LAWYERS AND POLITICIANS

THERE is a problem with the UK political system that needs addressing – there are far too many lawyer MPs.

Lawyers are renowned for finding loopholes and using their knowledge of the legal system to gain advantage.

What is legal and what is right are often at odds.

Cases dragging on are part and parcel of their profession; in fact, it is to their financial benefit for things to drag on, especially when the taxpayer is paying. Sadly, many of these have been charged with bringing about Brexit.

Why do lawyers find politics so appealing? What is the appeal? I doubt very much it is public service. compared to the national average of 23 per cent.

It also highlights that BAME groups, LGBT people and people living with disabilities came below the national average in physical activity levels and that women were less likely to exercise than men due to a variety of social, cultural and environmental factors.

The BMA is calling on the Government to implement changes to improve the uptake of physical activity, with a focus on tackling inequalities, across four key areas:

Travel: increase the cross-departmental Government budget for active travel to £20 per head to cover the promotion of activities such as walking and cycling;

Leisure: provide local government with the resource to reverse budget cuts to open spaces and recreation facilities, with targeted additional investment in the most deprived local areas;

School: physical education needs to be recognised and protected as an essential part of the school curriculum;

Work: the NHS should act as an ‘anchor institution’ to encourage and facilitate active travel and set an example for other employers.

As doctors, we see first-hand the negative impact of low levels of physical activity on the population’s health including the rise in hospital admissions as result of those living with preventable long-term conditions.

It is unacceptable that the Government is not doing more to encourage greater levels of physical activity, particularly for those living in deprived areas and those groups of people where inequalities exist.

Exercise has an enormous amount of health benefits, from the prevention and management of chronic diseases to improved mental health and increased social interaction, and should therefore be affordable and accessible to all.

Clearly, the overall benefits of increased physical activities far outweigh the effort and resources