HAPPY New Year to all - here's my wishlist for the coming 12 months ...

TOLERANCE

I'm proud that Britain is a tolerant society; no sensible person supports persecution. In the past decade we've absorbed over a million foreign nationals without too much upheaval. I doubt there's another country on earth, save the USA, that could do so but far from celebrating we seem hell bent on self-flagellation. This has to stop. It's unhealthy, debilitating and downright wrong.

In our pitiful patronising of other cultures we no longer know who we are. Our heritage, loved and adored by overseas visitors, seems to be an embarrassment to us. Why? We should be proud of our history and traditions not constantly looking for ways to undermine them.

It's hard to think of another country so determined to denigrate its own culture. In many it would be regarded as an act of treason. We're even prepared to hide our faith lest it offend. How many countries can you name who would do that? In fact, Britain would be at the front of the queue advising against it.

My sincere wish for 2008 is that we regain our pride in Britain and that those preaching hatred of any kind be sent down for a very long time.

LET US HAVE EQUALITY

British law is supposed to protect the law abiding from the lawless but somehow it went awry. Somewhere along the line punishing vicious criminals became unfashionable while jailing property tax defaulters became acceptable.

While self-confessed paedophiles and drug dealers got community service orders protesting vicars and old ladies were sent down. In short, the law became an ass persecuting the lawful and excusing the lawless and in doing so lost all respect. Criminals came to regard a court appearance as a side show and police officers as irrelevant.

Motorists are now the cash-cow where no extenuating circumstances of any kind are enough to avert prosecution. If however, the driver is a multiple offender with no licence, tax or insurance he or she is unlikely to face any meaningful penalty.

My wish for 2008 is that we cease this madness, stop box ticking and create some real respect for law enforcement and the entire judicial system

LET’S HAVE THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

I was brought up to respect authority. Doctors, policemen, politicians and solicitors were regarded in awe. I would not like a return to that age of unearned reverence but I would like to feel a degree of trust.

When politicians ask us to send our nearest and dearest to fight a war on 'terror' I'd like to believe they were sincere. I'd like to think they respected this huge sacrifice by doing everything in their power to keep us safe. I want to believe they too are going the extra mile to protect us.

When I see the Government of the day issuing security clearance to illegal immigrants with no idea whatsoever of their background I just want to scream. If I'd lost my son or daughter to terrorists I may just want to commit murder.

When I'm told that HM Revenue and Customs have lost the personal details of half the population I want to lay down and weep. What happened to the Data Protection Act? Surely, 25 million victims should be enough to ensure prosecution?

My wish for 2008 is that we punish this criminal incompetence with the severity it deserves and not simply blame it on some hapless junior clerk.

LESSONS HAVE (NOT) BEEN LEARNED

Whenever I hear the phrase 'lessons have been learned' I squirm. It's the standard mantra of social workers when some poor child dies from a thousand injuries sustained on their watch; senior police officers in charge of a botched operation or incompetent civil servants blowing billions on another IT fiasco.

I don't want the 'lessons have been learned' lecture I want job losses, humiliation and a deep-seated fear of repetition. I want abused children to know we won't pass the book. I want doctors to kick up a fuss when they see incompetence and not allow it to be swept under the carpet and I'd like senior police officers to stop defending the indefensible.

That's my Wish List for 2008.

Have a wonderful, healthy and happy New Year.