Leader: Momentous year draws to a close

Published on Sunday 18 December 2011 02:07

IN THE world of newsgathering, some years bump along seemingly without much ado, while others seem to cram a decade’s worth of momentous events into 12 scant months.

On this scale, 2011 has very much been the latter kind of year, both domestically and internationally. We really do live in a different world to the one we glimpsed, bleary-eyed, in the dawn of 1 January this year.

At home, the SNP’s majority in the Holyrood election in May is a result the magnitude of which has still not been fully absorbed, and the consequences of which have still to play out. The entire dynamic of Scottish politics is changed, with the forthcoming referendum on independence threatening to shape all other political discourse. In the Middle East the Arab Spring showed both the power of protest and the intransigence of leaders who feel they have a God-given right to power.

Again, the full consequences have yet to be played out. The same goes for the economic uncertainty that threatens prosperity, security and jobs across the developed world, and the future of the euro. Partly because of this, Britain’s relationship with Europe is now unrecognisable from what it was a year ago.

In short, this has been a watershed year, a time when old certainties evaporated and old assumptions became instantly obsolete. We end the year not knowing where these new waterways will flow, and where they will leave us.

Before the new year arrives, we wish all our readers a happy and restful Christmas. We look forward to you joining us again on 1 January to face what other momentous events the coming year may bring.