Does anyone else share my annoyance at the way television reporters (and the BBC ones in particular) are increasingly saying “anytime soon”, as in “this situation is not going to change anytime soon”?

The BBC used to be a bastion of correct English usage. Can’t we insist that its staff stop using lazy cliches.

Everyone is outraged by the mindless violence and destruction that has been taking place in English cities. And, because we can’t comprehend how anyone could behave in this way, most of us are at a loss to know what should be done to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.

Furthermore, my feelings of despondency have been augmented by the lack of any sign of economic recovery (I suspect I’m not alone here). While I welcome David Cameron’s hardline rhetoric in relation to the rioters and George Osborne’s determined adherence to his austerity plan, neither are enough. We need a clear vision of the kind of Britain that the Government wants to create.

Osborne has superb political savvy and Cameron is an excellent communicator, but they are just not getting their messages across. Most of us still can’t get a handle on the Big Society and we struggle to see how it can prevent the ugly scenes we have just witnessed.

Likewise, if we are to endure declining living standards for another year or more, we need to know it will be worth it in the end. This is not just about good PR, the Government’s future actually depends on it winning and retaining our support. We understand that there is a global economic crisis and that Britain is in a worse position that she should be because of Labour’s criminal mismanagement the economy. But we don’t all believe that spending cuts alone will solve the problem. I, for one, want to understand how we are going to restart growth, given that many of the traditional levers are no longer available.

So please David and George, give us something tangible to look forward to. Remember the old proverb: without vision, the people perish.