The cost of poverty

New research this month shows that people living in the poorest areas of England can expect to suffer about 17 more years of ill health and disability than those in wealthier areas. The research was commissioned by the Government and carried out by Michael Marmot. He correctly points out that tackling health inequalities is a matter of social justice.

I blogged last month about the damage done by poverty and inequality and gave a plug to Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's excellent book The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better.  This YouTube video plugs the book.  Watch and read the book.





Hat tip Janet Shapiro (via radstats)

An unequal society harms us all

Bristol University last week published its Wealth and Assets Survey which shows the richest 50% of British households own 91% of the nation's private wealth. This leaves only 9% for the other 50%. Lots of other interesting stats in the report which can be downloaded from Office of National Statistics website.



If you and your family are in the bottom half the implications are obvious but research by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett have shown how inequality harms everyone including the very richest. I would strongly recommend their book The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. One of the book's chapters focuses on crime. Further information about this interesting thesis is available through the Equality Trust.