IN the political turmoil we have experienced since June, I found hope in a town affectionately known as the ‘plum capital of the universe’.

At Pershore Plum Festival, among the bunting and plum charmers, there was a reassuring picture of Britain’s future, one that countered the predictions of Brexit blues.

Plums were purchased with reckless abandon despite forecasts of shoppers tightening the purse strings after a vote to leave the EU.

Retail sales have risen and manufacturing output is on the up. Britain is also set to host more visitors as a result of flights becoming cheaper from the drop in sterling.

Olympic triumph has also helped us recover, forming a sense of national unity after a divisive campaign which the UN recently blamed for fuelling hate crime.

As the dust settles many are starting to question whether there was any truth to the Remain campaign's fearmongering.

Project Fear’s predictions of a financial Brexit backlash have failed to materialise, although some believe this is just the calm before the storm.

Critics claim that the economic shock has yet to be felt and the next quarter of economic statistics will show the full extent of the damage.

The question now turns to the future, as Theresa May asks each of her ministers to list the benefits of Brexit, for her to use as ammunition at next week’s G20 meeting.

Mrs May is set for a showdown with Chinese bosses at the meeting in Hangzhou, over her decision to delay the Hinkley Point deal.

The prime minister has years of difficult trade negotiations ahead of her, but if the efficiency of her party’s recovery since the vote is anything to go by then she is up to the task.

In contrast, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party is in tatters at a time when the country most needs effective opposition, to scrutinise the government’s monumental decisions which lie ahead.

Ultimately, although we face difficult future negotiations and decisions, consumer confidence has survived, and that should reassure even the most ardent Remainers.