Life expectancy is about more than just health – it’s about the kind of society we live in.

In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with David Walsh and Gerry McCartney, co-authors of 'Social Murder?: Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK', about the monumental impact austerity has had, and continues to have, on life expectancy.

They discuss the real-life stories of people affected by austerity policies, the reasons austerity is often sidelined in official health reports and the steps that need to be taken to reverse the horrific effects of these last 14 years.

David Walsh is Senior Lecturer in Health Inequalities at the University of Glasgow and previously Programme Manager at the Glasgow Centre for Population Health. Gerry McCartney is Professor of Wellbeing Economy at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Consultant in Public Health at Public Health Scotland.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-murder

The full transcript of the podcast is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2024/12/03/podcast-austerity-the-silent-killer/

Timestamps:

1:20 - What is social murder?

4:30 - Why were social service cuts made?

9:45 - Can you go into more detail on some of the cuts and how the affected poorer people?

16:20 - Was it thoughtlessness that led to these cuts?

18:37 - Can you talk us through some of the real life stories, such as Moira's story?

25:48 - What is the idea of a 'participation society' and how does that link to the rise in food banks?

31:40 - What have institutions and governments ignored the research on austerity?

38:34 - Should we be measuring our economies differently?

41:10 - What steps do we need to take to reverse the effects of austerity?

44:16 - Where can we find you online?

Intro music:

Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax

Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Follow the Transforming Society blog to be told when new articles and podcasts publish: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/follow-the-blog/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.