EDITION 1021
27 MAY 2024

Emotional intelligence can help you make friends, keep your cool, make smart choices, and feel good about yourself. It would seem the overwhelming majority of our readers agree. The results of our last week's poll can be viewed below. Last week, the news was dominated by the impending election, along with yet another scandal to beset the country. So this week, I ask: Do we put too much faith in our institutions?

As another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

Before you dive in, remember our POTENTIAL workbook [see below] is on offer for only £99. This unique workbook will help guide your organisation to its highest potential. Contact us today to start your transformation.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to recognise your moment of obligation. People who successfully tackle big problems are often driven by a specific event or time in their lives when they feel compelled to act. These “moments of obligation” can drive you to start working on a problem and keep at it when you might feel like giving up. They help us shape meaningful careers and lives. READ MORE

2. Sunak calls July election. UK headline inflation fell sharply to 2.3% in April, prompting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call a snap general election for 4 July. King Charles has already granted permission for the dissolution of parliament ahead of the election. "Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future," Sunak said in his rain-soaked announcement. Labour has a 21-point lead on the Conservatives in the latest polls and is now projected to win over 400 seats. Labour also has a ten-point lead over the SNP in Scotland. This could give Labour 37 MPs in Scotland, up from two and leave the SNP with 11. The Times

3. The blood scandal. The government offered a wholehearted and unequivocal apology to the victims of the contaminated blood scandal on what was claimed a “day of shame for the British state". That’s okay, then. Or is it? The final report of the five-year public inquiry concluded that this was “not an accident” but a largely avoidable tragedy caused by half-a-century of “systematic, collective, and individual failures”. This is just all too familiar from recent scandals, including, but not limited to, Hillsborough, Mid Staffs, Grenfell, Windrush, the Police [see below], and the Post Office. This latest scandal reflects badly on many individuals and no amount of compensation will bring loved ones back. It stems from the fact that we put too much faith in our institutions, particularly the NHS. Do you agree? Please share your views in our latest poll. VOTE HERE

4. Are summer rate cuts in jeopardy? UK inflation fell less than expected to 2.3% in April, dampening hopes of an imminent interest rate cut by the Bank of England. While close to the 2% target, the figure exceeded forecasts. Crucially, services inflation, a key metric for the BoE, barely budged at 5.9%. Given the stubborn price pressures, some economists now see a June rate cut as unlikely, potentially prolonging higher mortgage rates. In contrast, ECB president Christine Lagarde hinted at a probable rate reduction in June, asserting confidence that Eurozone inflation, steady at 2.4% in April, is under control. However, some ECB members cautioned against assuming further cuts are guaranteed after June. The diverging signals raise doubts about the timing of anticipated summer rate cuts. BBC

5. Mixed business sentiment across Europe. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data reveals mixed sentiment across European businesses. While the UK experienced a slight cooldown in growth, the Eurozone showed promising expansion. The UK's composite PMI fell to 52.8 in May from 54.1 in April, indicating a weakening momentum, particularly in the services sector. In contrast, the Eurozone's composite PMI climbed to 52.3, the highest pace of expansion in a year. PMI, a key indicator of economic health, reflects the sentiment of purchasing managers, with readings above 50 signalling expansion and below 50 suggesting contraction. Reuters

6. Fewer arrests requested. Police chiefs have been told to make fewer arrests because of the shortage of space in prisons in England and Wales. A letter from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) circulated last week urges chief constables to think about "pausing" so-called "non-priority arrests" and to suspend operations that could trigger “large numbers of arrests”. In Scotland, where jails are also overcrowded, the Justice Minister said she was considering giving early releases to some inmates serving sentences of fewer than four years (and who are not in jail for sexual offences or domestic abuse). The Times

7. Energy price cap to fall this summer. The energy price cap in Great Britain will fall 7% to the equivalent of £1,568 a year this summer after a drop in wholesale gas prices. Set by the energy regulator Ofgem, the cap reflects the average annual dual-fuel bill for 29m households and takes effect from July until the end of September. Set quarterly, the cap will fall by £122 in July from its current level of £1,690, about £500 less than the cap a year earlier, easing the pressure on household finances. However, the cap is over £400 more than it was three years ago, before the energy crisis. The Guardian

8. Fewer meetings, more memos. While many bosses want staff back in the office, a significant number of people are still working as and when they want to after the pandemic cut ties to the office and the standard nine to five. This "asynchronous" approach means colleagues overlap less, opening doors for new ways of communication. In practice that means there are fewer meetings happening and more detailed memos, instructional videos and collaborative documents. Colleagues are increasingly carrying out their work in shared online workspaces like Google Docs and Canvas that are available 24/7 for everyone to contribute to when they're able to. The Financial Times

9. The impact of obesity. People who are overweight or obese are significantly more likely to have to take time off work for health reasons, a study has found. Analysis of data on more than 122,000 people from across Europe revealed that those who were overweight, with a BMI of 25 to 30, had a 22% higher chance of having taken at least seven days off work in the past year; people who were mildly obese, with a BMI of 30 to 35, were 38% more likely to have been off work, increasing to 52% for those with a BMI of 35 to 40, and 121% for those with a BMI of more than 40. Sky News

10. The bottom line. The average UK alcohol drinker is losing £155 a year at pubs thanks to short measuring. A short measure is when the consumer receives less than the quantity required by the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988. A new survey by the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards found that 77 pubs and bars served 96 short measures out of 137 orders - or 70% of all orders. According to Trading Standards, it is the first national look at how common short measuring is in the UK. The Guardian