Friday 3rd August

Nobody was sure, in fact some were downright skeptical, but we were constantly reassured by all the people who should know that the UK and London in particular would get a boost from the Games.  We were told that there would be 1.5 million extra visitors to the capital; we were warned to stagger our journeys and to work from home if we could; gridlock was expected and special Games Lanes painted on the roads to ease the flow for dignitaries and athletes, while the rest of us would be consigned to the slow lanes.  But strangely it hasn’t quite turned out that way, in fact almost the opposite.  I use the Underground almost every day, and suddenly I am getting a seat for the whole journey where I used to stand.  There are more people on the streets, but it looks as if they aren’t actually spending money.  Shops and Restaurants are reporting sales down by 5% on last year, so what has actually happened here.

It would appear that just as the dire warnings of the ‘cuts’ caused people to slam shut their purses two years ago, most Londoners have heeded the chaos warnings and have taken time off and sat at home, or are working from home or are leaving early.  Computer technology means you can ‘log in’ from almost anywhere these days, and so the Capital is quiet.  Also, all these visitors have spent a fortune on the frankly overpriced tickets and have little money left for ‘tourist shopping’.  Apparently sandwiches are selling well.

None of this distracts from the wonderful games and how well they have been conducted of course.  But the Tories must be more and more worried that the economy is not just asleep but is practically moribund.  In an earlier blog I suggested an October election – that now seems very unlikely; instead this lot will limp on, much as John Major did, to the bitter end.