My 10 Predictions for 2010

Happy New Year to you all.... Over the Christmas period I got to thinking what 2010 may hold for me, Howdenshire residents and those many people who read my blog… and came up with 10 predictions on topical stuff that interests me and hopefully you readers. Nothing too personal just a mixture of politics and sport….. some wishful thinking, and after reading the tea leaves in the bottom of Cllr Steve Parnaby’s cup, looking into one of Cllr Carl Minns’ crystal balls, watching the body language of John Prescott, a kind of telepathic communication with Radio Humberside's Steve Burns, listening to every word of BBC's Peter Levy… and all mixed together with a degree of realism…(some are based on hope, others reality!)

1. The ERYC Car Parking review will be completed and the decision will be popular with the majority of residents.Topical for many residents - I don’t have inside information - although I do feel the Council has listened to people over the past months, and I am confident the ultimate decision will reflect what people have told us – it will be about compromise and one will be reached.
2. The vast majority of flood prevention work in Gilberdyke will be completed, including the watercourse between the houses on Scalby Lane and Chestnut Drive.I have a great deal of optimism here as the residents, the Parish Council, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the Drainage Board are all working together on this – something that doesn’t always happen.
3. A management plan and strategic lead for Goole will evolve but not all parties and organisations will buy into it.Knowing Goole as I do, I’m confidant things will improve and move forward, but we have to find a way of all working together… Goole is a fantastic place, with some great people and it can become the economic powerhouse of the East Riding.
4. The East Riding of Yorkshire will continue to be bombarded with windfarm applications including at least one in the Yorkshire Wolds rather than at the edge, and the ERYC will not win a planning appeal against a windfarm application under this present Government.
   Here my feelings on this are quite well documented, as a member of the ERYC planning committee I have voted both for and against windfarm applications, for me it’s all about size, scale and location…. But Ed Milliband and his cronies have overruled us every time we have rejected an application - so its at the whim of speculative developers – until we have a change of government– there will be no change to Central Government trampling over local elected councillors and local democracy.
5. The Conservatives will win a May 2010 general election with a majority of 35 seats. May would seem the ideal date, it’s the date of the local elections, it’s probably the best chance Gordon Brown will have of saving some of his Labour Councillors by ensuring a higher turnout…. And then it’s a case of looking at how the cards may fall and what likely percentage votes the parties will get… nothing sophisticated – just an educated guess.
6. Nigel Farage will unseat John Bercow MP. I felt this would happen as soon as Farage declared he would run… the conventional wisdom is that Bercow is not popular with Tories, he’s not a Labour politician and Farage has the gravitas and personality to attract many protest voters…
7. Diana Johnson MP and Ian Cawsey MP will lose their seats. Obviously both seats are vulnerable with low majorities and being targeted by the other parties – I don’t think either incumbent has done enough to hold on, including saying one thing and voting another – post office closures. The Lib Dems are throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Diana Johnson, and Ian Cawsey has a formidable campaigner in Hull City Councillor Andrew Percy against him – remember Percy has the highest majority of any Hull City Councillor – Not bad for a Tory in Hull - so pretty confident on this prediction.
8. David Davis MP will return to the cabinet and Graham Stuart MP will become a junior minister. When the going gets tough there is one man who the Conservatives need back at the centre of their team, the man who could strangle you with a cordless phone, a man who doesn’t read books – merely staring at them until he gets the information he needs, a man who can slam a revolving door, a man who doesn’t wear a watch because he decides what time it is, and the person the bogey man checks under his bed for… yes David Davis will be back!
   Graham Stuart – I’ve watched him closely since his election and I think he will go far, given a good and challenging job to do…. A tip for high office.
9. Hull City will stay in the Premier League. As a life long fan of the Mighty Ull and vice president of the club I have optimism like you wouldn’t believe on this issue…. I’m thinking we can average a point a game for the remainder of the season, plus an extra win to get us up to 41 points and 16th place.
10. Manchester United will not win the Premier League and England will lose in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Here it’s all about hope…. hoping I might be wrong… Not with the Man Utd thing… but certainly with England. If England wins the world cup I will be over the moon and very, very happy to be proven wrong.

Please have a listen to me being interviewed on Radio Humberside about the predictions at the following link: (starts at approx. 2hours 16mins in)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p005sbld/Andy_Comforts_Breakfast_Show_05_01_2010/