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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Aditya Chakrabortty

This is a life and death story for the UK – so why is it being brushed under the carpet?

Illustration showing a heart beat monitor graph that is in a sharp decline with figures of people falling off the slope
The figures show a child born this morning in Britain can expect to be in good health only until they are 61. Illustration: Sébastien Thibault/The Guardian

My guess is you keep across the news. You know Andy Mountbatten-Windsor has just had the worst birthday ever; that tall hotels in Dubai don’t make for a great holiday right now; and that Keir Starmer’s engagements diary for 2027 will be remarkably clear.

Still, there is one headline I’ll bet you haven’t seen, even though it directly affects your life. It’s about your life, and mine, and those of our families and friends and neighbours. I didn’t spot it either, until a few days ago when the Guardian ran a reader’s letter.

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