As things begin to clear...

There is a sense of emergence in the air, of something making itself known. As we gain more confidence here in the UK and see the end of the pandemic, it feels like the end of a phoney war. We have focused our attention and resources on dealing with one set of issues whilst another, more extensive set of problems, from climate change to dysfunctional capitalism, have been gathering pace.

It feels a little like when we realise our circumstances have changed, like going from primary school to secondary school, or moving to a new country when we have to come to terms with new surroundings, different cultures and a new language. 

Barclays Bank tells us that we are on the cusp of a spending boom as big as that after the second world war as the money not spent during lockdown fuels a post-pandemic binge. 

It is a time of questions and observation, a time of prehension, taking hold, seizing, or grasping as we feel our way into the unfamiliar. 

It will take time for the sheer momentum of the "sol…