Here's to a better 2009

It feels a bit artificial to use a blog to wish people a Happy New Year via a blog - nonetheless, to all readers out there, all the best for 2009! Here's hoping for a better year than the one we've had: perhaps we've become inured to the severity of the headlines about the oncoming recession, but it's clear this country and the world face difficult times ahead.

It's rumoured the government may cut and run and hold a General Election this coming year. Personally, after the PM bottled out of a contest in much better circumstances in autumn 2007, I'll believe it when I see it - but if he does muster the courage, I suspect people are going to be less forgiving of Labour than he'd like. If the government tries to take the credit when economic news is good, it's only right that it should take some of the blame for the current crisis: Gordon Brown's economic record, as Chancellor and especially as PM, with his dithering over Northern Rock and his inadequate response of temporarily cutting VAT, leaves a huge amount to be desired.

I'm pleased the Lib Dem response to the crisis, led by Nick Clegg and Vince Cable, is so positive: instead of wasting billions on a pointless VAT cut that makes little difference, we would invest that money to cut fuel bills, create thousands of jobs and deliver what our country needs for the future: warm homes, schools and hospitals, clean energy, public transport we can all be proud of. We shouldn't be forgetting the environment in the current crisis: and indeed, cutting down on our consumption and waste makes perfect sense economically, too.

Here in Oxford, I'd like to see the authorities engaging with BMW to try and limit the impact of the slowdown on their employees in the City; and the City and County Councils working harder to lessen the burden on local families. It's going to be a difficult year, but I'm optimistic that politicians can play some part in weathering the storm: the public will be slow to forgive them if they don't.