Paignton Community Information Portal

1.  How to understand rising interests rates. Last week, the central banks of the US, UK, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway raised interest rates. For four out of the five, it wasn't the first significant hike of the year. Beyond the headline figures, what do these rate increases mean for the broader economy and people's everyday lives? READ MORE >>

2. Poll predicts easy Labour win. Labour is on course to win a 56-seat majority at the next election, according to a major new poll from Savanta ComRes. Voting intention shows Labour in the lead with 45%, the Conservatives at 33%, the Lib Dems at 10%, the Greens at 4% and Reform at 3%. The modelling suggested that with such a lead, Labour would regain many so-called Red Wall seats. The results will “pile pressure” on Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng to demonstrate that their plans for the economy will work. iNews

3. Middle managers feel the pressure. Middle managers are feeling the post-pandemic strain as work patterns and team expectations have realigned. Dealing with senior management's resistance to higher pay and hybrid working plans, while managing team expectations and looking after their wellbeing can take a toll on managers. Research found that 74% of managers felt they don’t have the influence or resources to make changes for their teams, and 54% say leadership is out of touch with employees. Experts suggest supporting middle managers with more training to bolster their soft skills and offering recognition instead of blame. Financial Times

4. 86% want to continue four-day week. Nearly nine in 10 companies taking part in the UK trial of a four-day week said it was working so well they intended to continue the shorter working week after the pilot. The six-month experiment is taking place globally, run by thinktank Autonomy, researchers and four-day week campaigners. In the UK more than 70 firms have signed up to trial a four-day week on no less pay, from marketing firms to a fish and chip shop. Almost half (49%) said productivity had improved, while 46% said output was around the same as usual. Meanwhile, a study from Microsoft found that eight in 10 bosses think their staff do less when they work at home. ITV

5. Is university still worth the money? Given the soaring cost of living, some young people may be reconsidering how much value a university degree still offers. Currently, graduates need to earn £65,000 to even reduce their debt at the current repayment interest rate of 7.3%. In addition, there can be big disparities in pay after graduation, with high earners taking home twice as much as the lowest paid. Do you think a university degree is still worth the money? Have your say in our latest poll. VOTE HERE >>

6. Northern Ireland census a blow to unionists. Catholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland for the first time. Results from the 2021 census released yesterday showed that 45.7% of the population are Catholic or from a Catholic background compared with 43.5% from Protestant or other Christian backgrounds. The Irish Times said the results will “fire up those pushing for a united Ireland poll and dishearten an already insecure unionist population”. Unionists have for decades relied on a “supposedly impregnable Protestant majority to safeguard Northern Ireland’s position in the UK”. The Guardian

7. Little improvement in British diets. The average British diet has barely improved over the past 30 years, according to a study in The Times. Using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which ranks different diets from a range of cultures on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 would represent very heavy consumption of sugar and processed meats while 100 would be an ideal balance of healthy food, the British diet had improved by just 1.5 points between 1990 and 2018. The researchers behind the study hope their findings could help governments to encourage their populations to eat more nutritious food. Meanwhile, an Opinium survey found that 5.6m Britons have gone without food in the past three months as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.  The Guardian

8. Walk faster for more health benefits. Thirty minutes of brisk walking a day can lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared to walking a similar number of steps at a slower speed, research has found. The risk of dementia was lowered by 50% in study participants who walked 9,800 steps a day, but, people who walked 3,000 of those steps briskly, over around 30 minutes in a day, boosted the risk-reduction benefits by 35%. What constitutes a brisk pace will be different for everyone, but researchers said it meant one which took “moderate effort”, where you can speak but not sing. They also said the 30 minutes can be made up of bursts of brisk walking across the day. New York Times

9. Tearful Federer waves goodbye. Roger Federer wept as he stepped down from professional tennis after teaming up with fellow great Rafael Nadal on an emotional night at the Laver Cup. The 41-year-old Swiss received a lengthy ovation after walking off court for the final time as he retired as a professional. After match point, he said: “I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time … the match was great. I couldn’t be happier. It’s been wonderful.” Having won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, Federer is widely considered the best player in tennis history. The Observer

10. The bottom line. Increasing interest rates will cause “real financial pain for millions of households”. The Bank of England raised rates last week from 1.75% to 2.25%, the highest level for 14 years and the seventh rate rise in a row as it tries to tame soaring prices. The bank also said the UK may already in be recession, as it expects that the economy has shrunk between July and September. Sky News