A Perfect Storm
Today our graduating students at Edinburgh College of Art have their public screening of their films, and yesterday Rishi Sunak announced the next general election — effectively his resignation speech, hilariously carried out in a torrential downpour with a genius of a troll playing “Things Can Only Get Better,” the Labour part’s 1997 election campaign theme tune, in the background.
My mind went back to 1997 when our graduating class got their degrees immediately after Tony Blair’s election, and I recall sitting on the grass and one of them pondering why he felt so good — “Oh yeah, I’ve just graduated, and oh yeah, Labour have just got it.”
Having lived all that, I now view Labour’s forthcoming victory with some cynicism, I’m waiting to see in what way they’ll disappoint us, but at the same time they CAN only be better than the current crowd.
The students, meanwhile, who went through the pandemic in their first year, did us proud in their fourth. I hope you’ll be hearing from them soon, at the movies.
shadowplay 
May 24, 2024 at 3:34 pm
I was living in the UK during the 1997 election and, like a lot of people, was quite elated by the victory (I was even able to vote as a resident Irish citizen). As you say, with all the wisdom of hindsight, the question now becomes how they might disappoint us… But I do look forward to how your students succeed!