The House Article | Ten years shorter: the coastal inequality that Britain must confront

(Mim Friday / Alamy)

3 min read33 min

Life expectancy is shaped by the decisions we take in Parliament. Decades of uneven investment have carved inequality into the lives of children in coastal towns. Unless we act with urgency, they will inherit a Britain that rewards wealth and punishes geography.

When Keir Starmer visited my by-election in May 2024, he spoke about the pride and ambition of our town and the frustration when that pride is met with neglect rather than investment. He was right. Blackpool has never lacked pride or ambition. What it has lacked is sustained commitment from those with the power to change things.

Nine of England’s 10 most deprived neighbourhoods are in coastal communities, seven being in Blackpool alone. Low wages, poor health, insecure work and deep-rooted disadvantage are not isolated problems; they are symptoms of a national economic model that has left coastal communities behind.

If we are serious about rebalancing Britain, we must confront the system that has historically channelled investment away from towns like ours. That is why reforms to the Treasury’s Green Book are so significant. For years, benefit-cost ratios were treated as a blunt pass-or-fail test. Projects in already prosperous areas where returns are easier to measure, scored highest. Places with entrenched deprivation, where social returns are transformative but harder to quantify, were too often marked down.

The updated guidance allows investment decisions to account properly for social impact and regional need. In simple terms, coastal towns finally get a fairer hearing.

This is not abstract policy. It means transport, housing or regeneration projects in deprived communities can be judged on their ability to reduce inequality, improve health and raise wages, not simply on short-term financial return. The framework for change is there. What matters now is the resolve to use it boldly.

Economic rebalancing must move from rhetoric to reality. Growth has too often been concentrated in the South while coastal towns remain trapped in cycles of seasonal, low-paid work. For Blackpool, that means attracting high-value employment with clear routes for progression. Government should lead by incentivising private investment and backing sectors such as clean energy, digital services, health innovation and our visitor economy.

Coastal communities also face distinct challenges: ageing populations, fragile local economies, housing pressures, poor connectivity and stark health inequalities. These issues cut across departments, yet responsibility in Whitehall remains fragmented. That is why the recommendation of the House of Lords for a dedicated coastal communities minister deserves serious consideration. Coastal Britain cannot remain everyone’s secondary responsibility and no one’s primary focus. A dedicated minister would provide co-ordination, accountability and a clear voice to ensure policy is coherent rather than piecemeal.

Health inequality remains the starkest injustice. The life expectancy gap between Blackpool and Hampshire is preventable. Prevention, early intervention and properly funded local health services must sit at the heart of our agenda, because without health, opportunity is hollow.

People in coastal communities are not asking for favours; they are asking for fairness, investment that reflects need, decisions that respect local knowledge and change visible in everyday life. Pride without progress becomes frustration. Ambition without delivery becomes disillusionment.

When Blackpool succeeds, Britain succeeds. The test before us is simple: will we use the power of government to close the gap or allow another generation, including my son, to inherit neglect measured in years they never get to live? 

Chris Webb is the Labour MP for Blackpool South