Nearly over!

Over the past few weeks we have heard our leading politicians telling us why should vote for their party. Each has tried to convince us that the other two parties would bring doom and gloom upon us. Lord Wilson, a former prime minister, once said, looking back, that 85% of his decisions would have been the same regardless of which party had been in power. So maybe we ought not to concern ourselves over the result when we know it on Friday morning. I, for one, will not be staying awake to hear the results coming in on TV!

Many countries are in the grip of the downturn in economy and all have to find ways of dealing with it. It will certainly have to be sorted out and I do not advocate a quick way out of it. This would be too risky by far. One thing we have learned is that the path to success is not rapid. We are far too wary of boom and bust politics today. I hope that Greece soon gets out of this anger and settles down in acceptance of an austere time during which the economy recovers. I say this because we are due to go there on holiday in July this year. We have friends there who we do not wish to see suffer.

On Friday morning we shall awake to hear the election results and then see what activity takes place in terms of constructing a new government. If we get the predicted hung parliament perhaps we shall avoid the excessive transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich that a Conservative outright victory would bring. However, should the Liberal Democrats hold a balance of power we might just see some sensible government by either of the other parties. Of one thing I am sure, Gordon Brown is soon to become yesterday's man. I say this, not because I do not like him, but the one in power and then loses the election (and in one way or another he will) finds himself quickly ensconced on the back benches for the remainder of his political life.

He has not been a popular figure but he has certainly done his best to get us through the current difficulties. I am equally sure that his successor will work just as hard to do the same. The only thing is that payment time is coming and we cannot say how it will touch us as we move back towards stability. By the end of polling day I shall say what my grandfather used to say: "It's all over with, bar t'shouting."