GDP growth: let’s keep at it

Or not, in the case of Ed “the-brains-behind-the-recession” Balls, who, in spite of the good news, appeared to give the speech he wrote in advance of the announcement, anticipating his predicted double-dip recession. 

Come on Ed, I know you’re a Labour politician and all, but the economy growing is actually good for all of us!    

Unfortunately for the beleaguered Balls and his misery-guts mates, but fortunately for the rest of us, the economy is growing again. The patient is very much alive and responding to the stiff medicine prescribed in the form of the government’s austerity measures.

While we’re by no means out of the woods yet, surely it’s time for, perhaps not a celebration (0.5 per cent is a relief, but not anything remarkable) but at least a smile. 

Why do we in Britain find it so hard to accept good news? True, the media and the politicians do their best to dampen our spirits, but a little bit of cheer can do wonders, particularly when we find it far too easy to talk ourselves into recession.

It’s time for the nation to take heart from the positive figures and to be spurred on. 

Growth figures are only a snapshot in time, a look in the rear view mirror at the state of trade during the winter. We need to continue to pull together now to make sure we build on the last three months and can truly silence the cynics in July.

By this, I mean looking for new opportunities, expanding businesses and employing more people where we can. 

The recovery isn’t happening in think tanks in Whitehall – the boffins at their computers are making the predictions, not doing the hard graft. The recovery can only happen out in the real world, where real people pull on their overalls, do up their ties and get on with working for a living. 

So please excuse me for now, I need to go work on the figures for the next quarter!

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