The Labour Party Candidate for Carlisle, Julie Minns, has ‘expressed concern’ that the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) between the areas of Carlisle where it is highest and lowest is not closing.

Health Equals data shows residents in CA1 and CA2 postcodes which include Morton, Upperby and Botcherby had an average life expectancy of 79.

This rose to 81 in Stanwix and Belah, however residents in CA4 areas like Great Corby and Wetheral had a life expectancy of 84.

Life expectancy is one of the health metrics in the Rebuilding Britain Index (RBI) which measures the extent of ‘levelling up’ across the regions and local areas of the UK.

 The government has pledged to ‘level up’ the country and have committed to boost spending in deprived parts of the country to bring them up to speed with other more affluent areas.

“Commenting on the findings, Julie Minns said; "How long you live should not depend on your postcode, but tragically that is the reality for thousands of Carlisle residents.

“We know that life expectancy is affected by access to healthcare, income, education and housing, so why aren't the government tackling those issues in the areas of Carlisle where it would be an actual difference to people's lives?"

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"The Conservatives made grandiose promises on health, crime and the economy at the last election, but the reality is local people feel that things have got much much worse for them and their families.”

Life expectancy varies across the country from over 95 in Kensington, West London to under 70 in some areas of the north west.

Average life expectancy in the UK is 79 years for men and just below 83 years for women, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics and researchers from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that the UK now ranked 29th in the global rankings for life expectancy behind France, Ireland and Australia.