Oven ready or half-baked? Dave Bradney and the editor took me to task for the Conservative Party’s failure to solve the care crisis. The idea that a hike in National Insurance would pay for a temporary boost in NHS funding (to solve the Covid backlog), with the NHS then giving up the money to go towards social care was at best wildly optimistic.

But if you are interested in the history of this problem — and really we all need to be — check out this link: www.kingsfund.org.uk/audio-video/short-history-social-care-funding. It is a simple timeline of the failure to get to grips with this problem since the start of the welfare state, way back in 1948. Griffiths, Sutherland, Wanless and Dilnot have advised various governments on this over the decades. Most have suggested means tested support with a cap on overall individual contributions, but no one has been able to find the funding.

Theresa May presented a plan during the 2017 general election. Arguably it was the best plan we have had to date, but it was immediately dubbed the “Dementia Tax” by political opponents, and another opportunity was blown. In fairness, a plan by Gordon Brown in the run up to the 2010 election was dismissed as the “Death Tax”. It all goes to show that even when in opposition, politicians should take responsibility for seeking solutions.

In Scotland, the SNP administration have recently delayed their plan for a National Care Service, and that is despite the fact that they have considerably more money to spend per person than we have in Wales, and we have more than England! My bet is the Scottish plan will get kicked into the long grass too. Yet again no one can find the funding.

The politics of this may seem a far off problem to be resolved in Westminster or Cardiff. But with no EMI beds in Ceredigion and a major care home up for sale in Aberystwyth, the ramifications are all too real.

It’s going to take political leadership of the highest calibre to grip this, based on honesty, integrity, wisdom and a lot of hard work. Maybe we all need to get a bit more realistic with our expectations. Since 1948 we have told ourselves that the NHS is “free”. The delusion has been repeated so many times that we end up believing it to be true. Then we expect it from all public services and demand that our politicians conjure up the money and workforce to make it happen.

As the old saying goes, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”. Like it or not, the care crisis is forcing us to recognise that reality.

The Airbus factory at Broughton (in Wales) makes some of the most advanced aeroplane wings in the world. This single factory represents two per cent of Welsh GDP. So it is pretty important. They run their own Apprenticeship Degree scheme and even have their own football club! The wings contain the fuel tanks for the aircraft. Right now they are developing wings that will use liquid hydrogen as fuel. In the near future jet engines will emit water; the same water that will be electrolysed to produce the hydrogen.

That’s good news. Maybe it really is a cake that we can both have and eat. The solutions to climate change are within our grasp, and they don’t have to imply that future generations can’t enjoy the lifestyle we have had. These solutions are being driven by profit making companies harnessing human ingenuity whilst simultaneously providing great jobs and generating the taxes we need for public services. Wales needs a lot more of this.

At a recent meeting (Welsh Conservative Conference) a senior manager from Airbus was asked what three things her company really needed from the state. She only gave two answers. Infrastructure and aspiration.

I hope that someone in the Welsh Government takes note.