What to watch out for in the
All eyes will be on how the UK adapts to the new post-brexit arrangement, with Michael Gove already warning it will be “bumpy” for many businesses
Next year will see the UK Government face the aftermath of Brexit, rebuilding the economy after coronavirus and a battle to save the Union.
The number one issue in Westminster will be dealing with the aftermath of Brexit.
B oris Johnson has agreed a deal against the odds and must now prove this really is about forging a “global Britain”.
Failure to agree a deal would have been a financial and social disaster, and one that would have dominated all spending for decades as a result.
Instead all eyes will be on how the UK adapts to the new arrangement, with Michael Gove already warning it will be “bumpy” for many businesses.
The senior Tor y minister has also claimed being outside the EU will help tackle "injustices and inequalities", so how the UK Government sets out doing this will be key to staving off a resurgent Labour par t y.
Delivering a deal, however much worse it is than EU membership, has rallied Conser vatives around the PM, at a time many are
unhappy with him over the coronavirus restrictions.
It has also created a headache for a Labour par t y, with several frontbenchers and a lot more MPS unwilling to suppor t it.
Sir Keir Starmer has told his MPS to vote for it, but the great divisions in his par t y over Brexit are not settled, with many refusing to move on, regardless of the optics.
How the SNP’S refusal to suppor t the deal received is also key.
The par t y has labelled the agreement “damaging” and will not be suppor ting it, despite the only alternative being no deal.
The Tories are framing this as the SNP back
ing no deal, a criticism they hope will cut through despite themselves using no deal as a tool throughout the negotiations.
Then there is the small matter of the Holyrood elections on May 6.
Mr Johnson’s predecessor has already taken Britain out of one union, now he faces losing S cotland from another.
Politically toxic in S cotland, the PM faces an uphill battle to win over an electorate that dislikes him almost as much as it opposes Brexit. A Nationalist majorit y could make the case for indyref 2 undeniable, sparking yet another constitutional crisis.
The most recent poll, pub - lished by Savanta Comres earlier this month in par tnership with The S cotsman, had 58 per cent on Yes when don't knows were excluded. This is the 17th poll in a row to show a Yes lead.
How Westminster tries to ward off an SNP majorit y and second referendum will shape much of the early months of next year and beyond, with the PM well aware S cotland leaving would define his premiership.
November saw the Union Unit set up, tasked with battling the surging suppor t for S cottish independence. The unit aims to utilise social media and traditional media platforms to spread its message to S cots that their future belongs with the UK.
S o far ideas have included putting up more Union flags and even asking for them to be stamped on the coronavirus vaccine.
The ideas from this group will be crucial if unionism is to make any breakthrough among the electorate.
The election will be the first significant test of new Tor y leader Douglas Ross, who has thus far sought to establish the S cottish Tories as a significantly different entit y to the main brand.
Mr Ross has been an outspoken critic of his own part y and also made clear his group will no longer vote on English- only matters.
Focusing instead on issues such as the care home crisis and vaccine roll- out, S cotland’s main opposition part y look unlikely to achieve the success of 2016, but know the real target now is doing enough to stop a SNP majorit y.
This has even seen Mr Ross hint his par t y could form a coalition with Labour, in a clear move to unite the unionism vote.
Sir Keir has proven pop - ular in S cotland and will make visits nor th of the B order where he will stress a better offer under a Labour Government. Whether his approval translates to the embattled Richard Leonard remains to be seen.
For MPS across the house, the main concern will be the economy. R avaged by the pandemic, how the UK Government tries to balance the books remains to be seen.
A fiscal liber tarian despite his spending, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is loath to raise taxes. Not doing so was in the Tor y manifesto, but so was not cutting the Foreign Aid budget.
These decisions will need
to come while the UK continues to keep the spending taps on.
The furlough scheme has been extended, as has the increase in Universal Credit. Opposition par ties are demanding the latter becomes permanent, a big ask from a government that had to be pressured into paying for school meals.
Mr Johnson will also have to handle the jobs crisis. The UK unemployment rate is currently at 4.9 per cent, meaning 1.69 million peo - ple are unemployed. It is expected to reach 2.6 million next year, according to the government's economic watchdog, 7.5 per cent of the working age population.
The Chancellor has repeatedly warned he “cannot save ever y job” and with hospitalit y continuing to be hit by restrictions, more job losses are cer tain.
To address this, Mr Johnson promised a green job revolution, as par t of his “levelling up agenda”. Cre - ating 250,000 jobs by 2030, this investment will come too late for many. Finally there is transpor t. Through the Union Connectivit y Review, the UK Government next year wants to focus on improving air links, boosting road and rail for S cotland, cutting journey times to Nor th Wales, and building a fixed link bet ween Great Britain and Nor thern Ireland.
How this will translate to actual improvements and spending remains to be seen.