Success to me means being able to live the type of life I want. Isn’t that each of us really want? And for most of us, this isn’t given. Just surviving requires a tremendous effort that leaves little time or effort for anything else. We have to push constantly against it.

The woods on a day like today are gloomy. The air is damp and cold, the sky a blanket of grey, making everything seem darker despite the early hour. And yet this is needed. I enjoy the festive period, the sparkle and glow of it all, the food, the drink and the merry making with my nearest and dearest and yet sometimes I just need this. The cold damp air on my face. The scent of the forest. The sound of the birds and the trees, of twigs snapping underfoot.

The conflict between social democracy and "identity politics" is a red herring.