Life expectancy since the Conservatives came to power: how 2010 marked the end of decades of progress and unleashed unprecedented inequality and decline (Stockport Express, February 2024)
Research based on data from the Office for National Statistics shows that babies born in the top ten percent most deprived areas of the UK are now expected to live for almost 10 years less than those born in the least deprived ten percent of areas. This inequality is particularly evident in Stockport.
Whilst our borough is one of only two in Greater Manchester with a life expectancy that is higher than the national average, the gap between the life expectancies of people in the richest and the poorest areas of Stockport is particularly wide, both in comparison to Greater Manchester and the country as a whole.
The data shows that, after decades of consistent progress, increases in life expectancy in Stockport slowed to a crawl after 2010. And at the same time as overall life expectancy improvements began to stall, the gap between the life expectancies of the poorest and the wealthiest in Stockport began to widen.
This deeply concerning trajectory mirrors national trends. Throughout the UK, 2010 was a watershed moment, marking the end of an era in which life expectancy was steadily and reliably increasing, and ushering in a new era characterised by the stagnation of progress and widening inequality.
The life expectancy gap for males in the most and least deprived areas of the UK increased from nine years in 2011–13 to 9.7 years in 2018–20, while the gap for females grew from 6.9 to eight years. Even more shocking is the fact that female life expectancy in the most deprived ten percent of areas began to fall after 2011-13 – something not witnessed for 120 years.
It is no coincidence that these unprecedented trends began to unfold just after the Conservatives were elected to power. I am saying this as someone who regularly meets with people who are on the frontlines of the interlocking public health crises our country is facing after 14 years of Conservative governance.
I have visited hospitals, dental practices, schools and care homes in Stockport, and heard firsthand accounts of the impact of the Government’s underfunding and mismanagement of our public services. This has fostered crises across NHS services and adult social care, leading to worsening health outcomes for people in our community. Already-disadvantaged people in our society have suffered disproportionately, entrenching health inequalities further.
This legacy represents an attack on one of the founding principles of the NHS: that who you are and where you are from should not determine your ability to live a long and healthy life. I am committed to reversing this legacy, so that everybody in Stockport can access the building blocks of good health, such as high-quality health and social care, safe and adequate housing, and secure employment that pays well.
As ever, if you live or work in Stockport constituency, please do not hesitate to contact me with queries on navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk or 0161 480 0833.
