A return to common sense with a flourish of Donald Trump’s pen - Sarah Todd

But fear not, there have been several things in the news over this last week that have given this correspondent hope that the tide in our currently bonkers world can change.

What a boost for common sense to see US President Donald Trump so publicly signing an order banning transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sport. When there were all sorts of stories coming out from last year’s Olympics, it seemed to this humble observer that the world had turned too frighteningly anticlockwise for anything to ever turn it back right again.

But with a flourish of his pen President Trump has given hope that bashing the normal, ordinary and everyday isn’t going to be tolerated indefinitely. Living a life that doesn’t follow traditional conventions is absolutely fine, but not if it leaves talented little girls and women in tears because however hard they train they will never physically be able to compete on equal terms.

Sharron Davies, the former Olympic swimmer who has been beyond brilliant (and taken so much terrible flack) in fighting for upholding women’s identities, used the opportunity of what has happened in America to call on our country’s Prime Minister to do the same and stop the nonsense.

President Trump’s order largely covers high schools, universities and grassroots sports but he pledged it will include the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

As an aside, the aforementioned Ms Davies has been a vocal supporter of farmers, along with intelligently pointing out that it’s not just those tending the land or livestock but manufacturers - and all associated rural industries - who will also suffer because of the family farm tax.

Another glimmer of light at the end of the dark tunnel of life in 2025 (and it’s only February) has been news that Health Minister Andrew Gwynne has been sacked after a newspaper revealed he sent a string of offensive and abusive WhatsApp messages. What a worm to wriggle with the excuse that they were “misjudged” instead of simply hanging his head in shame and clearing off. Anybody who was in the group and didn’t pull him up should be given the boot as well.

Anyway, credit where it’s due, and well done to Sir Keir Starmer for taking swift action and sacking him. But, to quote another saying, mud sticks.

It has felt for a long time that Sir Keir’s party of metropolitan elites have had no time for the elderly and - however quickly this matter has been dealt with - this will leave a stain. Imagine the fuss Labour would have made if anybody in Boris Johnson’s Government had been found saying such things?

Another saying, it never rains but it pours, sprang to mind as Deputy Prime Minister

Angela Rayner was left squirming when she refused to deny that she once joked Keir Starmer was so inept he "couldn't run a bath" and, more seriously, that the bereaved Grenfell Tower disaster families felt that she was “aggressive” in a meeting with them to discuss the future of the building where so many people tragically lost their lives.

For anybody who thinks this listing of bad news for the Government is a bit mean, the powers-that-be did manage to notch up one win against this country bumpkin with a vehicle tax reminder arriving this week.

£735 for a 19-year-old car that is only used once or twice a week within about a ten-mile radius. Yes, it’s another tax on country people. A lot of people in rural areas rely on these old vehicles with decent sized engines to tow trailers of sheep to market and get us about in the uncleared snow.

If it was sold it wouldn’t fetch as much as what the average MP claims a month (from us the taxpayer) for their London flat but because it’s not seen as green, it’s another excuse to go after us.

She’s already lasted more than double the eight years often quoted as the expected lifespan of a battery-operated car and from now on she’ll be known as Trump.