Hi #RishiSunak. I've been thinking about what makes a viable business. Here's a little story for you.

Barbara is a clarinettist. After 20 yrs' training & highly competitive auditions, she won a job in a prestigious London orchestra. As well as playing at the Royal Albert Hall 1/

and the Barbican, she and her orchestra have recorded the soundtracks to lots of big Hollywood movies. You know, the ones that win Oscars and make millions at the box office - the ones that everyone has been watching on Netflix during lockdown to get through the dark days. 2/

They had big plans for 2020, a huge European tour, a festival and a concert series. But then Covid hit. All their concerts were withdrawn. She will have no work for at least a year. Is she a viable business? 3/

Bob is a violinist. He's been working in the West End, playing in hit shows for a few decades. Loads of tourists come to the West End to eat sandwiches in a well-known cafe chain - oh hang on, no they don't, 4/

they come to watch theatre and they happen to eat in all those restaurants while they're there. Shows like Bob's generated £1.2 billion in ticket sales a few years ago - including over £127 million in VAT for the Treasury. Does Bob work in a viable industry? 5/

Malcolm is a lighting engineer. He works on big concerts and events. His expertise and world-beating range of equipment are what adds the sparkle to headliners at Glastonbury. Loads of excited music fans go to that pizza chain place near the O2 - oops, no they don't, 6/

they buy tickets to see their favourite artists in mesmerising shows, and then spend lots more on drinks, mementoes, hotels and more. Malcolm doesn't have a third of his work at the moment. The Government shut it all down for a year, so he doesn't have any. 7/

Barbara is lucky. She's working as a delivery driver for a leading distribution company now.

Bob is selling his house. He didn't qualify for the SEISS scheme or furlough and his family have been struggling to make ends meet. 8/

Malcolm has had to mothball all his equipment - it's not worth anything at the moment so he can't sell it, but the rent on his storage space is pretty stressful. Malcolm is finding it difficult to see reasons to keep going at all. 9/

The UK creative and event industries are INDUSTRIES. They employ millions of people, and make billions for the economy, each year - except this one. Does that count as viable, Rishi?? 10/10

#nadinedorries #rishisunak