As usual Carol Services and Christmas Concerts have followed the switching on of the Christmas lights in our three towns and on pubs and private houses. 
The joy of Christmas as a religious festival adopted by most people continues although sadly this year it will be coloured for many with worry about the future. Job losses are mounting. We have had the sad news from Ceramaspeed and also redundancies at Brinton's and Titan. 
At least at Sealine, despite redundancies, there is confidence in the long term future by the owners. In the Midlands there are threats to the motor car industry with the inevitable spin off to suppliers and component manufacturers. I have read that auditors are worried that they may face legal action if a firm they have audited fails when they have not issued warnings. Such warnings would be extremely difficult as they could be the last straw in loss of confidence in a struggling business. 

However one of the causes of real anger about Ceramaspeed was the total lack of warning that was given to staff however long and loyally they had served the firm. In some cases several members of the same families have all lost jobs at the same time.
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There is no comfort that one can offer to those worst affected. The Jobcentre Plus is of course aware and has promised to help everyone as best they can. 
I will write to them to emphasise the importance of the rapid payment of allowances. Citizens Advice Bureaux are going to be overwhelmed at a time when locally their funding is inadequate and at further risk.
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Another cause of intense frustration to many local people is the continuing delay of the Government to respond to the Ombudsman's long awaited report on the breakdown of Equitable Life. 
The response was expected before Christmas but now it will not be until after the House returns on 12 January. It is understandable that voices have been raised to suggest that Mr Brown should be concentrating much more on home affairs than on trying to save the world. If the Government does not accept the Ombudsman's findings that it should compensate victims for the prolonged failures of regulation it will damage the Ombudsman as a safeguard against possible abuse of power by any Government with a substantial majority.
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Good news is scarce. However the Healthcare Commission has issued its final report before it is transformed, some say unnecessarily, into the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 
This report highlights many ways in which the NHS has improved for most people during the last ten years. It is to be hoped that the CQC will not discard its predecessors' successful ways of working but expand on them.
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Again there have been further Lottery winners and I was hoping to have an update and a tour of local winners last week but this was postponed by the organisers.
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The BBC Sports Personality of the Year reminded us of the triumphs of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and other great sporting achievements.
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