2020 will stick in our hearts and minds for a very long time; in our hearts because of the tragic loss of so many loved ones who were taken before their time, and in our minds because of the helplessness we all felt as the pandemic unfolded. Horror such as this creates sadness and grief on a scale that most people have never experienced previously and from which it can be a very long road to recovery. We all have a role to play in providing the care, compassion and support to help our family, friends and fellow citizens overcome their sadness and focus our efforts on recovery from this nightmare.
A key tool in this fight will be positivity, giving people hope that life can get better, but let’s not fixate on a return to “normal” as we so often hear; life will never again inhabit that place and that is a fact. However, it can be better than ever before, if we learn from the terrible disasters that COVID has forced us to endure. So many things can be better; our Government has made many mistakes but others would have fared no better. Let’s not focus on the usual blame game but rather on learning from the mistakes, and that means all of our political parties, not just the Conservatives. Our NHS has stood up to pressures never felt before, and not only survived, but demonstrated levels of resilience, commitment and dedication beyond our wildest expectations. They truly are our heroes and let’s be clear, so much has been learned that it will inevitably improve their knowledge and capabilities; they were already the best in the world! The UK’s Emergency Services (Police, Fire and Ambulance) were overstretched and underfunded before the pandemic, yet they have managed to adapt and overcome some huge challenges, maintaining their world class standards in the face of ever shifting direction. As always, the UK’s military has stood up to any task placed upon them, setting up Nightingale hospitals, running COVID Test Centres or helping to get lorries moving moving again in Kent. Their inherent flexibility and ability to deliver every time is almost beyond belief, but of course, that’s why they are revered globally. I hope that these achievements are seen for what they are, true British ingenuity, grit, courage and determination.
The above achievements are amazing in themselves, but we mustn’t overlook the additional pressures brought about by the impending BREXIT when considering them. BREXIT itself represents another disastrous sequence of events that have dragged on for way too long, yet it can deliver perhaps the best and most positive result of all, a truly independent, sovereign nation that can not only compete with the world’s leading economies, but has an opportunity and potential to lead them. The EU deal isn’t perfect but when combined with other international deals already signed, those to come in the future and the restructuring of the UK’s trade model to include Free Ports, the future is more than bright.
I have always been an optimist and prefer to live my life this way; it’s too easy to expect things to be given to us on a plate and where is the pleasure and pride in that.As a nation and as a people we are known around the world for our strength, leadership and self-belief, but the honest truth is that this has been diminishing for some years now.This is our opportunity to be part of rebuilding our reputation and to making our country truly great again.I for one am looking forward to being part of our exciting future.
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