I don't blame people for smoking when I see a social gradient in smoking. I say we need to understand why is it the lower you are in the hierarchy the more likely you are to smoke. So we need to address the causes of the causes.

Health inequalities and the social determinants of health are not a footnote to the determinants of health. They are the main issue.

I'm not an Orthodox Jew, I don't practise much in the way of Jewish religion, but I am very Jewish and I think it probably does indeed influence what I do.

We have to put reduction of health inequalities at the centre of our public health strategy and that will require action on the social determinants of health.

Saying we can't afford to invest in early child development means we're storing up bigger costs in the future.

General improvements in health/decline in mortality do not affect all classes equally. As mortality rates fall, social inequalities commonly widen.

Our elected politicians do what they judge is the right thing to do. And if we disagree then I'll show them the evidence of why I disagree.