A Tangled Web

Caledonian Calamity



Some interesting figures were released today showing the impending demographic crisis north of the border. Findings by the Office for National Statistics indicate that life expectancy in Scotland is among the lowest in the entire United Kingdom. In Glasgow, for example, males die on average before they have reached their 70th birthdays. Longevity at this low level is not all that different to some of the levels seen in eastern Europe.



Scotland has a double dose of woes on the demographic front. Unlike England, Wales and Northern Ireland whose populations are not expected to begin declining until around 2030 - 2040, Scotland already suffers a declining population and has done so since the mid-1980's. It is expected to have fewer than 5 million people by 2012.



Doubtless some on the lunatic fringe of Scotland's pervasive Left-wing politics will attribute low life expectancy to poverty. I believe this to be far too simplistic. Prosperity in Scotland already compares favourably with what we experience in the north of England. Moreover, the region is buoyed by public spending levels those of us in Yorkshire can only dream about. Let's be honest here, a lot of Scots have social habits which are almost Homo Neanderthalis in nature. Alcohol and tobacco consumption are way above the national average, and how can we forget the revolting concoction that is the deep-fried Mars bar! I'm no health freak, though I'm fully aware of the direct chain of causation between disgustingly unhealthy lifestyles and the length of one's mortality. I feel more Scots should also be cognizant of the linkage - it might help them live a bit longer.