Promote cheer, MPs tell Tories

THE government should regularly release official statistics on the happiness of the nation to help inform policy-making, a cross-party group of MPs has demanded. Promoting happiness and well-being was a "legitimate and important goal" of the government and needed be taken more seriously, they said.

Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson, MP for East Dunbartonshire, reminded Prime Minister David Cameron of a speech in 2006 when he said: "It's time we admitted that there's more to life than money, and it's time we focused not just on GDP but on GWB – general well-being."