I came into politics because, as a doctor, I realised that while I could often make people ‘better’, it was inequality—poverty—that was frequently making them ill in the first place. And there wasn’t much I could do about that within the clinic. The system itself needs to change.
I also saw that patients were over-medicalised. Too often, pills are prescribed as a quick fix while the underlying causes of ill health go unaddressed. That’s why I’ve championed a more holistic approach, including work on social prescribing, which seeks to tackle the root causes of illness.
Daisy Fancourt, Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at UCL, has just published a fascinating book, Art Care, on the transformative power of the arts for our health. Most of us instinctively know that engaging in creative activities—reading, painting, knitting, going to the theatre, dancing, singing—benefits our mental health.
What Daisy’s research shows is that the arts are good for our physical health too. Active participation builds “cognitive reserves,” boosts immune function, lowers inflammation and pain, reduces frailty, and even makes us physically younger than our chronological age.
And it’s not just about creating art. Visiting galleries, museums, theatres, and reading all generate similar benefits. But watching things passively on a screen does not—so binge-watching TV or films at the cinema doesn’t have the same effect.
We need this same holistic approach in politics: reduce inequality, strengthen community engagement, and promote the benefits of art. Health isn’t just about pills and hospitals—it’s about the conditions we live in, the communities we belong to, and the creative experiences that enrich our lives.
