The festive season is almost upon us again and thanks to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic things are going to feel a little different. Work Christmas parties will be cancelled, traditional carol services will be restricted and those that love a big family gathering on the day itself will probably be disappointed.

But Covid won’t stop the exchange of presents though will it? I love giving presents don’t you? I’ve always found it to be far more satisfying than actually receiving them myself.

What do I want?

That’s not to say that I haven’t got a wish list of things that I want. Naturally a PlayStation 5 is slap bang at the top of my list, (unlikely) then I really want one of those Evercade consoles, (More likely) and, oh, I’d really love some nice after shave. (Extremely likely)

But if I’m honest I would happily give up all of those luxuries in exchange for a few simple things that would benefit everyone. Not just me.

So here is my alternative Christmas wish list.

One – An end to homelessness

The UK is one of the  richest nations in the World. So why do we still have so many people sleeping rough on our streets? The government proved that they could do something to help rough sleepers when they moved them all into temporary accommodation during lockdown #1. So why not go one step further and help them permanently?

Two – An end to UK food poverty

Nobody should be having to stretch a budget of £10 a week to feed a family of 4. Nobody should be having to go hungry in order to keep their kids fed. Nobody should be having to rely on a food bank for handouts. We’re not a third world country. Nobody should be struggling to put good, nutritious food in their belly in 2020.

Three – An overhaul of Universal Credit

Anybody who has ever had to claim Universal Credit knows how rubbish it is. It is supposed to help those who are unable to work for any reason with their rent and their essential bills. But the amount that you end up receiving is wholly unrealistic and barely covers half of what needs to be paid.

Four – A Labour government

Apologies if you’re a Boris fan, but surely nobody can deny what an absolute shambolic mess the current Conservative government have made of everything since coming into power last year. Brexit. Coronavirus. Test & trace. Free school meals. Millions of pounds wasted on private contracts that fail to deliver. Years and years of austerity. Enough is enough.

Five – A pay rise for all NHS staff

The NHS is a wonderful thing. We knew that already of course, but this past year has really emphasised just how incredible everybody involved with the National Health Service really is. Yet despite this the desire to give them a well deserved increase in take-home pay is still cruelly voted down each and every time the issue is raised in Parliament. They deserve better.

Six – A cure for Covid

It’s what we all want, right?

What is on your Christmas wish list? If you could change anything in the world right now what would it be? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.