Once again we enter a new year under the shadow of Covid.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant hangs like a dark cloud over what should be a time of hope and optimism.
We can take comfort from the resilience shown by the British people throughout the pandemic and the continuing success of the vaccine rollout by the NHS.
While 2022 may not be the year we wave goodbye to coronavirus we must all hope that it marks the moment when we take the first steps towards a post-Covid age.
As we move forward we should seize the chance to create a better country.
This is an opportunity to build on the spirit of togetherness that was forged in the darkest days of the pandemic and strive for a fairer, more harmonious and prosperous Britain.
The greatest barrier to achieving this goal is the Conservative Government.
Goodness
It is not just the arrogance of Boris Johnson who refuses to abide by rules he expects us to follow, nor the stench of cronyism and sleaze which wafts from his administration – those factors alone prove they are unfit for office.
But it is also the failure to protect our public services, the refusal to acknowledge millions of households in poverty and the broken promises on social care, transport and levelling up.
Many people face 2022 with trepidation.
They see rises in tax, food and fuel bills and lower take-home pay due to soaring inflation.
Yet there are seeds of optimism.
Labour now has a Shadow Cabinet that is taking the fight to the Tories and looks more and more like a government in waiting.
We have the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to look forward to in June.
An exceptional year for sport will include the Winter Olympics, Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Rugby League World Cup and the football World Cup in Qatar.
Britain’s greatness lies not in its current leaders but in the goodness of its people.
It is not just our sport stars who we should celebrate but also the volunteers, key workers, shopkeepers, fundraisers and community champions. It is thanks to them that we can look forward to a great 2022.
