Raining In My Heart

As yet another Labour conference backs its bags and heads for home, my overall impression is that the party leaderships would have us all believe that life is pretty miserable for the majority of citizens in the UK today - and that the country is in a state of permanent crisis with the economy and public services in a state of near collapse.

Now that's certainly not my impression and while there are always individuals and groups of people for whom society can do more, the reality that I see is that unemployment is low and falling after the worst recession since the 1930s - and the economy is on the turn along with people's living standards.

In Scotland, public services are doing a good job, by and large, the NHS is not 'on its knees', The Scottish Government is generally well regarded and it's difficult to follow Labour's argument that an already efficient rail network can only be improved by nationalising its operations.

Public owned and operated local councils have hardly covered themselves in glory when it comes to equal pay in Scotland, yet Labour and the trade unions persist in their ridiculous claims that public ownership and 'municipal socialism' is always good.

So I think the Labour leadership needs to get out more and bring a little sunshine into their dull lives because in the words of the old Buddy Holly song - it's raining in their hearts.