Thursday, December 27, 2007

Eight for 2008

On Christmas Eve Iain Dale tagged me with a new meme, asking me to give my eight wishes for 2008.

I am never sure how personal to be on such occasions, remembering a story from Read My Lips by Matthew Parris and Phil Mason:

In 1948, a Washington radio station contacted ambassadors in the capital, asking what each would most like for Christmas. Britain's representative, Sir Oliver Franks, mistook the request.

French Ambassador: Peace throughout the world.

Soviet Ambassador: Freedom for all people enslaved by imperialism.

Sir Oliver: Well, it's very kind of you to ask. I'd quite like a box of crystallized fruit.

Anyway, here is my list:
  1. Nick Clegg to turn out to be half as good as his supporters claimed he was during the election campaign;
  2. Guantanamo Bay to close;
  3. A Lib Dem education policy that goes further than "we agree with the NUT";
  4. Jonathan Ross to be sacked by the BBC;
  5. Me to get more paid writing published;
  6. Andrew Flintoff to return to test cricket;
  7. Chelsea to win the Champions League;
  8. Leicester Tigers to win everything in sight.
Iain also asked me to nominate five blogs to continue the meme. So: Disgruntled Radical, Eaten by Missionaries, Gladstone Bag, Hug a Hoodie and Redemption Blues.

4 comments:

Jonny Wright said...

Great story! Loved it.

You have a pretty good selection of wishes here. Do I detect some subtle prods at our new leadership in 1 and 3? I think they're quite justified. Clegg has the potential to be very good, but somebody needs to go hit him with a live wire, or top him up with petrol, or somesuch. But we won't know for sure until new year - the festive season isn't the fastest period for political news.

Can't agree with you on number 8, I'm afraid. I grew up in Sale; take a wild guess who I'm supporting ...

A very happy new year to you, anyway!

dreamingspire said...

More people to speak out, please, including commenting on blogs, because there is a risk that bloggers get out of touch (nothing personal there).

Anonymous said...

I am sure 3 will be satisfied! But what about one that doesn't just ape NUS statements?

Jonathan Calder said...

Jonny

I am waiting to see what our new leader is like, as it was hard to gain much of a picture from his campaign.

I think he - or rather David Laws - will satisfy no. 3, but it would have been so much more impressive if he had had the courage to argue for those ideas during the leadership election.

Dreaming Spire

Another anecdote...

When Peter May was chairman of the England selectors a journalist said: "Mr May, some people say you are out of touch." He replied: "I've not heard that."

Anon.

Give me the NUS over the NUT any day.