"A New Year stretches out in front of us yet again and some people will make resolutions that for quite a few will not last very long, but many will hope for better times ahead. We have a new Labour Government and there is to be a new Government in the Irish Republic with the predictable promise of 'a closer working relationship' between our two Countries, and of course Donald Trump takes up office in a few weeks time in the USA.
There are many uncertainties in the year ahead. President Trump will herald changes internationally not just in the Middle East and Ukraine but for millions of consumers as tariffs will be the subject of discussions in the time ahead. In Northern Ireland it is vital that Unionists maintain the pressing need for the Starmer led Government to get discussions underway to resolve the outstanding trading issues that remain for people wanting to do business within the UK between GB and NI.
The SF leader in the Irish Republic Mary Lou McDonald is remaining consistent however in that she has stated her belief that Gerry Adams was never in the IRA, this is at least on a par with her other belief that there's going to be a United Ireland, many of us who don't live in that parallel universe know the error of both views. The Northern Ireland that we now have can only move forward when there is the consent of people across our divided society. That's why Mary Lou is mistaken like so many of her predecessors.
We must keep building that better future that almost everyone else wants, while not allowing the re writing of the past."