Opinion: Poverty a Massive Threat to Nation’s Health, Peace Party Says

Published on: 28 Apr, 2021
Updated on: 30 Apr, 2021

This is the first Opinion article from the Peace Party standing in the Surrey County Council election on May 6… You can see all of the party Opinion articles here.

By John Morris

Candidate for Guildford West

The Peace Party is horrified, although unsurprised, to learn that the Covid-19 pandemic “economic hit” threatens increased family poverty, widening Britain’s health inequalities, a bombshell dropped in a March 22 speech by Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer.

John Morris of The Peace Party.

Several recent studies have linked deprivation to ill-health and the greater likelihood of those living in poverty catching disease. Last year, the Office of National Statistics found people from the poorest parts of the country were twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than those in richer parts.

The Chief Medical Officer said today’s victims are the ones from the same families vulnerable to many other diseases, including ones from smoking.

In 2017 to 2019, the life expectancy gap between people in England’s most deprived areas and those in the most affluent ones was huge, just 52.3 years compared with 70.7 years.

The Peace Party, with direct influence on government, would be taking such warnings extremely seriously and would be:

(a) Ensuring everyone in all parts of the country has a good government-funded Basic Income and the guarantee of a job; and

(b) Advocating the on-going grant of significant funds to those areas suffering high rates of unemployment and experiencing massive job losses.

Money would need to be spent on improving the National Health Service and social and child care (more doctors, nurses and care staff, teachers, lecturers and ancillary staff) as well as new buildings and learning and training facilities.

As money for salaries and wages is spent, automatically all kinds of other jobs and services would grow or be started.