EDITION 748
14 JANUARY 2019

As another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. This newsletter is sent to 50,000+ subscribers each Monday. Please share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can subscribe, learn and engage. I'd be very grateful if you did.

1. How to make better decisions faster. Decision-making overload is a common experience among managers. But you can process choices more efficiently and achieve better outcomes by using a checklist. [MORE]
    
2. Brexit: what next…? MPs have suggested delaying Brexit if May’s deal is defeated, but the UK doesn’t have the unilateral power to extend the Article 50 process. Such a step would require the unanimous approval of the remaining 27 EU states. The EU 27 would be sure to grant a short extension to allow the UK to pass legislation, and may be open to allowing more time to accommodate an election or referendum. But they would give short shrift to a request for more time simply because Westminster couldn’t make up its mind or wanted better terms. France’s President Macron wants to avoid Brexit uncertainty bleeding into the European election campaign in May. Financial Times
    
3. No-deal Brexit could shrink GDP by 8%. A no-deal Brexit would shrink GDP by up to 8% and put thousands of jobs at risk, the Confederation of British Industry has warned. The business body describes Theresa May’s deal as a “solution” businesses can work with because it delivers a transition period and avoids a “hugely damaging cliff edge”. In November, Bank of England governor Mark Carney also said GDP could shrink by up to 8% after a no-deal exit. BBC
    
4. Amazon finally crowned world's most valuable company. Amazon was named the world’s most valuable public company last night. This is the first time the ecommerce giant has taken that crown - some 25 years after Jeff Bezos founded the company in his garage. Last week, Amazon’s market capitalisation was $797bn, edging it past Microsoft, the former #1, which was worth $784bn. Bezos the world's wealthiest man, with an estimated fortune of $137bn, announced that he and his wife, MacKenzie, are to divorce after a 25-year marriage. The Times
    
5. Household debt reaches record highs. The TUC says that British household debt has reached a new peak, with an average of £15,385 owed to credit card firms, banks and other lenders. Years of austerity and wage stagnation are thought to have forced households to increase their borrowing last year, taking it to a new high. Unsecured debt as a share of household income is now 30.4%, an unprecedented high. The Independent
    
6. Which bank has worst gender pay gap? HSBC has the worst gender pay gap among UK banks, new figures have shown. The lender released an update showing its average gender pay gap grew to 61% in 2018, compared to 59% a year earlier. Women earned just 39p for every £1 taken by male colleagues. Female employees account for around 54% of the bank’s UK workforce, but only 23% of its senior roles are held by women. The Guardian
    
7. Rise in UK children in gender-title switches. Children as young as 10 are having their gender changed by deed poll. Over the past five years, the UK Deed Poll Service has seen a surge in the number of parents paying £35 to alter their child’s title from “Miss to Master” or “Master to Miss”. Around one under-16-year-old is making the change every day. The Times
    
8. It’s good to read. Sales of print books grew 2.1% in value last year and 0.3% in volume, the fourth consecutive year of growth. Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, was the most valuable book of the year, taking £7.7m in sales; the bestselling non-fiction title was Adam Kay’s memoir about life as a junior doctor, This is Going to Hurt, while the overall bestseller was Gail Honeyman’s debut novel Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Daily Mail
    
9. Wasn’t all bad. A third of the electricity generated in the UK last year came from renewable sources, a record high, and up from 29% in 2017. And the proportion generated from fossil fuels fell from 49% to 46%, a record low. The total amount of electricity generated also fell to a 25-year low, largely because of domestic and commercial users adopting more energy efficient appliances and lighting, according to Carbon Brief. The UK has slashed its carbon emissions by 43% since 1990; however, it is still not on track to meet legally binding targets. The Guardian
    
10. The bottom line. The estimated economic boost to London’s economy from visitors attending the New Year’s Eve firework display was £6.5m. London mayor Sadiq Khan was criticised for politicising the celebration this year – the London Eye Ferris wheel was turned into an enormous European Union flag at one point in the display. This was to convey the message that London would be open for business after Brexit, the mayor claimed. MSN