Ah, Billy Joel. The piano man who as soon as sang of an unstoppable blaze that’s been burning “since the world’s been turning.” Little did he know, many years later, we’d be taking frantic notes on learn how to deal with the ever-growing conflagration.
As we step cautiously into 2025, it appears the warmth has been turned up a number of notches, and all our makes an attempt at controlling the flames have fallen someplace between dire and dismal. If the political prognostications are to be believed—and so they’re wanting depressingly correct today—we would simply want the world’s greatest fireplace extinguisher to maintain this incoming 12 months from resembling a world bonfire of sanity, sensibility, and solvency.
Allow us to start throughout the pond at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the place, extremely (or inevitably), Donald Trump can be reinserting himself behind the Resolute Desk on January twentieth. The query, as all the time, is: who’s he extra resolute towards—overseas adversaries, the US Structure, or the hapless staffers caught in his crosshairs? He’s made it crystal clear he’s again, and he’s larger, brasher, and bolder than ever. That is his re-coronation, in spite of everything. There’s one thing perversely admirable concerning the man’s chutzpah—like a pantomime villain who insists on returning season after season to rapturous boos from the stalls.
His supporters, after all, are extra enthralled than ever, vigorously chanting about rigged elections and constructing new (or maybe larger) partitions. They by no means stopped singing, “We didn’t start the fire,” as a result of for them, The Donald is however a lightning rod. The fires are all the time another person’s fault—China, Mexico, or the dreaded “mainstream media.” So cross the popcorn. This 2025 reboot of Trump: The White Home Years may simply be the box-office smash we’re all too exhausted to endure.
In the meantime, again right here in Blighty, it’s New 12 months’s Day, and the climate forecast is bleak— each figuratively and economically talking. Whispers from the Metropolis counsel Rachel Reeves—the Labour Chancellor, or “the Iron Chancellor with rust around the edges,” relying on whom you ask—has been busy together with her personal model of financial fireworks. All of us prayed for grown-up economics: honest taxation, wise spending, a balanced finances by the top of the century, possibly? As a substitute, we acquired a pyrotechnic present of tax hikes, missed targets, and the near-extinction of small companies the complete UK farming neighborhood plus a possible brain-drain of entrepreneurs and earnings turbines.
If the Treasury’s purpose was to show the UK right into a cautionary story for first-year economics college students, it’s completely smashing it. Maybe the one saving grace is that no one can fairly keep in mind if there have been any workable alternate options. We didn’t begin the fireplace, however heaven is aware of it might need been good if we’d saved a bucket of water prepared simply in case.
As if that weren’t sufficient, we’re watching British faculties turn into veritable sardine tins, completely bursting on the seams with new arrivals, mockingly from what was once the non-public sector. Sure, you heard accurately. Non-public faculties are predicted to be going bust left, proper, and centre—unable to maintain themselves below punitive new taxes, a cost-of-living disaster that’s decimated middle-class incomes, and a wave of regulatory adjustments which have made high hats and Latin prayers about as trendy because the fax machine.
Consequently, it appears half the pupils of Eton’s twin set have arrived on the doorstep of the native complete, anticipating somebody—anybody—to show them the distinction between the subjunctive and the pluperfect, and to do it in a constructing that’s by no means been large enough for its catchment space, not to mention these new overspill minor aristocrats.
The abiding query is how the already overstretched state system can probably soak up so many new college students. Some say it’s a lesson in humility for beforehand privileged households. Others name it a slow-burning tragedy for the complete training sector. Within the grand scheme of our unstoppable inferno, it’s merely one other rung on the ladder of incineration.
However let’s not overlook the Nigel Farage story arc, which, like a recurring character in a cleaning soap opera you’ll be able to’t fairly consider remains to be alive, simply retains on turning up. He’s not simply the cheeky scamp behind Brexit or the mouthpiece for disgruntled ex-Tories: oh no, this time should you consider the rumours swirling by means of the soggy tea rooms of Westminster, he is perhaps poised to turn into Britain’s subsequent Prime Minister.
Giggle all you want—however that cackle may catch in your throat whenever you see the polling knowledge. It seems that, in instances of disaster, the British public has a curious behavior of turning to the maddest-sounding possibility potential. For many who recall the night time of the Brexit vote—arguably the night time we collectively popped one of many greatest fireworks in our post-war historical past—there’s a creeping sense of déjà vu. Are we actually about to anoint Farage with the most important seat of energy within the land? The thought alone might spark a meltdown so nuclear it’d make Sellafield’s radioactive stockpile appear like a scented candle.
So right here we’re, 2025: a 12 months that already appears like we’re all dancing on the rim of a volcano, whereas the embers from final 12 months’s bonfire nonetheless glow beneath our ft. Some may protest that “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” however go searching: between Trump’s second (or is it third?) coming, Reeves’s financial miscalculations, kids fleeing bankrupt non-public faculties, and the looming menace of a Farage-led authorities, we’re gazing a tinderbox. The conflagration might be unstoppable—but once more. However despair not totally.
Human historical past has proven us that we’re a remarkably adaptive species. We maintain going, stumbling from one 12 months to the following, often setting ourselves aflame within the course of. True, 2025 may very properly form as much as be a 12 months of insanity, but when there’s one lesson from Billy Joel’s timeless anthem, it’s that the fireplace has been burning for so long as we will keep in mind, and but we’re nonetheless right here.
After all, maybe we do want that world’s greatest fireplace extinguisher. Let’s pray we discover one earlier than we’re all lowered to ashes of self-inflicted stupidity.
Regardless, as we ring within the new 12 months, brace for the chance that the blaze may solely intensify. Trump’s within the White Home, Farage is circling Downing Avenue, our faculties are creaking on the rafters, and the financial system is rattling like a tea tray in an earthquake.
The query, pricey readers, is: will we truly need to put out the fireplace? Or, like some mesmerised pyromaniac, do we discover ourselves unhealthily fascinated by the flames? Solely time will inform, however for now, it’s value stocking up on extinguishers. We didn’t begin it. But when 2025 is about to be the most important bonfire but, we’d higher determine learn how to at the least maintain the sparks from singeing our sanity. In any case, there’s solely so lengthy we will stand the warmth. And as Billy Joel may remind us: the world’s nonetheless turning.
Richard Alvin
Richard Alvin is a serial entrepreneur, a former advisor to the UK Authorities about small enterprise and an Honorary Instructing Fellow on Enterprise at Lancaster College.
A winner of the London Chamber of Commerce Enterprise Particular person of the 12 months and Freeman of the Metropolis of London for his providers to enterprise and charity. Richard can be Group MD of Capital Enterprise Media and SME enterprise analysis firm Developments Analysis, considered one of many UK’s main specialists within the SME sector and an energetic angel investor and advisor to new begin firms.
Richard can be the host of Save Our Enterprise the U.S. based mostly enterprise recommendation tv present.
