Seemingly now in most Japanese cities smoking is banned on the streets. I wonder when this will happen here? A Japanese diplomat arrived two weeks ago, was bowled over by the beauty of Edinburgh but shocked by the mess on the streets.
We are blighted by filthy inner cities and smoking on the high streets is just one element of our lack of care and cleanliness. It’s a shame and a shocking indictment of where we are as a nation.
Our general health is very poor given international comparisons and the Covid epidemic is highlighting this. Our politicians are on the whole unconvincing and uninspiring.
So maybe this can be a wake up call to everyone to take note. To stop dropping litter, consider that their smoke gets up a lot of people’s noses, be more careful about their diets and lifestyle choices, and maybe to begin to drop some irrational prejudices.
But the government must also show the lead and own up to and deal with its deficiencies. There are too many disturbing revelations in the high echelons of government for my liking. Priti Patel for one. Then that Conor Burns chap being way out of order. And of course closer to home we have the Alex Salmond affair which just stinks.
That Keir Starmer is impressive though. He seems a cut above your average Joe politician and certainly inspires more confidence than Bertie our forever babbling, blustering, bumbling bombshell. I just can’t take him for real. Whereas Keir inspires confidence and makes us trust and believe in him and what he says. I don’t think he’s in this for Keir.
We need Keir Starmers more than ever at the moment and ongoing into the new age that will dawn after this mess clears away.
We have had enough of oddballs, shoddiness and downright dodginess.
And maybe our streets will become cleaner too.