People in north of England ‘live shorter, sicker, poorer lives simply because of where they were born’
by marketrent
People in north of England ‘live shorter, sicker, poorer lives simply because of where they were born’
by marketrent
25 comments
So glad i left the north of England. When i go back (I visit every 3-5 years) everybody i know there are fatter and seem more miserable. It’s kind of depressing going back.
Levelling up update:
• *The IPPR North think tank has found that it will take 55 years, until 2080, for those living in the north-east of England to have the same healthy life expectancy now enjoyed in London and the south-east of England.*
• *It calls for a radical change in funding for local government and a decade of renewal to change this trajectory, warning “only bold and concerted action will change the course of England’s regional divides”.*
• *The report shows the Government’s current ‘levelling up’ programme is inadequate because it is undermined by the scale of local government cuts, and that regional wealth inequality will continue to grow.*
• *IPPR North calls for a reform of capital gains tax to fund investment in the regions, as well as action to stave off political cynicism, investment to halt the collapse of local authority finances, and renewed urgency in the creation of good jobs as part of a renewed regional agenda.*
• *The report cites that in Blackpool – which has the lowest male life expectancy in England – a man has the same healthy life expectancy as in Turkey, a far poorer country than the UK.*
• *Wealth inequality is on course to grow, with a gap reaching £228,800 per head between the south-east and the north by the end of the decade, on current trends.*
See IPPR’s [State of the North 2024](https://ippr-org.files.svdcdn.com/production/Downloads/State_of-the_north_2024_Mar24_2024-02-22-154025_rrfw.pdf) report.
I don’t think this is my problem but it’s something to think about. why the devide though?
This is probably true of most countries – one way or the other. People of Northern Italy vs Southern Italy, Canada vs USA, etc.
The North has always been more beastly and wretched than the rest of England since time immemorial.
The various Scottish raiding parties, the harrying of the North. The pilgrimage of grace with Lancashire being the most “beastly shire in all England”-Henry the eighth, the consolidation of power in London under the tenure of Thomas Cromwell.
Picking up a history book will tell you how dreadful that quart of England is, and has been treated its no surprise then that Northern peoples live shorter and more beastly lives then
The North has so much more natural beauty and walking opportunities for people to keep fit and healthy too. My Southern friends are always jealous i have the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District all within a relative short drive away to spend a day walking
Why is this? Is it because of alcohol and drug use? Not having access to healthcare and healthy food etc?
Just a genuine question from someone who knows nothing. I’m interested in learning why this is the case.
I recently moved from the South East to the Midlands, and accessing the GP here is an absolute nightmare.
Which is strange considering food is cheaper, air pollution is less of a problem and there’s more access to outdoor walls/hikes
Edit:
Getting a lot of hate here. I’m not denying the divide. There is one. But I feel it’s not as much down to the individual populous but more so the lack of funding in education, transportation and healthcare in the north.
This is why I take care of my health. Never used to care but as a Northern second class citizen I have long since lost faith that the country will have my back when it comes to it. I seriously doubt the care infrastructure as we know it will still be there by the time I’m reaching that age.
My teeth are shit but that’s just one of those things I have to accept in this point. I can eat my greens and lift weights and go for regular walks, but I can’t do my own fillings or root canals, and I’ve been trying to get registered with a dentist for over five years at this point. It’s just not happening.
Meanwhile I’ll continue to roll my eyes and mutter cynically every time I hear about all this white male privilege I’m supposed to have, and the people who tell me about it will continue to be too out of touch to understand.
there is also the north east and north west divide
Well if they can change it so women retire earlier than men despite living longer surely they could change it so it’s earlier in the North, a good place to draw that line would be across the country where they choose to spend less per person / per head on the people.
I’d move up north if I felt like our life would be better. You can get way more bang for your buck house-wise and obviously it’s beautiful, but there’s no money and no jobs. Also I’ve been told northerners are always muddy and live in little ramshackle cottages made of pig and cow shit.
As a northerner , can someone tell me what I’m missing out on in the South (outside of London)?
What about Norfolk? We are considering a move to Norwich from York. Though it’s the best part of Yorkshire, it still has a large population that seems quite deprived…
Moved location 3 times since being 18, hundreds of miles away from where I was born for this reason – town I was born in just had zero quality of life
Can’t say I agree. Moved from South to North. Best decision I ever made. I feel sorry for people being exploited by London landlords and wage stagnation.
As somebody from the north, this does not surprise me at all.
These numbers are heavily impacted by the racial divide from north to south – many more people from non-white backgrounds who are approximately 10% more likely to get sick or die from illnesses.
No, they live shorter lives because of their decisions.
No we don’t…..we have none of the shit you poncy southern twats have….I live in carlisle and everything is spot on….who makes this shit up…..at least we can get hospital appointments and gp appointments quickly….the crime is low and there’s work….
This isn’t just true of the North but can be applied in general to any county where you young have areas of affluence and areas of high social deprivation. You can have higher mortality rates based on your post code, higher comorbities etc .
Some of the northern towns are just dead. People exist there but they arent living. But then some places are quite alright. I say this as someone who used to love Milton Friedman and I’ve read 3 of his books, but Thatcher and her ideological march of progress really messed up a lot of Northern towns to such an extent they’d be better off being wiped off the map.
This can’t be correct because I was assured the Tories spent the last 14 years levelling up the north.
Most of my friends I grew up with, have moved to Yorkshire, Manchester etc.
Most of my work colleagues and newish friends are from the North, and many from Scotland.
How does that work, will my old school pals die earlier now?