News

 

I hope you all had a very happy Christmas. 

As we approach the New Year, full of hope, it is difficult to avoid a backward look at the year which has just passed. I doubt that it will be looked on very kindly when history delivers its verdict. 

Certainly the international scene has been full of challenges, many of which became even greater as the year wore on and most of which are still with us. 

The situation in Iraq has deteriorated, making a mockery of the hopes of those who thought we would see real progress toward a sustainable, democratic and peaceful country. The threat of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons has grown. Efforts to remove the nuclear weapons in the possession of North Korea have not succeeded. 

The prospect of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine problem seems even more distant after the ill-starred Israeli incursion into Lebanon. 

On the borders of Europe, Russia has been flexing its muscles, showing signs of using its energy riches for political ends. 

The Doha trade round, which offered such exciting possibilities of dismantling trade barriers increasing world trade and continuing the reduction in global poverty which has been the most exciting development in the last 10 years, has collapsed. 

So the world picture is far from encouraging. 

Here at home there is more to cheer about. In Folkestone the Town Centre Redevelopment is, at last, taking shape. The Harbour looks set for a very exciting redevelopment scheme. And the high speed train service to London gets ever closer. 

So even is it is difficult to be optimistic about the world scene there is much to look forward to nearer home. 

I look forward to continuing to serve you all. 

Sandra and I send you our very best wishes for 2007. Happy New Year!