Down by the Sea: Poverty brings Blackpool’s life expectancy to a low in Britain

IIt’s a ranking that no one wants to be at the top of. For the first time in two decades, Blackpool, once a glamorous seaside resort, this week overtook Glasgow for the lowest average life expectancy for men in Britain.

Men born in Blackpool will now live until just past their 73rd birthday on average, according to the Research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).six years less than the average for the rest of England.

The figures highlighted an uncomfortable truth about modern life in Britain: wealth brings health and poverty kills, in what the ONS called a “clear” north-south divide.

Those born in the wealthy Hampshire district of Hart tend to live a full ten years longer than those in the poorest areas, while men born in the south-east of England will live on average three years longer than those in the north-east.

The gap between the richest and poorest areas has widened since the Covid pandemic. The average life expectancy for men in Blackpool is now 18 months lower than in 2019.

The roots of Blackpool’s poor health can be traced back to its golden age more than a century ago.

The tourist boom of the early 20th century led to an oversupply of guest houses, as Brits swapped a week on the British coast for guaranteed sun on the Costa del Sol.

As the holidaymakers left, property speculators moved in, snapping up outdated Edwardian properties to turn them into houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs), where landlords make up to 20% profit, four times what the holidaymakers make. average UK rental yield.

As a result, Blackpool now has some of the cheapest and dirtiest housing in Britain, attracting tenants in poor health. A one-bedroom apartment within sight of the famous Big Dipper roller coaster costs just over £100 per week, less than half the average for Britain.

Dr. Arif Rajpura is credited with curing some of the city’s malaise. Rajpura, director of public health at Blackpool Council, knows that the death rate among the city’s 75-year-olds is by some distance the highest. the worst in England for cancer, cardiovascular disease and for all causes.

He describes his public health team as a ‘paid nuisance’ and says that when there is a planning application for another fast food shop or pub, they object to it.

He similarly stood up to Blackpool Football Club when it made a gambling company its main front-of-shirt sponsor in 2018 and pushed back a confectionery company that sponsored children’s activities.

Dr. Andy Knox, a GP who leads public health for the NHS in Lancashire and south Cumbria, said only a “complete systemic change” in the way Britain approached public health could curb growing inequalities.

He called for an overhaul of the way councils are funded, greater integration of the NHS and local authorities and bold national policies such as a sugar tax.

Knox, the author of Sick societya book about health inequalities in Britain, warned against “pointing fingers” at people who have long-term illnesses or who abuse alcohol or drugs.

“This is not about lifestyle choice,” he said. “The reasons why people engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are often extremely complex and can be hugely linked to childhood trauma.”

Blackpool has the highest proportion of children in care in the country, almost three times the national average.

“They get a terrible start in life, often through the healthcare sector. They get really terrible dental care, so the nutrition is really poor. They live in significant poverty: 70 to 80% live in the poorest fifth of the country,” said Knox.

“You have all this multi-layered complexity that leads to poor educational outcomes, and then to real levels of high unemployment… so the problem continues.”

A recent council report revealed that Blackpool had four times the average number of drug deaths, almost double the number of smoking deaths, the highest rate of alcohol deaths and the highest rate of serious mental illness in England.

Public health experts know that tackling ill health upstream – before problems like high blood pressure become fatal – is the best way to cure chronic problems. However, under former Chancellor George Osborne’s austerity measures, crucial long-term preventive measures have been scrapped. said a report to Blackpool council this year.

The city lost more than many wealthier areas, as around a third of central government subsidies were cut at the time. compared to 15% for the richest neighborhoods.

In real terms, Blackpool has around £1,400 less to spend on its population per person than it did over a decade ago, while its public health grant has been cut by £10 per person since 2013.

Karen Smith, director of health and care integration in Blackpool, said the city needed to “stop us from focusing solely on the pressures of everyday life” and help people much earlier in their lives. But she added: “When the whole world feels like it’s on fire, I think that’s hard to do.”