MP Sarah Hall Advocates for Neurodivergent Representation in Politics

Sarah Hall, the Labour MP for Warrington South, who received an ADHD diagnosis three years ago, has stated her intention to utilize her parliamentary position to encourage greater involvement in politics among individuals with the condition. Speaking to BBC Politics North West, Mrs. Hall commented that discovering she had ADHD “clarified things.” She has also collaborated with other Members of Parliament who have neurodivergent conditions and disabilities to support initiatives aimed at modernising Parliament. Mrs. Hall explained, “It is looking at ways that we can not just make life easier while you’re doing this job, but also encouraging more people from different backgrounds to come into the job as well.” Before the election scheduled for July, Mrs. Hall served as a councillor on Warrington Council from 2016 to 2024, including a period as the cabinet member responsible for children’s services starting in 2021. In addition to her work with fellow MPs on modernising Parliament, Mrs. Hall has become a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) dedicated to autism and ADHD. She expressed her view that working in politics is well-suited to her condition. She elaborated, “I’m always on the go and trying to do a million things at once, which is quite a good way to be in politics when you’re always trying to achieve as much as you can for people.” Mrs. Hall further articulated her goals, stating, “I’m using the role I have now as a Member of Parliament to try and help others and raise awareness that obviously girls can have ADHD too and to try and make improvements to the system.” She described the current challenges, remarking, “The system at the moment is completely broken in terms of diagnosis, medication and the availability of medication. It is a postcode lottery because resources are and the NHS is so overstretched.” She also drew attention to recent issues concerning medication shortages for ADHD, conveying her belief that there was “not enough of an understanding” of the extent to which individuals with ADHD require their medication. Mrs. Hall shared her personal experience, saying, “Even though I have gone for years and years not having medication, now that I know the benefits, when I don’t have it any more – there’s a big issue.” She concluded this point by stating, “So I’m trying to use my platform to raise awareness of just how difficult things can be if we don’t have that support in place.” Beyond her efforts to support individuals with ADHD, Mrs. Hall aims to inspire other neurodivergent people to become involved in politics. She commented, “People like me with ADHD, I would really encourage people to get involved in politics because it is a fantastic job and I think we are very well placed to do jobs like this.” Mrs. Hall expressed her hope, stating, “I hope that people will look at me and realise that being neurodiverse, having ADHD, being autistic, it’s not a barrier. It’s not a barrier to achieving what you want to do.” For additional local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is broadcast on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and is accessible on BBC iPlayer. Story ideas can be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites and provides information on its approach to external linking.