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It is well-known that the austerity ushered in by Cameron's new Conservative goverment heavily contributed to excess deaths. After a decade of continued underf

It is well-known that the austerity ushered in by Cameron's new Conservative goverment heavily contributed to excess deaths. After a decade of continued underfunding of public services, leading to a collapsed social and health service, you realise the question really isn't that deep

krysp 4y ago
Well known anecdotally perhaps, but this is the first time I've seen a major publication link the two issues (possibly I don't read enough of the news). Hopefully we see more like this.
- TheOtherHobbes 4y ago
  Some of the media coverage: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/05/over-330000-excess-deaths-in-great-britain-linked-to-austerity-finds-study https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/05/over-330000... https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/austerity-thousands-deaths-study-researchers-b1938504.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/austerity-thousand... Some of the research: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/21490/1/‘Dead%20people%20don't%20claim’%20a%20psychopolitical%20autopsy%20of%20UK%20austerity%20suicides.pdf https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/21490/1/‘Dead%20peop... https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/10/e046417 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/10/e046417 There's a mountain of evidence that the policies were democidally harmful and economically counterproductive. Although they did increase financial inequality - which some people seem to consider a good thing rather than a bad one.
- ZeroGravitas 4y ago
  Financial Times called it out recently too, in surprisingly clear terms: https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1606223922474627073 https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1606223922474627073 > Britain’s grim winter of strikes, falling incomes and a worsening NHS crisis is not some unfortunate series of events > It’s the inevitable result of a decade of Tory austerity that steadily weakened the state’s capacity to respond to shocks
  - captaincaveman 4y ago
    Assuming this is true, wasn't it the bailing out of the banks a major factor in the need for austerity?
6510 4y ago
> the five local authorities with the highest average life expectancy can expect to live 83.6 years, which is nearly 10 years longer than the 73.9 average in the five councils with lowest life expectancy at birth. https://www.theactuary.com/news/2022/08/24/uk-house-prices-six-times-higher-areas-where-life-expectancy-greatest https://www.theactuary.com/news/2022/08/24/uk-house-prices-s... The average age in the UK is lower than the EU.
hellojimbo 4y ago
The good thing about trading the livelihood of future generations for the livelihood of the current generation through reckless spending is that the future generation doesn't get a vote.
treeman79 4y ago
[flagged]
- was_a_dev 4y ago
  Oh dear
wyager 4y ago
It is well known that the marginally insignificant political differences of the people I disagree with actually lead to billions of deaths every year
steve76 4y ago
[dead]
0xy 4y ago
Austerity like NHS spending increasing by 6.5% yearly since 2010? Absolutely absurd argument made from political propaganda, not fact. Not only has it increased in raw numbers, it's increased per capita, making this argument false by any measurement.
- was_a_dev 4y ago
  There is a difference between defunding and underfunding. It doesn't take much to realise ~6% (average) increase is quickly eroded by inflation and population changes. NHS funding has been effectivley stagnant [1] There are also more complex issues beyond a single percentage metric. But I am sure you know that [1] https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/the-past-present-and-future-of-government-spending-on-the-nhs https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/the-past-present-...
  - 0xy 4y ago
    Your original post said NHS budgets were undergoing austerity -- meaning spending cuts. Now that that's been shown to be utterly false, your terminology has evolved to "stagnant". NHS funding increases are over 2,000% higher than France, a comparable first-world country, since 2010 -- according to World Bank data. If the UK has "stagnant" spending increases, what's happening in comparable countries with way less spending increases? France has 0.3%/year healthcare spending increases in that period. 6.5% is not stagnant. It's not austerity. In fact, it's OVER DOUBLE the rate of inflation, contrary to your claims of "erosion by inflation". NHS funding is skyrocketing in real terms and in per capita amounts, over and above inflation. To claim spending increases are eroded by either inflation or population changes is a lie. It's rising per capita at over 2x inflation. Zero erosion, except perhaps in the fever dreams of The Guardian journalists.

krysp 4y ago

Well known anecdotally perhaps, but this is the first time I've seen a major publication link the two issues (possibly I don't read enough of the news). Hopefully we see more like this.

TheOtherHobbes 4y ago
Some of the media coverage: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/05/over-330000-excess-deaths-in-great-britain-linked-to-austerity-finds-study https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/05/over-330000... https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/austerity-thousands-deaths-study-researchers-b1938504.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/austerity-thousand... Some of the research: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/21490/1/‘Dead%20people%20don't%20claim’%20a%20psychopolitical%20autopsy%20of%20UK%20austerity%20suicides.pdf https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/21490/1/‘Dead%20peop... https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/10/e046417 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/10/e046417 There's a mountain of evidence that the policies were democidally harmful and economically counterproductive. Although they did increase financial inequality - which some people seem to consider a good thing rather than a bad one.
ZeroGravitas 4y ago
Financial Times called it out recently too, in surprisingly clear terms: https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1606223922474627073 https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1606223922474627073 > Britain’s grim winter of strikes, falling incomes and a worsening NHS crisis is not some unfortunate series of events > It’s the inevitable result of a decade of Tory austerity that steadily weakened the state’s capacity to respond to shocks
- captaincaveman 4y ago
  Assuming this is true, wasn't it the bailing out of the banks a major factor in the need for austerity?

6510 4y ago

> the five local authorities with the highest average life expectancy can expect to live 83.6 years, which is nearly 10 years longer than the 73.9 average in the five councils with lowest life expectancy at birth. https://www.theactuary.com/news/2022/08/24/uk-house-prices-six-times-higher-areas-where-life-expectancy-greatest https://www.theactuary.com/news/2022/08/24/uk-house-prices-s... The average age in the UK is lower than the EU.

hellojimbo 4y ago

The good thing about trading the livelihood of future generations for the livelihood of the current generation through reckless spending is that the future generation doesn't get a vote.

treeman79 4y ago

[flagged]

was_a_dev 4y ago
Oh dear

wyager 4y ago

It is well known that the marginally insignificant political differences of the people I disagree with actually lead to billions of deaths every year

steve76 4y ago

[dead]

0xy 4y ago

Austerity like NHS spending increasing by 6.5% yearly since 2010? Absolutely absurd argument made from political propaganda, not fact. Not only has it increased in raw numbers, it's increased per capita, making this argument false by any measurement.

was_a_dev 4y ago
There is a difference between defunding and underfunding. It doesn't take much to realise ~6% (average) increase is quickly eroded by inflation and population changes. NHS funding has been effectivley stagnant [1] There are also more complex issues beyond a single percentage metric. But I am sure you know that [1] https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/the-past-present-and-future-of-government-spending-on-the-nhs https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/the-past-present-...
- 0xy 4y ago
  Your original post said NHS budgets were undergoing austerity -- meaning spending cuts. Now that that's been shown to be utterly false, your terminology has evolved to "stagnant". NHS funding increases are over 2,000% higher than France, a comparable first-world country, since 2010 -- according to World Bank data. If the UK has "stagnant" spending increases, what's happening in comparable countries with way less spending increases? France has 0.3%/year healthcare spending increases in that period. 6.5% is not stagnant. It's not austerity. In fact, it's OVER DOUBLE the rate of inflation, contrary to your claims of "erosion by inflation". NHS funding is skyrocketing in real terms and in per capita amounts, over and above inflation. To claim spending increases are eroded by either inflation or population changes is a lie. It's rising per capita at over 2x inflation. Zero erosion, except perhaps in the fever dreams of The Guardian journalists.