Life expectancy in England is related to income (and in London,it can be mapped by a resident's nearest tube station1). Thearrival of a new government offers the opportunity to review the impact ofearlier policies designed to reduce health inequality. A new report from theKing's Fund2 has updated Michael Marmot's 2010 publication, Fair Society, Healthy Lives, and using a wider range ofdeterminants of lifestyle and health, has found that income-relatedinequalities in life expectancy have improved since that report. Departmentof Health policies in the 2000s appear to have contributed to this, althoughreductions in child and pensioner poverty and improvements in employment andsocial housing have also impacted positively. Nevertheless, unemployment,housing deprivation, and binge drinking remain key factors in lowering lifeexpectancy. The King's Fund report argues that a more nuanced and integratedpolicy response for the NHS and other public services will be required bythe new government to continue to reduce inequality, but recognises thatimplementation in an era of austerity poses challenges, particularly for themost vulnerable.