Wednesday 14th September

I lay my weary head down some time in 2002.  Was it really that long ago?  The World was different then, or so my rose-tinted glasses seem to recall.  Labour were in power.  Tony Blair had just won his second election.  The Tories were in disarray; William Hague had led them to a second disastrous defeat.  True, Tony and Gordon were reportedly always arguing but we had budget after successful budget, more money was pouring into schools and hospitals were being built (although we were ignorant of the PFI bills to come).  There were rumours that George Bush, not content with sending thousands of troops to Afghanistan was planning to attack Iraq too, but surely our Prime Minister would keep us clear of that nonsense.

I tossed and turned all night.  It was a long night, full of hot sweats and cold chills.  I woke up yesterday and couldn’t believe my eyes.  The Middle East is a disaster zone, both Syria and Iraq in flames.  The Tories are back in power – well, it had to happen someday I suppose.  Gone is Blair, Brown and all the rest of New Labour; incredibly a long term rebel is in charge of Labour and can barely form a shadow cabinet.  Gone is Clegg – and almost all of the LibDems too.  Gone is David Cameron too, and shortly not even to be an M.P.  Somehow he had recklessly promised a referendum on the EU.  When I had turned in for the night the only discussion was whether we would join the Euro or not.  He gambled and lost, but has dragged us all into a never-ending nightmare with Mrs. May, like some Edwardian headmistress promising to bring back Grammar Schools, and days of Empire and hanging too no doubt.  In America they are possibly going to elect an out and out racist.  The NHS is in real crisis, even doctors are striking, and no-one seems to care – and the clock is ticking away – the alarm will go off any minute and I will have to get up and deal with it all.

Please let me go back to sleep.  I quite liked the World in 2002, just 12 years later and I barely recognize the place.