THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR
SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.
I’M not an economist, but the GDP figures yesterday made grim reading for each and everyone.
We all knew the lockdown would have a devastating impact on jobs, the economy and countless businesses up and down the country. But even so, the numbers are difficult to comprehend.
My heart goes out to all of those people who have lost their jobs – even their businesses – over the last few months. It’s just an impossible situation and there are no easy answers.
I’ve been doing my best to support the local economy.
My wife and I are eating out more than ever, but it’s so sad to see these restaurants and cafes empty.
The owners have all gone to great lengths to ensure they are as safe as possible, but people just aren’t coming.
My favourite cafe in London, Gino’s opposite Marylebone station, makes the best sandwiches in town but the owner, Luigi, tells me the footfall just isn’t there.
It’s like a Sunday afternoon every day and he’s had to reduced his staff from eight to three. There must be hundreds of thousands like him.
We all need to do our part and act to support them. I’m part of the older generation who are more at risk, and I have absolutely no concerns about sitting in a restaurant or a beer garden.
If people take sensible precautions, the risks are very small.
Perhaps there are signs of recovery in the data with GDP growing 8.7 per cent in June, but I’m way out of my area here and there are far smarter people than me.
In my view, so much of the economy depends on confidence.
Clearly that has taken an enormous hit and positive sentiment will be difficult to restore. As I always say, the fear we’ve all endured would have far-reaching consequences – socially, medically and now of course, economically.