting on her first year in Parliament, Mrs White described several highlights that have made her role especially rewarding. Among her proudest achievements, she cited the successful campaign to reinstate the X84 express bus service between Leeds and Otley - a win she called a “huge victory” after sustained local pressure.
She also celebrated the fact that Leeds was announced as the headquarters for the government’s new National Wealth Fund, an investment body aimed at driving growth in clean energy and green finance.
Another milestone came with her successful 10-minute rule bill banning bottom trawling of oceans - a cause close to her heart.
She said: “It sounds like a bit of a niche one, but to make David Attenborough proud was pretty cool.”