By the time this article appears we shall know the worst about the cuts to be made by the Government. There is little doubt that the situation facing the country is serious and that we are all going to have to take a share in getting the country out of the mess that we have been landed in.

The argument is that older people aren’t safe drivers. Rubbish. What it means is that short-fused younger drivers get fed up because there’s someone in front of them sticking to the speed limit, or not burning rubber to get out at a busy junction. “If they’re not as fast as us,” goes their logic, “they can’t be as good as us. Stands to reason, dunnit.” Mature Times editor Tony Watts has a Jeremy Clarkson moment - in reverse.

At this week’s Pensioners Parliament in Blackpool, Mature Times editor Tony Watts was one of the panel of people asked: “Who should pay for the economic crisis in which we find ourselves?”  The answer, he fears, is that the most vulnerable older people in society could bear the brunt… unless the Pensioners Movement is prepared to man the barricades, universal benefits may be one of the first victims. 

So the courting process has ended. We now know that a Centre-Right coalition will be taking us forward into the future. Critics may complain that this process has taken too long. I don’t think so. Countries around the world with ‘balanced parliaments’ (let’s stop using an negative expression that no longer applies) often take weeks to come to an accommodation. This is too important a decision to hurry.

So where were you when the result of the 2010 election campaign became clear? By which I mean the first minute after 10 pm when the exit poll came out with what may well prove to be an uncannily accurate assessment of the final result. Whatever happened to all-night suspense?

As I write this, I’m celebrating just getting that most that most wonderful of jobs -  becoming a grandfather – and for the first time. 

Everyone who has been in this situation will know just how exciting, and worrying, this is. It’s also an odd experience in that in my mind’s eye I can still see my daughter bouncing up and down in my arms singing along to the Ghostbusters theme, or walking the wrong way up a slide with only her nappy on. God, she’s never going to forgive me for this article.

The government’s proposals for personal care will go ahead – if the new government implements it. That was the message from Tuesday’s enabling legislation which was passed on Tuesday evening.

The government accepted a House of Lords amendment in order to get the enabling legislation through before the general election which means that the introduction of free personal care at home for elderly and disabled people with the greatest needs is to be delayed by six months. The effect of this, as Lord Warner, a former Labour health minister who helped push for amendment, said: "We feel we have done our job. We have slowed the bill down and it will be for a new government to deal with it in a more measured way." The bill is now expected to receive royal assent before parliament is dissolved for the election.