The similarity of the events in the first quarters of the 20th and 21st centuries are spooky.

Then as now: four years of conflict with Europe, although now the alliances are different.

Then as now: hope, at the outset, that it would be over by the time the turkey was “oven ready”.

Slightly more Brexiteers have died since the referendum than British soldiers who died in the First World War.

Then as now, at the end of the conflict, a health pandemic occurred. In 1918 it was the Spanish flu and in 2020 Covid.

Then the country was led by Lloyd George, a promiscuous, charismatic, populist leader, who was not sure how many children he had fathered.

Do these similarities give any pointers to the future?

Will we go into an era of exuberant expansion like the roaring 1920s ?

Will the current leader’s party disappear into obscurity like Lloyd George’s did?

Place your bets ladies and gentlemen, time will tell.

Happy New Year

Brian Organ
Sutton St Nicholas