We believe in freedom. Free press. Free speech. Free markets. If you share these values, join us today. |  | Mattie Brignal Senior Money Reporter | Britain isn’t working. Or at least, not as much as it used to.
That’s according to The Telegraph’s analysis of official data showing that the average working week is two hours shorter than a generation ago.
High earners have reduced their hours more than the typical worker – a symptom of an anti-aspirational tax squeeze that is tightening under Labour.
I spoke to one Telegraph reader, a retired cardiac surgeon, who slaved away for decades at the peak of his profession, sacrificing time with his family for a stimulating and well-paid career.
Two of his adult children, doctors themselves, have chosen a different approach: they both work part-time.
Their father thinks it’s a waste of their talents, but he can see the logic. Why should they follow his example when a rising share of their income is being lost to tax?
Other factors are at play in the shift to a shorter working week. Patterns of work are changing within households, childcare costs are rising and workers are prioritising a healthier work-life balance.
Yet by clobbering the middle classes in her first two Budgets, Rachel Reeves has dampened the incentives to put in the extra hours.
As the reader told me: “There is no point in working harder.”
Continue reading ➤ |  | Mick Brown Features Writer | The Crystal Palace, that great cast-iron and glass edifice, a testament to Victorian ingenuity and enterprise, that stood in south London, and burned to the ground in 1936, was a potent symbol of the British Empire at its height, and of its subsequent decline. More personally, it represents the grandfather I never knew.
Harry Brown was working at the Crystal Palace at the time, and over the years I’ve often wondered where he was that night. Harry was a bad hat. Long before I was born he abandoned my grandmother and my father in circumstances that were never explained.
The area that became Crystal Palace, where I spent much of my childhood, and where I once lived, is a place of ghosts – of Joseph Paxton, who designed the original building; of Camille Pissarro, the Danish-French impressionist who painted prolifically in the area; of the natives from far-flung colonies, who were exhibited there as objects of curiosity and interest – and of Harry Brown.
People have long argued over whether the fire that destroyed it was an accident or arson. I never had the chance to ask my grandfather, but in my darker moments I’ve sometimes wondered if he knew.
Continue reading ➤ | | Con Coughlin In an economically struggling dictatorship, only one faction needs to break ranks before the entire structure comes crashing down Continue reading ➤ Michael Deacon Out-of-touch voters must stop letting our poor Government down Continue reading ➤ Judith Woods David Beckham ‘reaching out’ to his estranged son on Instagram makes me want to weep Continue reading ➤ | Sharpen your talking points. Explore incisive opinions from Britain’s leading comment writers. | | Kelly Bedford before and after her weight loss | | After a month of mince pies, mulled wine and Christmas films on the sofa, many of us may once again be starting the new year a few pounds heavier than we’d like to be. But weight loss can be achieved quickly if you’re prepared to commit to a serious overhaul of your diet. Personal trainer Kelly Bedford shares the “aggressive dieting” plan she used to drop 5kg in six weeks and become much happier in her body. Continue reading ➤ | | | ‘Bridget Phillipson thinks she knows more than headteachers do’ | | In a no-holds-barred interview, “Britain’s strictest headmistress” hits out at progressive teaching, the “Marxist” Education Secretary and a victim culture that is destroying the life chances of our poorest pupils. Continue reading ➤ | | | On Linkou Beach, a quiet stretch of sand just outside Taipei, the stakes of a future war are visible. As China expands its navy, drills blockades and rehearses landings, Allegra Mendelson, our Asia Correspondent, explains why Taiwan’s “red beaches” could decide the island’s fate. Continue reading ➤ | | | ‘Peggy was clever, loyal and intuitive’ | | The sight of stray animals on foreign streets may be painful, but, as a tourist, can one offer any real help? Author Tessa Boase faced this dilemma when she and her young daughter joined a rescue project for dogs in Sri Lanka. They fell for a vulnerable creature called Peggy but were forced to abandon her to an uncertain fate, posing heartbreaking questions about their own charitable intentions. Continue reading ➤ | | | Finding the sweet spot between supportive and suffocating Lycra is an art. Lisa Armstrong shares her tips for finding flattering athleisure wear, from affordable options at M&S to the very best leggings on the market. The real test, she says, is ultimately: “Would you be embarrassed to be seen by an acquaintance in it?” Continue reading ➤ Below are two more articles that I hope will be useful this weekend: - 2026 is shaping up to be a great literary year. If you’d like to get ahead, here are 20 upcoming books you should order now.
- Thanks to Rachel Reeves, the pound faces trouble this year. Prospective holidaymakers would be wise to buy their travel money now. This is why.
| | Baked leeks, tomatoes, bulgur wheat and feta, teamed with garlic yoghurt |  | Diana Henry The Telegraph’s award-winning cookery writer | I just got a new fridge. It’s so beautiful and white and clean it’s like a gallery inside. A red pepper sitting on a shelf on its own is a beautiful curvy object. A head of celery looks muscular. There’s so much space that I’m seeing these vegetables in a different light. Why do we stick vegetables in the bottom drawer of the fridge? They’re not in your eyeline. I often pull it open only to discover vegetables I’d forgotten about. I’m all for changing the architecture of my fridge.
It’s going to be a vegetable weekend. This isn’t a big decision; it’s just what I feel like eating after Christmas. There’s been a lot of meat this past week and a half and it’s easy to tire of it. A chunk of protein has a strong voice that vegetables support, but when you have vegetables on their own they’re the ones doing the talking. I try to make these vegetable dishes as easy as bung-it-in-the oven tray bakes (like the baked leeks, tomatoes, bulgur wheat and feta pictured above). It’s time for smaller meals too, lunches such as jammy eggs and roast tomatoes on toast – a more interesting use of basics. | Baked sweet potatoes with harissa chickpeas | If you still fancy meat, my baked sweet potatoes with harissa chickpeas (simply delicious with an accompanyingtahini sauce accompanying) can be eaten with roast chicken, too.
Find me here every Saturday – and in the new Telegraph Recipes Newsletter which you can sign up to here.
Happy cooking! | Andrew Baker's Saturday Quiz |
Gather round for the latest instalment of my Saturday quiz.
You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter. - Clement Attlee, born on this date in 1883, was the first holder of which honorific role in British politics?
- In the nursery rhyme, what do the bells of St Clement’s say?
- What was the name of the district nurse engaged to Arkwright in the sitcom Open All Hours?
- According to the Book of Genesis, which bird did Noah send out first from the Ark?
- The rock band Genesis formed at which public school?
| | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was ETHNICITY. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor | Quiz answers: - Deputy Prime Minister
- Oranges and lemons
- Gladys Emmanuel
- Raven
- Charterhouse
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