What can I say?

The photo says it in a way. The future is shrouded in mist, the difference being that the mist is rather attractive while the future looks less so. Why? Because we’re faced with a climate emergency and we’ve spent the last few years with a governing party which seems increasingly complacent. Because we’re faced with threats to peace in Ireland, to our food standards, to our prosperity, to our education and health services, to the arts and science, and to our cooperation with our near neighbours on a wide range of issues and our outgoing government appears to be posing those threats rather than trying to counter them. Because we have a Prime Minister who appears to be a stranger to the the truth. And because we may be about to reelect him, and the outgoing government.

And yes, I know there are issues with the opposition. In fact, I think we would be in a much better position now with an opposition under almost any other leadership. That doesn’t help.

I’m normally more comfortable with grey areas and uncertainty than with black and white so are these current uncertainties different? No, I think it is the attempts to reduce them to black and white which is disturbing – and the use of blatant lies and manipulation to do so. I feel a need to pull together to address our issues but the media and the outgoing government seem determined to do the opposite.

I have no desire to write a political blog and have avoided the election up to now, but it’s tomorrow and the elephant is taking over the room. I’m hoping and praying we’ll see the back of Boris Johnson tomorrow. The fact that he became PM makes me ashamed to be British. We’re better than that.

Whatever happens, we need to somehow rebuild, regroup and work together to address the issues with which we’re confronted. As writers we can play a part in highlighting injustices, inconsistencies, needs and in speaking truth to power. Let’s just hope we can be effective in doing so.