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How could I not devote this column to the recent election of US president-elect Barack Hussein Obama?

This will go down as a momentous historical event, not just because of the symbolism of a black president, but because of the promise of what will be achieved during his tenure.

With Democratic majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, he has every chance of realising his manifesto objectives.

So, what might this mean for local government here? Well, first, we have hope for a safer world. The removal of the Republican hawks Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney will mean a more moderate and bi-partisan approach to foreign affairs, not least in the Iraq and Afganistan war theatres, but also the danger zones of Israel-Palestine and Korea.

Over time, we will see a – slow – reduction in the level of terrorist threat, as paradigms shift and relationships between key players are brokered and improved. 

In the longer term, this will improve community cohesion within our own shores as the US becomes more aware of, and sensitive to, the impacts, real or perceived, of its actions abroad.

Second, I see Mr Obama as successfully resolving the American end of the recession. This won't necessarily be quick, and to be fair, whoever became president would likely achieve this. But my sense is that the Obama approach will be intelligent and inclusive, rather than crude and self-serving.

Third, the fact of a black president will, of itself, create a step change in our work on breaking down racial prejudice and improving equalities outcomes. It also sends a strong message about the power of social movements to drive fundamental change in society. While I don't expect to see a return to the heady days of the 1960s when the world seemed to be in perpetual revolution, I do envisage a revival of democracy as much more than the opportunity to vote once every so often, and a return to the intentions and ideals of the Founding Fathers.

This will be a wave that we can ride here in the UK as we try to build a more widely-enfranchised and engaged, participatory democracy.

So here's to Mr Obama, the dreams of the world rest on his shoulders. Let's hope he lives up to our expectations – a real-world Jed Bartlet, or maybe Matthew Santos, for those of us of a West Wing (TV series) persuasion. May the next four, or even eight years prove to be as revolutionary a period as any time that has gone before.