Sacked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson made a heartfelt confession on his last trip to Scotland by revealing his tragic loss of a childhood pal and admitting more must done to stop soldier suicides.
Williamson, 42, was sacked over the leaking of details of private Government discussions about Chinese tech giant Huawei.
He denies the leak from the National Security Council meeting and has called for a full probe into the affair.
The Record can reveal that on a VIP visit to Faslane two days before his abrupt departure, Williamson told how he lost a childhood pal to suicide and said more must be done to combat an epidemic of suicides among military personnel.
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He spoke out as he visited the Faslane naval base on the Clyde to mark the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the seaborne nuclear weapons deterrent.
Williamson said: “We could do more. The MoD has increased its spending on mental health, set up a 24/7 military mental health helpline and continues to tackle any perceived stigma around the subject.
“I always recall when I was around 14, a friend of mine took their own life. I remember the huge impact that had on their family and friends.
“So, I recognise that we have go to do all we can to help people in the services so that they never go down such a dark path.”
Yesterday, we told how Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton revealed that witnessing a suicide left him suffering anxiety attacks four years on. He came forward to highlight his belief that support for people in the same situation was lacking.
The Record recently revealed that widow Samantha Davies blasted military bosses for failing to stop an epidemic of soldier suicides.
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Her husband Jamie Davies lost his battle with post traumatic stress disorder last year, aged 32.
Scotland saw a wave of soldier suicides last August – including Jamie, Ryan Smith, Alistair McLeish and Jonny Cole in little more than a week. Fraser Stirling, 30, was one of the five servicemen who died over a six-day period.
Preventative measures have been announced to save our soldiers. A new working group was unveiled in Parliament to investigate the problem and a new Veterans Board will hold Government departments to account.
●If you are feeling suicidal, call the Samaritans free on 116 123.
