2016 Review This Week

# I'm finding I can fly so high above with you...#

Welcome to the final This Week of 2016.

And I have to tell you that it's been a bit of struggle because most

of the team have come down with the dreaded lurgy that's been

doing the rounds and some are really quite poorly.

A loyal viewer in Moscow, a Mr V Putin of Number Ten, The Kremlin,

took pity on our plight and kindly sent us some Russian

They did nothing for our influenza but three of the team can now run

100 metres in under ten seconds and the producer is competing in

Some of us think she should have been for the high jump years ago.

Anyway, I think a few of our little elves have been OD-ing

on the Russian stuff, because they've started

voting to leave the EU, David Cameron resigning as PM,

Theresa May becoming PM, Donald Trump becoming President

of the United States and the Western democracies standing by doing

nothing as the people of Aleppo are pummelled to death by a brutal

I have assured these poor deluded souls that they're

just hallucinating, having a bad dream,

and that none of these ridiculous things really happened in 2016.

Since then, they've been cowering in their boltholes,

sucking their thumbs and staring strangely at me.

But I'm sure they'll snap out of it by Christmas.

And speaking of the festive season, if Santa is watching,

Michael would like to withdraw that handwritten note he sent you up

the chimney last week asking for you to bring him a train set.

He's decided he'd be better off without it because it'll just lead

to family squabbles about who gets to close the bloody doors.

Anyway, to cheer us all up we decided to book ourselves

some nice carol singers, but they were on strike.

# You want to stop talking # Why don't you give it a rest?

# You've got more rapid than Sainsbury's

# Time you got it off your chest # You were the kind of girl to break

my heart into # I knew it when I set my eyes on

you # But how was I to know you would

bend my holes, too? # With your incessant talking,

you're becoming a pest # Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit. #

Now, we're feeling extra festive this year, folks.

So much so that we're going to break our golden rule.

That's right, we want to hear from you.

means it's beginning to look a lot like Twelfies!

So, tweet us your festive selfies but remember you have to be seen

Our technology elves will be on hand to edit them into our end credits.

For a chance to get on our Christmas smorgasbord,

And, in the spirit of reaching out to those left out

in the cold of politics, we've lined our manger

with the finest political minds we could book at such short

I'm joined by our resident lambs to the slaughter,

Michael #sadmanonatrain Portillo and Alan #sadmanontheleft Johnson,

plus the twinkling Miranda #sheslovely Green, and by the SNP's

North Star, steadfast and shining bright as ever, John

Finally, we're joined by the only guests that really matter,

What a line-up. No money has been broken in this programme. Tell me,

moments of the year? Let me bank the election of Mr Trump and the Brexit

-- Brexit vote. What other big moment caught your eye? For years I

had to live with the morbid fear that Boris Johnson would be Prime

Minister. So the moment of the year for me was when he was dispatched by

Michael Gove. And I believe Michael Gove should be awarded an hereditary

dukedom for what he did. He certainly saved the country from

Boris being Prime Minister, a great moment in our history. A moment of

the year untouched by personal animus. Mine is the Hillsborough

enquiry. After a long fight, 30 years, people who had no power, no

influence, managed to succeed against forces of the state, whether

it is the press or the police, who covered up what was happening, or

fabricated what was happening. It was a great victory for those

families and their perseverance. Miranda Green. For me, it was

listening to Theresa May buzz my first conference speech as Prime

Minister. That is a bit like you. There you go. The moment when she

delivered the line, if you are a citizen of the world, you are a

citizen of nowhere. It seemed to capture this new spirit of trying to

patriotic recapture a swathe of voters who felt politics was not

listening to them. It seemed to encapsulated a moment where she

could win big if she can keep the coalition together, but that speech

contained lots that started to unravel and could go wrong, which

can happen on a wider scale as well. Did you take it as a personal attack

on yourself? I am a Londoner, born and bred, so I know where I am from.

I have no problem with my Pat Richards. Some people might think

that being pro-EU makes me an patriotic. It was just a tease! I

know. The obvious ones are Donald Trump and Brexit. Looking outside

politics for a second, I thought Andy Murray was a fabulous moment. I

like Andy Murray. Do you think he is Scottish, at all? Well spotted. No,

because he won, he is British. He has a charm, hasn't he? And he has

got so much criticism because he doesn't... He is not to him. He does

not have that Sutherlin, sweet... Tim was not exactly a laugh a

minute. The girls liked him on Henman Hill. I like Andy. There is a

charm about him and he is becoming a national treasure.

Now, as you know 2016 has been a pretty uneventful year, apart

from the high profile break up of Brangelina, which for poor

Michael brought memories of the Abbottillo split back

Since Diane left, Michael has been like a reindeer in the headlights,

the lost puppy of late night political chat, more lonely

So when we got the invitation to his Christmas party we were faced

in the Royal Mail strikes, or endure hours of endless conversation

about the 07.34 milk train from Bushey to Cheddington.

So, as ever, if we have to endure it, so do you.

See it as the replacement bus service of Christmas parties.

Welcome to the Question Time Christmas special.

It's the This Week Christmas Roundup.

It's been a trying 12 months at This Week Towers.

With the part-time team of five split down the middle over the great

Should Ed Balls have won Strictly Come Dancing?

So this year, Michael has invited the whole crew to his home

in Kensington and Chelsea, to bring everyone back together,

Remember, lads, don't give them too much of this good stuff,

Michael's even invited the neighbours.

Inside, the staff get to grips with their new roles.

Why am I relegated to this butler stuff?

I won, matey, I should be the toast of the ball.

It's about time you got a proper job.

You trust fund Tories are out on your ear.

Cut the whining and get back to Chipping Norton.

Oh, yeah, it's all gone swimmingly for you, hasn't it, mate?

Look here, if you hadn't voted for Corbyn...

Don't you realise the ladies are in charge now?

But after such a topsy-turvy year, not everyone's feeling festive.

I'm sorry, it's just that everything is so...

What do Santa's little helpers learn at school?

Honestly, it's worse than Prime Minister's Questions.

Everyone's getting a little bit tipsy, and no one wants to leave.

# Never going to give you up, never going to let you down...#

Here's a song for all you bitter old Remainers.

Michael, will the decision to leave the EU, will it be historic, in the

sense of great, or historic in the sense of dreadful? I think in the

sense of great. I think the UK has been deeply unhappy in the European

Union for all the time it has been there. I think European Union

members on the continent and ourselves have wholly different

ambitions for Europe. We are better off divorced, going our separate

ways. I think great trouble lies ahead for Europe. The euro,

migration. I think we have probably left a sinking ship. A good

decision. Miranda. I suppose for people like me, hoping for a soft

Brexit, I am hoping it is not a historic moment, because I do not

want a clean break and I think that would be a huge mistake, so I am

hoping for something softer than a historical moment. Allen. Historic,

and I hope Michael is right but I doubt it. My fear is we will spend

every ounce of political capital and energy focused on this for a long

time. And in a sense, we are scrambling just to get back to where

we are now, in terms of trade deals and other things. It certainly

dominates. Every story is Brexit. The ex-head of the World Trade

Organisation said it would take five years. Anything other than that,

between 10-15 years. I think that is probably true. But in the end, let's

hope Michael is right and there is this brilliant future. John. It is a

terrible decision and I'm sad about it. It shows Britain at its worst,

narrow, parochial, suspicious of outsiders. I am terribly sorry it

happened. I hope Scotland remains in the European Union. I have lived in

England for a long time and I love it, and I think it will be a tragedy

for England. And Scotland, if it leaves. I certainly do not want to

see Scotland leave. I think it would be a bad move. The mood music out of

Brussels for Scottish politicians is so different from the reaction at

the time of the independence referendum, when they were the bad

boys who wanted to break up a unitary state. Now we are seen as

the good Europeans who want to stay. So I hope there is a reward for that

for us. We shall see. Not been a great year for Labour. Do things get

better or worse next year? I am tempted to say it cannot get

must -- much worse. In the absence of national elections next year,

unless there is a surprise, may give us time to get back on the front

foot. Certainly we have to decide, are we a party of government or are

we a party of protest? Fracking, somehow we are against this now. A

party of protest comes out and says we are against fracking. A party who

wants to be the next government is more cautious about these issues and

has an energy policy. My hope now Jeremy Corbyn will be there and

fight the next election. I want him to win and create the right climate.

How good the Prime Minister will Theresa May be? She is an

improvement on what went before. Yes, I thought the last Prime

Minister couldn't really see a corner without wanting to take it on

two wheels. Too many risks, too talkative and too many half baked

initiatives. Theresa May is keeping her own counsel. I don't expect her

to be a great Prime Minister, I only expect to have one great Prime

Minister in my lifetime. Tony Blair or Gordon Brown? I meant Margaret

Thatcher, how could you not see that. The Lib Dems have won a single

by-election in a posh, leafy London suburb. Not exactly the dawning of a

new age? No, but it is better than it has been for the last few years.

It is better to win by-elections than lose them? It is and it has

cheered everybody up. I have been sceptical that Jeremy Corbyn's

leadership of the Labour Party is a great opportunity for the Lib Dems.

But the Richmond by-election says it can be in isolated cases, picking up

seats and get the number of MPs back up again and having a national

platform. No doubt the Brexit vote gives the Lib Dems and opportunity.

Labour can only be pro-European and anti-Brexit. It makes you

distinctive at least? It is a clear position, which is an advantage over

the Labour Party at the moment. You talked about Scotland staying but

Britain voted as Britain to leave the EU. Support for Scottish

independence is unchanged since the last referendum, is it slipping

away? I don't think people have focused on what Brexit means. What

effect as it had on their daily lives, they have been abroad, apple

iPad 's cost more than they cost before, but I don't think people are

focused on it long-term. I think it will change. You have been around

politics long time, Andrew, you know where the direction of travel is

heading the huge turnaround. The way young people think about

independence... Young people get older and they often change their

views. What is interesting about that, the evidence is, as young

people get older, as people who have been persuaded of independents get

older, they don't change their minds on independence. The polls say they

stay committed to independence. You are still behind in the polls? We

are, but the last time we had a referendum, there was a 15% move.

But you are starting from a higher base this time. When is it going to

come? I don't know when it is going to come. I don't think any decision

has been reached on that. I am convinced independence will happen.

History shows that is the way the direction of travel is going, but we

don't have a date, as you know. Alan, what do you make of Miranda's

point the Lib Dems have a clear cut position on Brexit, they want a

second referendum on the deal, they would like to overturn and reverse

it. The Tories, by and large, in favour of Brexit. Labour, in between

and not so clear? I will be slightly contentious, the Lib Dems seem to be

saying, ignore the referendum result. With eight MPs and nothing

to lose, they might as well do that. Going back to a party of government,

we have got to bring back together the 52% and the 48%. Keir Starmer's

speech on Tuesday this week is very interesting, in the sense he is

saying, we have to tackle migration. Migration was the big issue. You

could feel the referendum slipping away from you from the time of those

ONS figures. Higher than ever before, even higher than when the

accession countries came in. Keir Starmer was saying, the government

has to forget this myth of getting net migration down to the tens of

thousands and Labour has to recognise that the migration is the

issue. Without something done on free movement, then we cannot get

the rest of the deal. The rest of the deal must be to aspire to stay

in the single market, to aspire to stay in the custom's union. Whether

it is achievable or not, that must be the objective. We voted, as a

country, to leave the EU on June the 23rd. It is almost December the

25th! Is there not a feeling among some of the Brexiteers, it is time

to get on with it? Yes, but they have been told for many months it

will be triggered in late March. It is still feasible. I wouldn't have

thought their impatience was so very great. It is a long time since he

thought it was any date before late March. She, the Prime Minister, by

not being clear of what she wants to do, she has created a vacuum. It is

not to her advantage? I have gone through this before. I don't think

she can say what are negotiating position is. It is a virtue that she

doesn't provide a running commentary. It was the advice from

her predecessor. I would rather have a bit of silence, possibly leaving a

bit of room for others to make mischief, then constantly setting up

Aunt Sally that can be knocked down. I have spoken to a lot of

Brexiteers, they want to get on with it. There is a limit as to how long

you can keep parroting this cliche, we're not giving a running

commentary because people think there is nothing happening that is

logical and orchestrated and the government is somewhat at sea. I

think this is going to be difficult. In my opinion there will be nothing

said for the next two and a half years. I think all the decisions we

have with jumped up European officials will mean nothing, it has

to be a political settlement. One of the parties of that settlement will

have to be the president of France, we have no idea who that is going to

be so people will have to be patient. Final thoughts, Miranda? I

agree with Michael are not giving a running commentary, but those cries

of betrayal will come and Theresa May has to compromise in some way

and then there will be cries of betrayal. We need to move on.

Now, it's late, running out of Blue Nun eggnog late.

But waiting in the wings to warm us all up is a man who makes

Father Christmas look like a cub scout.

Yes, Brian Blessed will be here with the This Week secret Santa.

And as we're feeling jolly, please share the Snapcheer,

put on your Fleecebook and get tinselly on Twitter.

And like the gift that keeps on taking, we go back

He seems to be the only ancient railway institution that refuses

to break down or go on strike, more's the pity.

Welcome back to the This Week party, where the celebrations

Well, Pienaar, you've got the VIP list remember it and good luck.

It's difficult sometimes now to recall who's who.

I'm still waiting for David Cameron, Hillary Clinton, Matteo Renzi,

Francois Hollande and I had to turn away some guy, blonde hair,

Just make sure you keep them both out, you hear?

Sir, do you think the chief is going to want me back again next year?

A great big, beautiful wall and Mrs Partridge at number 22

Inside, everyone was playing a game of charades.

All right then, who am I am I, Rocher, Rocher.

I'm the new ambassador to Liechtenstein, Nigel Farage, silly.

Hang on a minute, there isn't even a British embassy in Liechtenstein.

Donald Trump asked me to join his cabinet.

You didn't tell me we were going to have people around.

And Aled Jones too, what are you doing here?

Look, it's that lovely little fellow from The Snowman.

I once built a snowman at Everest base camp.

I called him Boris, because he melts away in the morning.

Right, who wants to join me in a spot of carol singing?

# Round, yon virgin mother and child.

Michael, you were one of the few people to predict Mr Trump's

victory. Give us one good reason why we should celebrate the fact it

happen? One good reason is we have a president of the United States who

understands Brexit. Low president of the United States has been able to

think about the European question before. They have taken it the

granted that Britain should be part of the European Union. When they

have seen France trying to undermine Nato constantly, harking on about

the idea of a European defence identity. They have not recognised

the danger to the institutions. The French ambition is to get France out

of Europe. At least Donald Trump recognises the shortcomings of the

European Union and supports us in our Brexit. Is it supported to have

a president in office who supports Brexit? The only good thing I can

think of is Nigel Farage might move to America as a result of Donald

Trump being elected. That would be very good, it would cheer me up. One

good thing? Life begins at 70, doesn't it? You are very

philosophical tonight. How long is it going to be before all the folk

who voted for him feel a real sense of betrayal? How about this as a

revolution for the little guy. Luckily is pointing to his cabinet,

rich, powerful white men. Similar to Eisenhower's cabinet in the 50s. He

presided over eight years of growth and two terms. Are you expecting

that from Donald Trump? I am not. I feel depressed over the prospects of

Donald Trump. America is in a different place than it was in the

50s. Wouldn't it be good if the electoral college rebelled and voted

against him. It is nice to dream at this time of year. One good reason?

If I am forced to find something to admire, I do think he has an uncanny

ability to communicate through the kind of, outwardly gobbledygook he

is saying. He gets to the heart of the issue and directs directly with

people. I think John's leader is very direct as well. If there is

something to learn from Trump and Nicola Sturgeon's success in the

SNP, if you look at the way they address crowds and the way they talk

in television interviews, they have some magic... I am not comparing the

two as politicians or even in their style of communication, but it is a

very powerful thing in politics. If you watch clips of Trump, the way he

gets simple messages across, it is a talent. It might be wise for the

First Minister to think about instead of ranting against Mr Trump,

what opportunities there is for somebody who is proud of having a

Scottish mother. I don't think she ranted. There is no evidence that

Trump is proud of having a Scottish mother. There is. I know people who

have spoken to him. He has only visited once. If I was proud of

having a Scottish mother I think I might go back to her home island

more than one in seven decades. Interestingly, he phoned her. He

initiated the phone call and he phoned her and had a substantial

chat with her. Can we take it for granted that Mr Putin will have a

good Christmas? Yes, and probably next Christmas and the Christmas

after that. Because? He has moved into a vacuum. As the Western powers

have held back, Putin has been in there. And with Trump being elected

in America, that strengthens his position as well. Do you get the

feeling the world feels a less secure place than at the beginning

of the year? It depends who you are. I am having quite a good evening

because I am realising how unhappy John is by everything that has

happened this year. That's the Christmas spirit! I revel in John's

unhappiness, says Michael. Mr Santer. I think, with the end of the

Syrian war, possibly security does take a step forward. It is not the

outcome that the British Foreign Office wanted. It is a very brutal

end. It has not ended yet. They have taken Aleppo but the rebels control

swathes of the country, including Islamic State. I think it is

substantially at an end. And now there is going to be this experiment

of Putin and Trump working together. I don't think it will be successful

in the medium term but it might make a difference in the short term. Does

the world feel more dangerous? I think so. I would not say it is the

end of Syria. I think the conditions in Syria and across the western

world, with the rise of right mache nihilism, are good conditions to

ferment more Islamic extremism. And French and German elections.

Exactly, divisions everywhere, which cannot add to security. We have had

Brexit, Trump's victory, Mr Renzi's defeat in Italy. Why do I get the

impression that the political establishment, of which I regard you

as part, still don't quite get it? Well, it's a problem, isn't it. Do

what -- to what extent do you feed the worst xenophobia. The Labour

Party has been down that route several times. I think that is the

wrong way to tackle this, because I don't think you win if you go down

that route. You would have no control on immigration? I think you

have to champion the virtues of Liberal democracy, of immigration,

certainly. So you haven't learned the lessons, really? I think the

lessons people are trying to learn the wrong lessons. The right lesson

would be the status quo, would it not? Certainly, there is something

for me to celebrate because we won a third election in a row in Scotland,

unprecedented, with a system designed to stop it happening. We

are keen to see immigration. You don't get much. Actually, it has

changed. When I go to Glasgow, you find a lot of people, especially

from Eastern Europe, who are coming to Scotland and we welcome them. I

will believe that when I see it. I don't think the establishment has

learned its lesson, despite the three whacks it took this year. Yes,

but where I agree with John is that we must not start ditching... I

disagree, I don't think there is anything progressive about mass

migration which needs to be controlled and people are worried,

not racist and xenophobic but worried about that and they would

like politicians to help. But we must not suddenly become enemies of

the value of migration. And we mustn't lose those Liberal values.

But you need to speak to people's concerns and it does not seem you

are doing that. In the last three weeks I have sat next to Ed Balls,

Liz Kendall and Alan Johnson and all three have told me they are in

favour of controlling immigration. I may not have known your positions

year by year, but that seems a big movement in the establishment. But

it is more than immigration. It is a sense of injustice among ordinary

wage earners, a sense that the people who created the crash of 2008

got away with it, a sense that inequality is have got wider and

wider, that if you are a wage earner you have not done well, if you owned

a lot of assets, quantitative easing has made these assets are worth even

more, even though you have done nothing. As I grew up as a baby

boomer, we shared in growth. The feeling was that the economy was a

tool of society, and now people think it is the other way around. If

anything sums up the general trend for a lot of different issues this

year, it may be that. The problem for mainstream parties on the centre

right and centre left has been that as the public react to open door

immigration, react to growing inequalities, to a sense that

ordinary blue-collar workers are getting a raw deal, the mainstream

parties don't really have anything constructive to say to them. They

don't, because there has been a powerlessness about politics under

globalisation. So there has been a limit to what governments could do

to mitigate the effects of globalisation on those who have not

felt they have shared in the prosperity. That has been a problem.

Possibly also there has been a slight shrugging by the political

class about those who felt they did not share in it. They will not be

shrugging any more after this year. They will not be if Marine Le Pen

does well in the French elections. If that does not wake them up,

nothing will. Now, let's get more cockney

cheer from Chas Dave. # She was in a temper, pulling out

her hair # I don't care, I don't care if he

comes down here # If he comes around here

# Let the mother sorted out # I don't care if he comes down here

# I don't care, I don't care # I don't care if he comes around

here # If he comes around here

# I don't care if he comes round here. #

And back by popular demand, our resident Christmas Miracle Brian

Blessed has graced us with his presence.

I think he has some secret Santa gifts for us!

I do indeed. Hello, Michael, you are looking absolutely fetching. What a

marvellous waistcoat. He does dress beautifully. I voted you best actor

in that montage. I feel a star has been born. He flies beautifully,

almost as well as me. I think he was the star that fell to Earth. Merry

Christmas! And a happy new year. Don't feel you are neglected. I was

wondering when you were getting to this. I am getting to it in the end.

The Guardian. That fits Alan beautifully. I'm not sure about

that, but there we go. And the Daily Record. That must be John. My

favourite. The gorgeous Miranda. Something lovely in there. Michael,

we have not forgotten you. Thank you. Have we got one for Molly?

Hello, Molly. You can open the presents. You don't have to wait.

And Michael... The Financial Times. It's Andrew. Michael, there you are.

What was your moment of 2016? I don't agree with Michael at all. I

know nothing about politics. Michael is a wonderful Spaniard. Alan is

wonderful. John is wonderfully Scottish and probably supports

Celtic or Rangers. Miranda comes from the Tempest. Exactly what I

need. My moment of the year... Michael, doesn't that suit you? You

can wear that in Istanbul. That will go down well at Lulu 's. Your

moment. I am very touched by Trump, of course. You have been touched by

Trump? Half the American population has, so why should you lose out. He

knows how to raise his left hand beautifully. And when he said, Nigel

Farage, and Nigel Farage seemed to appear from around his bottom. Nigel

Farage came round to the front. That was the most moving moment of the

year. I think so. What is your hope for 2017? Something you have not

spotted. As you know, we are the children of stardust, yearning for

the stars. I do so much on the space programme. I got the shock of my

life. Did you know this? Trump is going to be a champion of space. He

is going to invest billions in Nasa and revise the space programme,

heading for the moon and Mars and beyond. Of course, I am a little boy

when it comes to space. We have to get out there. So he is already

planning his getaway. He came from planet Zog originally. He is an

alien immigrant. I will take him on my back, on my wings and fly him

there. So you like that, the way Kennedy did in the 1960s. It looks

like that. You have all been very serious and I am Father Christmas. I

am just saying... He should be playing for England. What was I

going to say about Trump. I cannot understand, Michael, at drama school

we had marvellous teachers, students from America, I met professors, I

have filmed with Nasser with a great scientist, the whole lot, brilliant

minds. At their best, the Americans can produce the most wonderful,

sophisticated people. How in hell 's name have they coughed this guy up?

Because America is divided. And remember, he lost the popular vote.

Elections are not fought on the popular vote, as you know. But it is

a mistake to think that America is united. I can speak with authority

in that I was married to an American for 16 years and my National Service

was with upper Heyford, an American base, so I got to know the American

mind. I once dined with the world heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali,

so I know the American mind. As Churchill said, didn't he, we are

divided by a common language. And I think that is very penetrating. What

Churchill said was that in the end, the Americans usually end up doing

the right thing. They just take a long while to get round to it. When

every other option has been excluded. Tell me, as a man of hope

and resilience, what is your message to the British people for 2017?

Well, this Brexit always sounds like a chocolate biscuit, doesn't it?

It's a lovely chocolate biscuit. I love Kit Kat, but there you go.

Other biscuits are available. I am very old-fashioned in the fact that

I do believe in Britain. And I love Britain. I have been President of

the National parks. Our national parks are a huge success story.

Really to reflect. And the world admires since many ways. There are

Normans, Danes, Saxons, etc, Romans. We are such a wonderful... And Celts

as well. A wonderful mixed race. I think we're going to make it. I

think we are a sensational country, and I think we're going to do it. I

think we'll make it. Give me a thought for 2017. Hull, UK city of

culture. Preparing well for it. Michael. I think we will go through

the year recovering our confidence, feeling brighter about the future.

Because the uncertainty will begin to go when Brexit begins? Yes, the

moaning will die down. John. People are intrinsically good and it will

work out in the end. Miranda. I would agree with Brian that we are a

resilient bunch and we will find ways to adapt to anything. That's

it. I think so, Andrew. Will it be better than 2016? This has been a

strange year. It is fascinating, being a wonderful explorer like I

am. Michael is getting around the world now and taking the attention

on himself, which I don't like. I get very jealous. But his last

programme was sensational. But I feel adventure is the key to the new

millennium. And you like adventure. I do feel the government, when you

get to Anatolia, climbing Mount Ararat, you suddenly see Russia,

Georgia, Iran, Anatolia, they are all one country. That is an

extraordinary experience. They are not divided. There you are, said the

Turkish commander, there is Russia, Georgia, Iran, and here we are in

Turkey. And here we are, coming to the end of the year. I think we are

joined as people. Next year, we will have elections in Holland, probably

Italy, definitely France and definitely Germany. All of our

attention, because of the indications of Brexit for all that

and their own implications will be huge. At the same time, as we look

across the Channel, there will be the unfolding spectacle of the Trump

presidency which will demand our attention. Thank goodness I'm a

Gemini because you can look both ways. Hold up your present, let's

see what you got. It cost me a fortune.

Michael is winning everything. Merry Christmas to you.

Now, that's your lot for tonight folks, but not for us,

We're off to Lou Lou's where it's the Theresa May lederhosen night

and Michael's been looking forward to a bit of thigh-slapping all day.

We leave you with the only reason you stayed up this late

and our unique contribution to this most wonderful time of the year.

Nighty, night, don't let the This Week bah humbugs bite.

# Snooker loopy nuts are we # Me and him and them and me

# We'll show you what we can do with a load of balls and a snooker cue

# Pop the red sense grew back for the yellow, green, brown, pink, blue

and black # Snooker loopy nuts are we

# We are all Snooker loopy # Steve came so near to winning the

snooker crown # But he never got to put it on his

ginger nut because the black ball wouldn't go down

# His manager said sod that, but it helped him make his mind up

# He don't care who wins this year because he got the rest of the sign

up. # Snooker loopy nuts are we

# Me and him and him and me # We'll show you what we can do with

a load of balls and a snooker cue # Pop the red sense grew back for

the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black

# Snooker loopy nuts are we # We're all Snooker loopy

# Snooker loopy nuts are we # Me and him and him and me

# We'll show you what we can do with a load of balls and a snooker cue

# Pot the Reds and screw back for the yellow, green, blue, pink and

black # Snooker loopy nuts are we

# Me and him and him and me # We'll show you what we can do with

a load of balls and a snooker cue # Pot the Reds and screw back for

the yellow, green, blue, pink and black

# We're all Snooker loopy. # Let's make this the best

Christmas ever. If it's going to be my last

Christmas, we might as well make it one to

remember.