The Know Daily - Tuesday 26 March 2024

_{Read in 5m 24s∙Listening to Hozier}

Building work on Barcelona’s Sagrada Família is finally nearing the finish line - 144 years after it first started 🤯. The foundation overseeing the project has announced a target date of 2026, which would coincide with the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the architect who designed the iconic monument 👇 

🗳️ The way we vote for mayors is changing

Local elections are taking place across England on 2 May 2024. For the first time, mayors - including the Mayor of London - will be elected under the first-past-the-post system.

First things first: where are elections happening?
Elections are taking place in 107 local authorities across England, with voters in England and Wales also choosing 37 police and crime commissioners (PCCs). Voters will also elect the mayor in London and in nine metro areas, including the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. 

And the way we vote for them is changing?
Yep. For the first time this year, these mayors will be elected using first-past-the-post, which is the voting system used in UK general elections and local council elections.

Previously, all directly elected mayors in England were chosen under the supplementary vote system, which gave voters a first and second choice - but this time, they will only get one vote. This is a result of the Election Act 2022, a controversial piece of government legislation which also introduced the requirement for voter ID.

And how has the change been received?
It’s been mixed. Ministers said the switch was needed because the old system was “overcomplicated and confusing” - but the Institute For Government said the move risked limiting voter choice. 

Natalie Campbell MBE - an entrepreneur who is running for London Mayor as an independent - told The Know that first-past-the-post has its benefits when it comes to mayoral elections. “A system where we get one vote means people really think about who they are voting for,” she said. 

She points out that unlike in UK general elections - where people don’t vote for the PM but rather their local MP - around six million people can vote directly for London’s mayor, which can give them a big personal mandate.

So what’s the takeaway?
Regardless of how you view the changes, it’s always worth turning out to vote. And as Campbell told us, this is especially important if you’re a woman. 

🍫 A choc price rise

Supermarket shelves are filling up with chocolate eggs ahead of the Easter weekend - but a sharp rise in the cost of cocoa means the sweet treats are pricier than in previous years. 

How much more are we talking?
Some Easter eggs are now 50% more expensive than last year, a new study by the consumer group Which? revealed last week. The cost of a Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter Egg at Waitrose has jumped from £8 to 13 - a rise of 62.5% - while a Kinder Surprise Giant Egg went from £10 to £15 at Tesco.

That’s a lot. 
Yep. And it’s not just that prices are going up - the size of products is going down, too. Easter eggs haven’t escaped the phenomenon of “shrinkflation” - when an item decreases in size but stays the same price - with the same egg from Mars now weighing 201g compared with 252g the year before.

What’s behind it? 
It’s all down to a spike in cocoa prices. Around 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from countries in West Africa, but the region has been experiencing a “humid heatwave” since February, said the BBC - with many cocoa trees damaged or destroyed as a result. This has impacted supply, therefore driving up prices.

What’s the bigger picture?
The heatwave was made 10 times more likely by human-caused global warming, a study revealed last week - and such extreme weather events are only expected to get more common. Amber Sawyer, an analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think-tank, called on wealthy countries to provide support to help farmers better cope with such conditions.

🔎 EU scrutiny: The European Commission announced investigations into Meta, Apple and Google over uncompetitive practices.

📰 Middle East latest: The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and unconditional release of hostages, after the United States abstained.

🎟️ Ticketing changes: The owner of Alton Towers, Legoland and Madame Tussauds announced plans to introduce surge pricing amid a post-pandemic fall in visitors.

🚂 Full steam ahead: Travellers can now fall asleep in Brussels and wake up in Prague, as a new sleeper train service departed Belgium’s capital for the first time yesterday evening.

😀 WooHoo: A movie adaption of the iconic 00s computer game The Sims is in the works - and Margot Robbie’s production company is on board.

Help your friends feel better about the news - and support The Know at the same time. Get them to sign up using your personalised code 👉 https://theknowmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER 👈 and we’ll reward you with goodies from HURR, Grubby and CRU Kafe!

The Know is an independent media company on a mission to help everyone start their day feeling informed and hopeful. We only recommend things we genuinely love but sometimes we make money out of the links and content we share. This directly supports keeping our journalism free for all.

Here are four ways you can support our work:

⭐ Get clicking - this tells our partners that readers are interested in our content. Let’s get started with this one (or maybe this one!).

⭐ Become a friend of The Know - back independent, female-founded journalism for just £1.25 a week. You’ll also get exclusive editions, supporter-only giveaways and more.

⭐ Add us to your contacts or safe sender list - this makes sure we reach your inbox (and everyone else’s) each morning.

⭐ Shop our merch - support The Know and look great while doing it!

Trivia answer: C) Dogs can reportedly comprehend the meaning of nouns that refer to things they care about - including “ball”, “leash” and “slipper”. 

Need fewer emails? Click here to hear from us once a week.