It is never easy to predict the future, as any politician or stock broker will tell you, and when, domestically at least, the years events will be sculpted by an election outcome it becomes even more difficult.
By June a new government will have been formed but what colour they fly is still up in the air. May 6th is currently being touted as the fateful day by the Conservatives, who would no doubt benefit form it coming sooner rather than later. The longer it drags on, expect Gordon Brown and Labour to start making inroads into the poll deficit, and do not rule out the possibility of a hung parliament.
For the first time the leaders of the main parties will take part in televised debates. Liberal Democrat top-dog Nick Clegg has the most to gain and will carefully position himself in case of a tight race. Prime Minister in waiting, David Cameron, will be confident after regularly upstaging Brown at Prime Ministers Questions. How to reduce the deficit, MP’s expenses, the NHS and Afghanistan are going to be at the top of the agenda during what will be the longest general election campaign the UK has ever seen. MP’s expenses will likely be top story early on with current members having to declare their intensions to run again in the very near future which will certainly lead to some embarrassing headlines for some.
Of cause whoever does not get elected is likely to create as many headlines. If Labour lose, Brown will have no choice but to resign, if the Conservatives lose it could mean the end, for now at least, for Cameron and if the Lib Dem’s underperform Clegg may come under pressure.
With Brown the more likely to go who would take over? David Milliband (Foreign Secretary) was put forward as an alternative when Tony Blair stood down, Alan Johnston (Home Secretary) and Ed Balls (Schools Secretary) would be popular in some circles.
But what about Mandelson? The Prince of Darkness has been instrumental since his return, but a leadership run from the Lords is awkward to say the least and finding him a safe Labour seat as an MP creates its own problems.
So what for the new government?
Brown is to host an Afghanistan conference in London in January with the hope of formulating an exit strategy. However much like Copenhagen 2009 the public will take a lot of convincing it is more than posturing.
President Obama has already made it known he want to see the first stages of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2011. This means serious progress must be made this year. Many high profile experts and military personnel have said the situation may get worse before it gets better and with over 100 British deaths last year the question is how much worse. A lot of this may boil down to President Hamid Karzai’s job performance in the coming months.
Iran clearly is also going to be a major issue this year. President Ahmadinejad is already under pressure while opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi has already said he would be willing to die for the reform movement. With the death of the Grand Ayatollah this may be the window the reform movement needs.
Iraq too is to hold elections this year, most likely in March if security allows with the hope it can confine an unpopular chapter to the history books. North Korea will also be on the agenda with continued rumours of Kim Jong Ill’s health and of cause their feared nuclear capabilities.
In May the 189 signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty congregate in New York to review the plan with some predicting the collapse of the deal leading to the possibility of the nations mentioned above developing Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Security is certainly going to be a watch word for this year, as it has for many years now.
With Brown in full conference mode following the G20, Copenhagen and the upcoming Afghanistan talks he also wants to add another to discuss terrorism in the Yemen following the alleged failed bomb plot on Christmas Day.
A major question for many is can the western world go another year without a successful attack on our shores?
President Obama’s self imposed deadline for closing Guantanamo Bay will not be met, by his own admission.
The plans are still active with the possibility of a maximum security prison in Illinois being the next host of allegedly the most dangerous terrorists on the planet. Globally the economic situation will dominate for another twelve months. The eyes of the world will focus on Dubai as the western world keeps its fingers crossed the blip seen there in November and December will no become a long term trend.
There are of cause several issues at home we need to attack.
Feelings are split over what will happen to unemployment figures this year while the election result will determine exactly how the deficit is to be addressed. Unemployment is currently at 2.5million with many claiming it could top 2.8million before it starts to get better. The £820billion deficit will be a more difficult problem to tackle especially when you consider it must be done while jeopardising the recovery both in terms of growth and unemployment.
When and how we go about this is another one of these issues which will only be known after the election.
Will the renewed British economy be based on finance as in the naughties or will a new industry brake forth and dominate the teenies?
Will French President Sarkozy’s railing against the ‘freewheeling Anglo Saxon model’ have its desired effect?
Will the New EU President Herman Van Rompuy bare any teeth at all? The problem with a new industry dominating is manufacturing in this country was devastated in the 1980s and will struggle to return while financial industries are unpopular and will be heavily regulated in the coming years.
A banking presence in London is inevitable but with a greater chance of international banks heading to Europe dumping us freewheeling Anglo Saxons. Although even as the New Year begins the London Stock Exchange is being boosted by improved performance in the manufacturing sector.
As for Mr Van Rompuy, it is unlikely the force of his particular role will be known until a few EU Presidents down the line.
There are other troubling international problems.
The results of Copenhagen will become more apparent this year and its critics and supporters will have something to either laugh or cry about sooner rather than later.
Environmental issues are a major part of all politicians’ manifestos and some action will no doubt be taken but whether it can have any serious effect is debatable and in even bigger doubt is the $100bn promised to help developing nations. The environmental lobby must get past the ‘climategate’ affair if their beliefs are to hold any legitimacy and its supporters need to learn the violence which dogged Copenhagen and London needs to stop if progress is to be made.
In the UK, after two years with major flooding, can we expect the same or will our particular brand of climate change now bring a major drought? Although it was only a few years ago meteorologists were talking of a monsoon style season in this country.
But as we all know there is only going to be one story any of us truly care about this year and it is taking place in South Africa this summer. Football fever will hit our shores once again with wall-to-wall international games on the television prompting complaints from those who care little for the beautiful game.
Once again Andy Murray will raise our hopes of a British champion at Wimbledon while our athletes head to India in November for the Commonwealth Games. There will be no doubt which team British F1 fans will be cheering for this year with the McLaren world champion dream team of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set to battle the returning Michael Schumacher.
Whatever happens, 2010 will be a huge year both in the UK and across the world with many major issues coming to the fore.
Can progress be made in Afghanistan, will David Cameron be the next resident of number 10 and can Fabio Capello lead us to victory?
Only time will tell.
Colin Rowe
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2009 was an undeniably eventful year for the video game industry. Countless surprise announcements, delays, controversies and, most importantly, many releases of fantastic games ranging from big-budget releases such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to unexpected sleeper hits such as Demon’s Souls. The overwhelming fact, however, is that 2010 looks to be just as big, if not bigger. So, I present to you now, dear readers, my own list of what to look forward to in the new gaming year…
Starcraft II
It’s been a long time coming but gamers are finally within grasp of the sequel to what many consider to be the finest real time strategy game ever made and Korea will finally have an update to their national sport. Gamers may be frustrated by the numerous delays but rest assured that, from Blizzard, delays only mean that the game is not yet perfect and they will not let it hit shelves until it is.
Taking away the fiddly hero mechanic of Warcraft III, which has become ever so trendy in many rts games since, Starcraft II will shift the focus back on amassing huge armies and out-strategising your opponents with those familiar factions we all know and love; The rough-and-tumble human terran, the vicious and beastly zerg, and the mysterious and powerful protoss. The story of the single player campaign promises to have that Blizzard signature level of quality and intrigue and with Blizzard’s rock solid Battle.net system the multiplayer is guaranteed to smooth, accessible and FUN!!
Golden Sun DS
While the release date is strictly TBA 2010 there should not be a DS owning RPG fan on the planet who is not excited for the third instalment of the Golden Sun series. The first two games were standouts for the Gameboy Advance and the genre of Japanese RPGs in general. The innovative Djinn system made combat and character progression far more involved than the usual grind-fest found in other games of the same ilk and with the added muscle power and dual-screen/touch functionality of the DS, I see no reason why Camelot Software shouldn’t make this game a handheld adventure to savour and remember.
Zelda News
We have seen a teaser poster and little else, but we know that there is definitely another Legend of Zelda game making its way to the Wii. It is very unlikely that the game will see a release next year, but we can bet with fair certainty that we will see a substantial Zelda related announcement at E3 2010. This should excite gamers everywhere as there are scant as many long-running and consistently brilliant series as The Legend of Zelda. It is most likely that the game will feature Wii Motion Plus functionality, possibly bringing a whole new realm of interactivity to the combat controls. Interestingly, in the teaser poster Link is seen without his trusty master sword. Fans already have noted the similarities between the legendary blade and the mysterious female figure standing behind Link, so just what is going on? I look forward to finding out…
Mass Effect 2
Obviously.
Bioshock 2
What more can be said about the sheer scope and imagination behind the setting and story of 2007’s Bioshock? Next year gamers will have a chance to step back into the dank world of Rapture and stalk splicers through its deco halls, this time as one of those armoured, hulking behemoths known as a Big Daddy! Although 2K has shifted this series from their Boston studio to 2K Marin, meaning Ken Levine is not at the helm as he was for first game, impressions so far suggest that the sequel stays true to its predecessor and will expand the world of Rapture into even deeper political and philosophical complexity. This is another game that has been delayed from a 2009 release, meaning that gamers should be guaranteed a polished and balanced experience.
Metroid: Other M
This could be something really special. The combined efforts of Nintendo and Team Ninja (of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive fame) are hard at work to create a Metroid game that takes the series back to its roots whilst making a brand new and unique experience. Footage so far has shown first-person gameplay as seen in the Metroid Prime series as well as 2D scrolling action as if straight out of the 2D Metroid games of old. This is not to mention the acrobatic combat action that would be right at home in Ninja Gaiden. It looks as if Samus is learning some new moves to complement the ice-beam and screw-attack, exciting news for any fan of the series. A game that promises to be challenging, engaging and unique, the wii needs more titles like this.
So, there you have it. I failed to mention so many more such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Alpha Protocol, Dark Void, God of War III, Dante’s Inferno, Darksiders, Command and Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight, the list goes on and on. It is going to be huge year for gaming. Gamers, strap on your utility belts, save your pennies and ready yourselves!
Jim Dixon