While the choices we all make matter, they’re only part of the picture. The number of years we can expect to live are shaped by the conditions that we are born, live and work in: from good-quality homes to stable jobs, social connections and neighbourhoods with green space and clean air.

Access to these basics isn’t shared equally. For example, people in our most deprived communities are dying years earlier than those in the most affluent, and spending more of their lives in poor health.

We’re moving backwards. The latest data shows us that the nation’s health is declining, and inequalities are continuing to widen.

This life expectancy gap isn’t inevitable – but to fix it, we need to take urgent action.

That’s why we’re calling for a change in the law for this and future governments to create better health in every postcode.