· · · — — — · · · Great Brititanic

So it’s all over…2009…. Christmas, New Year, indeed New Decade celebrations are behind us. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament all lit up and surrounded by the fireworks display, (Outside The House this time) the same happening on a lesser scale all over the country. The people cheering and enjoying themselves, all their problems and troubles forgotten for a few brief hours. But tomorrow is Monday, the first day back at work for most people….yes…yes…I know that lots of people worked on Sunday and even on Christmas and New Years Day but for most it’s back to work on Monday, the New Year really begins. What sort of year will it be? 
I don’t know about you but I feel as if I’m on a huge ship that isn’t sure of it’s position and is no longer heading towards the destination I bought a ticket for. The crew seems to be at odds with the Captain, who is so desperate to win the admiration of the passengers that he hasn’t noticed the ship has run out of fuel and is drifting towards a particularly dangerous set of reefs. In other words I see the New Year as one of grave danger and have little confidence that those in charge really know how to turn things around and put the country back on it’s feet.
 
One thing is certain, there will be a general election and a new government, of which colour we have yet to find out, but whoever is elected, of whatever colour, the problems to be faced and dealt with are monumental. It will be fascinating to see how the political parties try to sell us their policies. To a degree they have already started. The danger is that for the next four months or so the politicians will be hammering away at us day after day and by the time the election gets here we’ll all be bored rigid and highly suspicious of everything they say. How will they tell us the country is virtually skint? How will they tell us that taxes must rise? How will they convince us that they will get the best value for money when they spend vast sums on the public services? How will they settle the War in Afghanistan? Will they lead us or try to drive us? The track record of politicians generally when exercising either option is less than impressive. So much new thinking is required, the creative genius inherent in this country must be uncovered, encouraged and given every support possible. Are the people seeking election up to the tasks facing them?
 
It has always seemed strange to me that we elect politicians to run the country ignoring the fact that most of them have no experience of running anything. Can you imagine any business appointing someone to their board of directors who had no experience of business? Would they appoint buyers who have no experience of buying? Or appoint a marketing director who had no experience of marketing? And in this modern IT structured and controlled world shouldn’t the government have a ministry whose sole responsibility would be to keep abreast of developments and ensure that all government departments were up to date with the latest equipment. That’s particularly true for the armed forces. Think of the vast sums wasted by government departments on computer systems that didn’t work; consultants and advisors who gave dodgy or second rate advice. If the Country must raise more taxes at least we should be sure that those in charge of spending it are up to the job.
 
I see the next few years as being really hard graft. We will need all the creative and marketing skills we can muster to see us through. We should have learned from our experiences but when I see union leaders on the telly mouthing off the same old phrases, clearly having learned nothing from the fate of the mine working, ship building, steel making, car producing, docks and printing industries, I can’t help wondering. Still this wonderful Old Country has weathered storms before and will, I have no doubt, do so again. I can hardly wait to see who the new Captain of the ship will be, and how he finds enough fuel to drive the ship in the right direction will be a lesson to us all. I hope you all have a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous 2010 and a Wonderful Decade..... but I reckon you’ll have to work for it!