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Tuesday July 18 2017 | thetimes.co.uk | No 72278
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Victoria Pendleton lances her demons Middle-class dementia cases halt the growth of longer life Kat Lay Health Correspondent
Increases in life expectancy are “grinding to a halt” as dementia deaths take their toll on the middle classes, an expert review has found. Life expectancy for men and women has risen steadily for a century but the rate of increase appears to have stalled in the past few years. The findings are
deeply concerning and warrant urgent investigation, according to Sir Michael Marmot, the professor of epidemiology behind the study. Between 2002 and 2010, life expectancy at birth increased by a year every five years for women, and every threeand-a-half years for men, a continuation of a long-term trend. Between 2010 and 2015, however, the rate slowed to a
May urged to sack her ‘donkey’ ministers
one-year increase every ten years for women, and six years for men. Sir Michael, director of University College London’s Institute of Health Equity, said: “It is pretty close to having ground to a halt.” A boy born in England in 2015 could expect to live 79.4 years and a girl 83 years. In 1980, the figures were 71.1 and 77. Experts suggested that the slowing
rate of increase in recent years could be linked to dementia claiming the lives of middle-class people, who previously had been among the biggest beneficiaries of lengthening life spans. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are now the leading cause of death among the over 80s for women and over 85s for men. The figures were an update of the Marmot Indicators, a set of measures of
Theresa May is being urged by cabinet ministers to sack testosterone-fuelled “donkeys” and “indulgent safe-seat kids” behind a series of hostile leaks against the chancellor. She will tell warring colleagues that they are ushering Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, into Downing Street as she seeks to reimpose discipline at a cabinet meeting today. Her intervention comes after three days of leaks and briefings, including claims that Philip Hammond told the cabinet last week that public sector workers were overpaid. It can be revealed that the chancellor is examining a compromise on public sector remuneration under which the lowest-paid workers could receive a bigger annual rise than higher-earning colleagues without increasing overall staff budgets. Treasury “remit letters” are due to be sent within weeks to boards that set three million public sector workers’ salaries. They are likely to instruct them to prioritise those paid the least next year, while keeping inside the 1 per cent cap on rises. The cap itself will be reviewed in this autumn’s budget. The effort to put a stop to Tory infighting came as: 6 School budgets received a £1.3 billion boost yesterday in another Treasurybrokered compromise, with some of the
extra cash diverted from planned new free schools and grammars. 6 David Davis, the Brexit secretary, was accused of snubbing Brussels by leaving formal talks hours after they began. 6 Dominic Cummings, a leading ally of Michael Gove, the environment secretary, said that Mr Davis was as “thick as mince, lazy as a toad and as vain as Narcissus”. Mr Hammond faces pressure over his perceived “soft” Brexit stance and insistence on austerity against the backdrop of speculation over how long Mrs May can remain in Downing Street. Those blamed for the attacks include allies of Mr Davis and Mr Gove as well as Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary. One cabinet minister told The Times that figures responsible for the leaks had not had to fight for their place in politics, blaming “too much testosterone” from the “proverbial donkeys” who are “able to behave like indulgent safe-seat kids, not worrying about the impact of their behaviour”. The source added: “They are creating the parliamentary party mood for a full reshuffle to remove them and then have a relaunch.” Another cabinet minister said that “stupid games, whether by Brexiteers or free-spending departmental ministers” should end, and it would be “good” if those responsible were sacked. In another sign that those responsible for Continued on page 2, col 3
Nordic approach, page 18
JAMES WHATLING
MPs demand answers over hidden costs of warplane Deborah Haynes Defence Editor Alexi Mostrous Head of Investigations
Squabbling cabinet must unite, PM will say Matt Chorley Red Box Editor Francis Elliott Political Editor
inequality in health and life expectancy. Sir Michael declined to speculate on the reasons for the slowdown but raised concerns about “miserly” NHS spending. Spending has increased at about 1.1 per cent a year since 2010, below the previous 3.8 per cent, he said. Adult social care spending fell 6.4 per cent between 2009-10 and 2015-16.
Pocket of resistance Prince George was in a stubborn mood as he arrived yesterday in Warsaw with his parents for a tour of Poland and Germany. Duchess’s hint, page 5
Defence officials will be called before MPs to explain why taxpayers face hundreds of millions of pounds in hidden costs for a new warplane beset by technical shortfalls. Julian Lewis, chairman-elect of the defence select committee, said last night that he would recommend a special hearing after an investigation by The Times disclosed that the F-35 Lightning II will be unable to function properly because of defence cuts. Two former military chiefs and three ex-defence ministers have also called for a full-scale inquiry into the cost and capabilities of the jet. Each of the aircraft delivered this year is likely to cost up to £50 million more than the price stated by its US manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, once extras are included, an investigation by this newspaper revealed yesterday. Britain has committed to buy a total of 138 F-35s over the lifetime of the programme. Mr Lewis said that the hearing would be added to an inquiry by his committee into the Ministry of Defence’s record on equipment procurement. “It would seem sensible in the light of the extensive concerns raised by the Times investigation that we should, before moving to publish that almost complete report, have a further hearing in which we will be able to see what answers the MoD has to the main concerns expressed in the story,” he said. In the latest setback, defence sources revealed that the aircraft carrier from which the F-35B jets are due to fly next year has run into difficulty during trials. It can also be revealed that the “stealth” aircraft, billed as the “most powerful and comprehensive” warplane in history, has the ability to store only about ten gigabytes of data, less than an average iPhone. This, like many of the other technology shortfalls, can be easily fixed with additional investment but the defence budget is overstretched. A former minister bemoaned last Continued on page 2, col 3