I was in Sweden yesterday so I missed the panic on the streets of London (to quote part of an old Smiths song). Seems that some students got a bit upset and stormed the Conservative Party HQ. Who says students do nothing all day? I can’t see that this was a smart thing to do, although this presupposes a level of organisation and forward planning that probably doesn’t exist.

What was also a monumental mistake was the Prime Minister simultaneously saying that sharp rises in tuition fees would make studying in the UK more affordable for foreign students. Oh that will really help calm things down.

Who is this man listening to? Rather than surrounding himself with “advisors” that sell shoes (Tamara Mellon) and design handbags (Anya Hindmarch) perhaps he needs someone that has an understanding of the concerns of people that don’t live in Notting Hill.

Here’s my current draft of 10 Trends for 2011.

1. Uncertainty
2. Volatility
3. Resurgent religion
4. Stop-go economics
5. Formality
6. Bifurcation
7. Digital disaffection
8. Squeezed middle classes
9.Unemployment
10. Rage