What a year it has been, again…
I do not propose to run through the various current affairs car crashes of the last twelve months. You know what happened. Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa “Nothing has Changed” May, was strong and stable for a while and then under scrutiny she was not, during an election campaign that became a nightmare for the Tories. May’s team had treated the voters like fools. That is never a good idea. Consequently, May was found out. But the Tory leader is still there. Her endurance and sense of duty in difficulty is remarkable.
Given half a chance, Jeremy Corbyn – a socialist Santa surrounded by the sinister Leninists of the hard left who have stolen the mainstream Labour party – excelled himself and only lost June’s surprise general election by 56 seats.
Donald Trump was Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia went through a startling shift and is being modernised at speed. Spain is under huge constitutional strain.
Brexit is happening, with compromises, although it is taking a while for the Stop Brexit fanatics and the hardest Brexiteers to work out that the war is probably over. Next year the battle should be much more about what kind of country the UK can become post-Brexit.
Or it might all be eclipsed by what happens with North Korea. Gulp.
Anyway, that’s enough reacting to the news and analysing it, for now.
Reaction is closing for Christmas and reopens on January 3rd. If anything of note happens we’ll leap into action. If one of our leading writers awakes from a snooze on the sofa with a thought more scintillating than “is there any more of that cheeky bone dry sherry in the fridge?” then we will have fresh content on the site.
But barring a major news story, the Reaction team is taking a break. My weekly newsletter is back on Friday 12th of January.
Without being excessively sentimental, I want to thank our terrific band of writers and supporters who have propelled us this year. They are brilliant.
We’re a small outfit, but growing via ÂŁ1 per week subscriptions and a series of reader events. The response has been hugely positive. There is room, it seems, for Reaction, providing comment and analysis explaining what is going on with an irreverent touch. Our perspective is pro-market and anti-far left, but we’re broad church and (hopefully) a fun read.
But Reaction depends on its subscribers and the support of people who like what we do. Please spread the word to friends, and mention us to students particularly. The last year has demonstrated that those worried about Corbynism need to do much better reaching the next generation.
Our small contribution to that debate is the Reaction Students Programme, offering free subscriptions to students. It is funded by the generous backing of supporters who funded a series of private dinners this year with leading speakers. Our latest 1000 student subscriptions are going fast. If you know anyone – son, daughter, grandchild, friend, future Prime Minister – who would like or benefit from a subscription to Reaction, please pass on this email and encourage them to register.
Thank you for reading Reaction. Have a wonderful Christmas, a very happy New Year and a good rest.
