If I were in charge in 2013.....

A few things I'd do if I were in charge next year....

Shops would be shut from 12 noon on Christmas Eve until 27th December, and also shut the whole of Easter Weekend from 5pm on the Thursday before Good Friday, until the Tuesday after Easter Monday.

Sales would NOT be at Christmas, but only be permitted in March and September.

Sunday opening would be banned for all except essential services.

Trains would be equipped with external coatings to repel mobile phone signals, returning them to peace and quiet, and they would have windows that open to give you fresh air.

Car radios and personal music players would have a legal upper decibel limit so others are not forced to listen to tinny overspill or thumping bass beats.

Voting at elections would be mandatory - it's no use moaning if you haven't exercised your democratic right.

Immigration would be curbed to protect our environment and reduce the burden on the state which we all pay for, and probably stopped for the foreseeable future. Immigrants would have to demonstrate why they would benefit our society to be granted a permit to live here.

The Health and Safety Executive would be disbanded along with vast number of ludicrous H&S laws and restrictions (retaining those that are of real value only) and we would return to an era of common sense and allowable risk.

The Human Rights Act would be repealed, because it has become an excuse to avoid the consequences of your actions for all sorts of villains and terrorists, and replaced with something more measured and sensible.

Learning to clean, cook and do DIY would be compulsory in schools, to equip young people with the skills they need for life.

Old fashioned respect for others and consideration for other people would be drummed into kids from an early age to prevent them becoming the selfish neanderthals I seem to meet every day, and parents would have to properly answer for their children instead of abdicating responsibility as many do.

Everyone would have to do something for their livelihood, even those on benefits, provided they were physically able. Why should we pay people to sit on their arses and do nothing when there are roads to be mended, graffiti to be cleaned up, drains to be unblocked and schools to be maintained?