Ed Miliband: celebrities must stop 'demeaning' the mentally ill Mr Miliband will praise mental health workers but criticise those who "who abuse the privilege of their celebrity to insult, demean and belittle others." He is likely to condemn an article by Janet Street-Porter, the journalist and television presenter, which said that depression is the latest must-have accessory promoted by the misery movement. He will also cite Jeremy Clarkson, who "at least acknowledges the tragedy of people who end their own life but then goes on to dismisses them as 'Johnny Suicides' whose bodies should be left on train tracks rather than delay journeys." "One in four of us will have a mental illness at some point in our lifetime," he will say. It is the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age. There are so many people in Britain today who could be treated but who are intimidated from seeking help. And so many people who need support but who believe that no-one will care. Mr Miliband will argue that ignoring mental illness is costly to society because failing to tackle minor problems can allow major ones to build up. "The extra physical healthcare necessitated by mental illness costs the NHS a further £10 billion a year," he will say. And it is not just our public services that bear the burden - British business does too. In time off work and in unproductive days at work. Mental ill health costs Britain's businesses almost £8.5 billion in sickness absence each year. A bill introduced by Gavin Barwell, a Tory MP, currently has cross-party support for ending the ban on people with a history of mental health issues becoming MPs. The bill, which is now likely to become law, also calls for the rules to be relaxed around people with mental health issues becoming company directors or performing jury service. A number of MPs disclosed details of mental health problems in a landmark debate in the House of Commons in June this year. Charles Walker, MP for Broxbourne, who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder, described himself as a "practising fruitcake," while Kevan Jones, a former Labour defence minister, revealed a history of severe depression. Two female Conservative MPs, Andrea Leadsom and Sarah Wollaston, who is also a GP, revealed they had suffered from post-natal depression.