EDITION 982
14 AUGUST 2023

There is no escaping it: too much news is bad for you. It should come with a government health warning: “This intellectual diet is fine taken in small doses, and preferably in weekly instalments, via a well-balanced newsletter, such as 10 things from William Montgomery."

So, 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.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to commit to something. We all know the importance of committing to our goals. The problem is we don't always know how to do it. We spend so much time planning out what we're doing that when it comes time for us to commit, something gets in the way and stops us from following through with it. You can plan all you want, but if you don't have a strategy for sticking to your commitment, then nothing will ever change. READ MORE

2. Cost of living poll draws controversy over benefits. A YouGov poll found that only 60% of UK adults believe that seasonal celebrations such as Christmas dinner should be affordable for all, including those claiming out-of-work benefits. 55% think everyone should be able to afford a TV set. 45% think everyone should be able to afford a basic smartphone. 73% think the same of school uniforms. The Guardian

3. Four-day week boosts health. The benefits of shifting to a four-day week may last and grow stronger over time, according to new research. The results come from a year-long pilot in the US and Canada, which tracked the health, wellbeing and business outcomes of 900 staff at 41 firms as they adopted a shorter week. It was coordinated by the non-profit organisation 4 Day Week – Global. Self-reported physical and mental health scores held steady over the full year, while work-life balance continued to improve. Burnout rates, however, ticked up and workers’ job satisfaction dropped, though both remain better than before. Bloomberg

4. London dominates investment index. The City of London continues to be the most economically attractive area in Britain to investors, according to a study. London boroughs accounted for nine of the top 10 spots in a competitiveness index from the University of Cardiff and Nottingham Business School, which looked at 362 areas across England, Wales and Scotland. However, London was becoming increasingly unattractive to young graduates for work, in large part due to rising housing costs. The latest data from high street lender Halifax showed that while house prices in Greater London had fallen 3.5% in the year to July, the average price was still £531,141. That’s compared with an average of £285,044 across the UK. The Guardian

5. Return to office picks up pace. You know the "return to office" trend is gaining momentum when Zoom  - the very company that enabled many of us to work from home since the pandemic - starts asking staff to come in two days a week. Tech giants including Apple, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon have also requested staff show their faces in the office more, while Twitter mandates staff should be in the office at least 40 hours a week. Outside tech, other industries are also asking staff to come in more. But forcing workers back to the office may be backfiring, as companies with remote or hybrid policies appear to be hiring people at about twice the rate of those requiring full-time attendance. BBC

6. Smaller steps target suggested. Taking just 2,337 daily steps is enough to reduce the risk of dying prematurely, a new study has found. Since the 1960s, 10,000 daily steps has been “touted as a magical number for staying fit and healthy”. But a study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, has found that anything above 2,337 steps a day saw a significant reduction in the risk of dying from heart diseases or stroke and walking at least 3,967 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from any cause. The Times

7. Prince William is big in the US. The Prince of Wales is the United States’ most popular public figure, according to a poll. The Gallup survey asked Americans for their views on 15 prominent public figures and William emerged as the strongest candidate, with 59% of the vote, just ahead of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at 57%. The King was fourth on the list, with 46% of respondents viewing him favourably. Donald Trump was in sixth place, with 41%. The Telegraph

8. Brits think Starmer is funnier. Most Britons would rather go on a night out or spend the weekend with Keir Starmer than Rishi Sunak, according to a poll. Sunak was the top choice for mortgage advice but Starmer was the more popular companion for sharing a Sunday roast. Some 37% said they believe Starmer would be better at telling a joke, with Sunak’s rating for humour at just 19%. Mail on Sunday

9. Meanwhile, in the City. The Bank of England raised interest rates to 5.25%, a quarter-point rise. However several mortgage lenders cut their fixed rates this week, as expectations grow that inflation has peaked. Average wages will shortly be rising faster than inflation for the first time in more than a year, the Bank forecast. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research said that the UK economy is suffering from the 1970s-style “British disease” of high inflation and low growth. It predicted that GDP will not return to its pre-pandemic peak until Q4 of 2024, and inflation will not fall back to the Bank of England’s 2% target until after 2027. The Independent

10. The bottom line. The UK cocaine market is estimated to be worth £11bn a year. This makes Britons the largest consumers of the drug per capita in Europe. The Times