I WAS musing on our progress both locally and nationally since 2010.

It does not make good reading ... the health service – hardly recognisable anymore; the prison service creaking at the seams; food banks; the world in turmoil and we are sacking soldiers; no wage rises for five years; no interest rates at the banks; bankers awarding themselves huge bonuses for failure; gas and electricity is not affordable; the retirement age is being upped by another two years for state pensioners etc.

What did I hear on the BBC news today?

The police have de-criminalised certain crimes because they cannot afford to send an officer to a crime scene because they have not got the staff, and now the police are asking victims of crime to try and solve the crime themselves.

On the positive side, though, they are issuing a crime number, aren’t we lucky?

Nice to hear, though, that MPs are to receive an 11.25 per cent pay rise.

Things never change.

Do the words 'banana' and 'republic' spring to mind?

Would love to hear Wirral West MP Esther McVey’s thoughts.

Tony Gaskell, West Kirby.