The Daily Mail Does It Again

Proof if ever it was needed that the Daily Mail can turn the most encouraging news into something negative. Something it has successfully done with pensions for years.

The ONS have just released their report which shows that life expectancy between the rich and poor is narrowing in the UK. Something to celebrate. We do care for everyone. We are a genuine democracy. We do have the best health service in the world. I could go on.... the message is we have a lot to be thankful for and a lot we are getting right.

So the report is good news, as reflected in the Financial Times headline 'Life Expectancy Gap Between the Rich and Poor Shrinks'. Not the catchiest of headlines- but it is the Financial Times!

Now read the headline in the Daily Mail, covering the same report: 'A fifth of baby boys living in the UK's poorest areas won't live to state pension age - official figures'. I guess they kept looking until they found the suitably negative statistic. I'm sure it's true. I'm sure we can do more. But the overall message is positive. Shame on them (once more) for the ability to whinge louder than the rest of us.

The Happiness Index

First written 1 December 2011

The latest results from the Office of National Statistics happiness survey – carried out earlier this year and interviewing over 4000 adults- shows money doesn’t make for happiness. The survey shows that as a nation we have a happiness index of 7.4 out of 10. The same score as last time, despite a real downturn in the economy.

So maybe it’s not such a big deal as to what happens to the Euro or whether George Osborne has got his maths right. Perhaps investment managers will be forgiven for backing the wrong stocks and shares.
In that context, it’s not pensions that will concern the UK population (despite the Public Sector fling yesterday), but what really does seem to be valued- jobs. Those out of work had a much lower happiness index number. Not a surprise; we want to be valued; we want to be able to provide for others. We are all of us ‘people’ people and that comes well before money.

One other possibility…. In a seemingly unrelated story in today’s press, research has found that some espresso’s served in some coffee shops are up to 6 times stronger than in other coffee shops. Maybe the ‘happiness’ interviewers were selective in their locations!