What a year it's been and what a year we have to look forward to. There's no doubt that the two most extraordinary political events must be the result of the EU referendum and Donald Trump's victory in the US. As a staunch Brexiteer, the first came as a relief and to some extent a surprise. After all the warnings of famine, war and economic ruin, I failed to have sufficient faith in the British people, for them to see through the smoke and mirrors, and simply to vote to secure the very freedom and democracy that so many have fought and died to preserve. The EU political experiment has failed and was always going to. More and more people across Europe are seeing the futility of this exercise and the consequences it brings, not least being trapped in the euro, which is damaging the southern European members in particular. Still, the vote is now behind us and many exciting opportunities lie ahead. As an independent nation we can forge our trade deals around the world, rather than rely on them being handed out by the EU like welfare. Quite extraordinary how emasculated the UK has become since we joined the EU, reliant on hand-outs that have originated from our own taxpayers. Tragically, terrorism and violence continue to dominate the news and we are going to have to both combat and live with it for many years to come. The ugly scenes in Aleppo only remind us how cruel mankind continues to be. I hope our new Prime Minister will see fit to spend more money on our armed forces next year. The world is as unstable as it's ever been in my lifetime and we need to be ready for the unexpected and of course to support our NATO allies should the need arise, which we hope it won't. I also hope that the Government does not follow the populist line on what some see as curbing the worse excesses of the press. The so-called Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act could see papers paying libel costs even if they won a defamation case. The issue is out to consultation until early next year when the Government is going to make a decision as to where it will head. There are quite enough laws governing the press already and we do not need any more. What's more, the majority of papers have signed up to independent regulator IPSO already and that's where we should leave it, in my view. Finally, former Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman remains in jail until his appeal hearing in early February. It is hoped that a new defence team can have the verdict of murder substituted to manslaughter after new evidence is heard in court. Mr Blackman shot a fatally wounded insurgent in Afghanistan at close range in 2011. Many of us have campaigned hard for more than two years for this case to be heard again and our fingers are crossed. Can I wish you a happy and peaceful New Year and let's hope the country comes together as we look to exciting times ahead.