Scotsman's review of the year part 4: Another new Prime Minister, Harry and Meghan, and magical Messi

OctoberHuge crowds turned out in Dunfermline to greet the new King, who offered his “warmest congratulations” to Scotland’s newest city as he conferred the status in an honour he said would “gladden my dear mother’s heart”. The ceremony was the first undertaken by Charles III and the Queen Consort after the official period of mourning for the Queen ended.

King Charles III greets members of the public after an official council meeting at the City Chambers in Dunfermline, Fife, to formally mark the conferral of city status on the former town

The Edinburgh International Film Festival and two of Scotland’s independent cinemas suddenly ceased trading after the charity behind them collapsed into administration. A “perfect storm” of reduced audiences due to the pandemic, rising energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis were blamed for the demise of the Centre for the Moving Image, which ran the festival and the Filmhouse cinemas in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP conference she planned to fund investment in an independent Scotland with oil revenues and borrowing. She admitted independence would not be a “miracle economic cure” and would pose “many challenges” for Scotland.

Prime Minister Liz Truss sacked her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and ditched their commitment to drop the planned rise in corporation tax in a desperate bid to save her premiership.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak became prime minister in October

But she continued to face calls to resign from within her own party, while her new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set about effectively scrapping her economic prospectus.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman then dealt Ms Truss another blow as she resigned and suggested the Prime Minister should quit too.

Ms Braverman’s resignation was followed by farcical scenes in the House of Commons as the Government appeared to U-turn on whether to strip the whip from Tory MPs who backed a ban on fracking. Labour former minister Chris Bryant alleged some MPs had been “physically manhandled into another lobby”.

The following day, Ms Truss resigned after just 44 days in office, ending the shortest premiership in British history, with a replacement to be elected by the end of the following week.

I'm a politician ... get me back in there! Matt Hancock returns to Westminster for the first time since his TV turn in the jungle.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson soon pulled out of the leadership race, leaving Rishi Sunak as frontrunner against Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt.

When Ms Mordaunt withdrew, Mr Sunak became the first British Asian prime minister and the youngest for more than 200 years. He warned the Conservatives must “unite or die” in the face of a “profound economic challenge”.

At Holyrood, nine SNP MSPs defied the party whip and community safety minister Ash Regan quit in the largest rebellion in the party’s history in government over controversial gender recognition legislation.

November

New SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, left, sits next to his deputy leader Mhairi Black in the Commons

Former UK health secretary Matt Hancock lost the Tory whip after signing up to join the reality TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Mr Hancock said he would use his appearance on the show filmed in the Australian jungle to promote awareness of dyslexia, but campaigners for families bereaved in the Covid pandemic accused him of trying to “cash in on his terrible legacy”.

As world leaders gathered in Egypt for Cop27, the UN warned the past eight years are on track to be the hottest on record and bring ever more dramatic and deadly impacts of climate change.

Sir Gavin Williamson quit Mr Sunak’s Cabinet after conceding that mounting allegations about him had become a “distraction”. The allegations including a claim that he sent expletive-laden messages to former chief whip Wendy Morton about being refused an invitation to the Queen’s funeral.

Amid a growing wave of industrial unrest across the UK, Royal College of Nursing (Scotland) voted to strike over the winter for the first time in its 106-year history. Thousands of teachers also announced plans for walkouts over the winter.

An image from romantic comedy film Gregory’s Girl was projected onto the Filmhouse in Edinburgh as part of the campaign to save it

A Scot who had reportedly been held in an Iraqi prison since September over a bank debt was released. Brian Glendinning, a construction worker from Kincardine in Fife, was contracted to work at a BP oil refinery in the country when he was arrested at Baghdad airport.

Two people were killed by a missile in Nato member Poland, prompting fears of an escalation of the war in Ukraine. It later emerged the strike was an accident and the missile was likely to have been launched by Ukrainians.

Inflation soared to a 41-year high, prompting Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to warn of “difficult decisions” as he prepared his Autumn Statement.

The following day, Mr Hunt was accused of pushing more people into poverty as he set out plans for almost £25bn in tax increases and more than £30bn in spending cuts.

A panel of five Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled Holyrood does not have the power to legislate for another independence referendum. In response, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP would seek to establish “majority support” for independence and convene a special party conference next year to agree details of a “de facto” referendum plan for the next general election. The court ruling put the role of civil servants in Scotland under fresh scrutiny from the UK government.

December

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Courtesy of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Ian Blackford resigned as the SNP’s leader at Westminster amid rumours of a coup by his colleagues led by Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn. Mr Flynn won the contest to replace Mr Blackford, comfortably defeating Alison Thewliss, who was believed to be Ms Sturgeon’s preferred choice.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime minister Gordon Brown outlined their party’s vision to protect the Union, abolish the House of Lords and give Scotland an “enhanced” role in the UK. Sir Keir said Ms Sturgeon’s plan to turn the next general election into a “de facto” referendum on independence defies common sense.

Tory peer Baroness Michelle Mone took a leave of absence from the House of Lords to “clear her name” over allegations “unjustly” levelled against her relating to a firm that was awarded contracts for personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Reports suggested she may have profited from PPE Medpro winning public contracts worth more than £200m to supply equipment after she recommended it to ministers.

Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove granted approval for the UK’s first new coal mine in 30 years at a site near Whitehaven in Cumbria. The controversial project will create 500 jobs and supply coking coal for the steel industry.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ tell-all documentary series began streaming on Netflix, with Harry accusing the royal family of having a “huge level of unconscious bias” and Meghan claiming the media wanted to “destroy” her.

A man accused of being the bombmaker in the Lockerbie terrorist attack was taken into US custody. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi was said to be the “third conspirator” behind the downing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988.

The boss of the oil and gas industry body warned against “environmental populism” as she prepared to leave the role after eight years. Deirdre Michie, outgoing chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, told The Scotsman that Mr Hunt’s decision to increase the windfall tax on oil and gas companies would do nothing to reduce demand but would increase carbon emissions and lead to job losses.

A major incident was declared in Shetland after heavy snow left thousands of homes without power. Temperatures plunged to record levels, with minus 17.3 recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire, making it the coldest place in the UK for the second night in a row.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney sparked fears over Scotland’s competitiveness as he unveiled income tax rises for more than half a million Scots. Business leaders pointed to a widening tax gap with the rest of the UK and said the changes would make Scotland a less attractive place to live and work.

Meanwhile, councils said essential public services “may have to stop altogether” because of the scale of the cuts contained in Mr Swinney’s Scottish Budget, and teachers’ leaders warned of higher class sizes and reduced subject choices in schools.

Argentina’s talismanic captain Lionel Messi led his side to a dramatic World Cup final victory against France in Qatar. Argentina won on penalties after France equalised twice.