Surely there will be a carnival.

After only four years of wages falling, this week they crept ahead of ­inflation, so the Government is delighted and George Osborne says it’s “compelling evidence” his austerity plan has been worthwhile.

Because, as anyone who ­understands statistics knows, if your living standards get worse every week for four years, then improve for one week, you are now much better off than you were.

Obviously you have to not include the first four years, but that’s being picky.

The figures also show we’ve been through the biggest decline in average living standards since the 1920s. This means things have to improve a bit more before we can celebrate doing as well now as in the affluent 1930s.

It would be greedy to expect that after only four years of austerity and cuts, we can swan about in the carefree 24-hour party lifestyles enjoyed by our lucky grandparents in the great ­depression, but it doesn’t hurt to dream.

Presumably, as we’ve all been in this together, this good fortune will be shared out equally.

For example, the 913,000 people who now rely on food banks could be said to have endured their share of austerity.

So maybe next week their food bank will give them an extra pickled onion each, or a Cheesy Wotsit to share, providing more compelling evidence that George Osborne’s methods have worked.

There’s even more good news, because it was also announced that the amount lost to corporate tax ­avoidance last year was down £2.5billion.

That’s down £2.5billion to £18.8billion.

Or to use the correct economic term, EIGHTEEN POINT EIGHT BILLION SODDING POUNDS!

And this is the reduced figure, that we should be pleased with.

It’s like if Oscar Pistorius said in his trial: “In my defence I shot three people the year before, so to get it down to one last year is a dramatic fall that should be welcomed, m’lady.”

The tax office says the £18.8billion they think is being avoided is “under consideration”. It sounds as if they’re stressing too much, doing all that ‘considering’. I suppose they wait until it gets back up by another billion, then they ‘contemplate’ it as well.

Others that might be relieved wages are finally rising include the board at Barclays. Last year it paid £2.4billion in bonuses, including £8.8million to one of its bosses Skip McGee. Barclays then cut 7,000 jobs in Britain.

Of course it’s vital we pay these sums, otherwise these bankers might leave the country and cut 7,000 jobs somewhere else, and then wouldn’t we feel silly.

In any case, these bonuses should delight us all, because they account for a large chunk of the increase in wages that show the Government’s strategy is working.

If you exclude bonuses, wage rises are still below inflation. 

So we’re not yet doing quite as well as the 1920s, but there is compelling evidence we’re not far off the 1760s, and when we get there we must celebrate with a carnival, with bunting and dancing in ­fountains, and jelly, from a food bank if they’ve any to spare.