150 Scientists, MPs and Campaigners Urge Prime Minister Burnham to Launch Inquiry into Air Pollution Inequalities

LONDON: A coalition of 150 scientists, Members of Parliament and activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to establish a national inquiry into the unequal health effects of air pollution, warning that lower-income and minority-ethnic communities in Britain are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden.

In a joint letter, the signatories urged the government to act to protect the communities most exposed to toxic air. Their call draws on research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), which found that lower-income areas across England have consistently recorded higher levels of air pollution than more affluent ones. The research also indicates that minority-ethnic populations are exposed to air pollution at levels roughly 6 percent higher than those experienced by white populations.

The letter points to well-established links between polluted air and a range of serious health conditions, including heart disease, strokes, cancer and asthma, as well as impaired lung development in children. Despite this evidence, the signatories argue, the United Kingdom still has no dedicated mechanism for addressing the health inequalities that result from unequal exposure.

The campaign group Mums for Lungs, among the organisers, also raised questions about the Prime Minister’s own record on the issue, highlighting his decision in 2023, while serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester, to scrap plans for a clean air zone in the city region. The group said the move raised doubts over whether sufficient action had been taken to reduce pollution.

Jemima Hartshorn, founder of Mums for Lungs, described the situation as an “air pollution emergency”, stressing that dirty air should not be accepted as an inevitable part of urban life and that its harms are not shared equally across society.

The campaigners’ appeal coincides with new government data showing that air pollution exceeded legal limits during 2025 in parts of London, Glasgow and Bristol, underscoring what they describe as the urgency of a coordinated national response.

Supporters of an inquiry say it would help establish the full scale of the disparities, identify the communities at greatest risk and guide targeted policy measures. The government had not publicly responded to the letter at the time of writing.