When I looked at the fixtures
on Sunday, I had every faith that we could get a result at Barnsley but was
aware we were relying on Burnley and QPR to drop points too.
How fantastic it was to see
it all happen and look on as Derby climbed into a position that would have
seemed beyond aspirational just a few weeks back.
Steve McClaren has the team
playing with a belief that simply didn’t seem possible not long ago, and that
confidence inevitably extends to supporters like us, who find ourselves daring
to dream.
And it’s that sort of thing
that can really give you a lift as you head into a New Year.
It seems bizarre that we
place such faith in the fact we’ve moved from one year to another, but there’s
no doubt that many people find fresh hope once they get to 1 January.
Sadly, though, that picture
is not universal. There will be many in our city who will look back
uneasily on 2013 and fear the worst for the New Year and beyond.
The cost of living crisis has
increasingly seen people struggling to make ends meet and more Derby families
living in poverty. Many will have struggled to heat their homes over the
recent festive period, never mind provide gifts and trimmings.
More families than ever have
relied upon food banks. Some children will have gone without Christmas
presents altogether, while others will have received them not realising that
their loving parents have not eaten properly to make it possible.
This is the alarming reality
being faced by growing numbers of Derby residents as a result of the most appalling
and reckless programme of austerity since the Second World War.
Despite pre-election promises
to the contrary, this Government increased VAT, means tested child benefit,
scrapped education maintenance allowances, tripled tuition fees, sacked hundreds
of thousands of public sector workers and decimated frontline public services.
In one of the richest nations
on earth too many people are poor. Too many are unemployed. And too
many are desperate for full-time work to support their families, but are forced
instead to exist on earnings from part-time jobs.
To their shame, our
ideologically-driven Government is pursuing policies that are extinguishing
hope. But we must not let that happen.
The New Year needs to be
about hope. Whether it’s drawing a line under something bad to put it
behind you, making bold plans for your future, or just wanting your local
football team get back into the Premier League.
We can turn that hope into
reality by pressing for a different approach. And if the Government refuses
to change tack? Well, it’s 16 months to the General Election when we can
vote for a different approach.
No comments:
Post a Comment