Political support for reducing health inequalities through All Together Fairer in Cheshire and Warrington and the Liverpool City Region
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region and Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader for Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Joint Committee, met in Liverpool on 9 October with Professor Sir Michael Marmot, the UK’s leading expert on health equity and the social determinants of health, to strengthen their commitment to tackling Cheshire and Merseyside’s health inequalities.
In the meeting with Sir Michael, which was held ahead of the Institute of Health Equity’s Health Equity Network Conference, Mayor Rotheram and Councillor Gittins discussed the emerging opportunities brought by devolution and signalled their commitment to using All Together Fairer as a framework for tackling inequalities in their devolved areas.
Mayor Rotheram and Councillor Gittins also heard from senior leaders in local government and the NHS, who outlined how devolution can play a significant role in the health of local people and how significant progress is already being made through the All Together Fairer Programme.
Cheshire and Merseyside became a Marmot Community in 2019. Since then, local government has worked alongside the NHS and voluntary sector to align activities and set shared ambitions. The Programme also published a situational analysis and report that found that over 111,000 children across Cheshire and Merseyside are growing up in poverty, with two-thirds living in working families. The impact of this inequality on these children is far-reaching and can destroy the life-chances of future generations of the same family.
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London and Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, said:
“Health inequalities are not inevitable, yet people in the poorest communities still face shorter lives and poorer health. What stands out in Cheshire and Merseyside is a region that recognises this urgent challenge and is already leading the way through the All Together Fairer Programme.
“By embedding Marmot principles across housing, education, employment, and beyond, Cheshire and Merseyside can show what’s possible when tackling inequalities becomes a central priority and partners work together.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“Devolution works best when it changes lives. Nowhere is that more important than our health. It’s simply not right that your postcode can still determine how long you live or the quality of that life. That kind of inequality has no place in a fair society.
“Working with Sir Michael and the Institute of Health Equity, we’ll use the Marmot approach to join up housing, transport, skills and good work so every community – wherever you live in our city region – has a fair shot at a longer, healthier, happier life.
“We’re already taking practical steps, including joining forces with Jamie Oliver to call for a ban on junk food advertising on public transport. And I’ll start the process for the Liverpool City Region to become a Marmot city region, so tackling health inequalities is hard-wired into everything we do.”
Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Joint Committee, said:
“All nine of our Health and Wellbeing Boards in Cheshire and Merseyside have already adopted the Marmot principles, but today we are sending a stronger signal that we must go further and faster.
“Rising child and family poverty is holding back our communities, and we cannot accept that. The creation of a Cheshire and Warrington Mayoral Combined Authority offers a real opportunity to work differently, with greater focus and ambition, alongside our Liverpool City Region partners. Together, we can make health equity the foundation for a fairer future.”
The discussions underscored a shared commitment across the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire and Warrington to work with Sir Michael Marmot and the Institute of Health Equity in driving forward action on the root causes of inequality. Leaders agreed that while the policy landscape is evolving, the vision remains clear: tackling health inequalities must be a central priority for the region’s future prosperity and wellbeing.