New Year is a time of resolutions, but also reflections. And for many reflecting on 2022, it will seem like a bad year.
War has once again returned to Europe, leaving tens – perhaps hundreds – of thousands of dead, with many more forced to flee their homes.
Illnesses, from Covid to cancer, have continued to blight our lives.
The economy has lurched from one disaster to another, with seemingly no end in sight.
And yet, despite all that and more, there is also plenty we can take comfort from.
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is a vile act that has brought untold suffering, but it is faltering.
It has helped create the greatest cohesion in Western foreign policy since the horrific evil of 9/11.
A hemisphere that just a few short years ago looked to be riven by decline and division under Donald Trump is now united and assertive under President Joe Biden.
NATO, the bedrock of our security, has not just survived but been strengthened, with previously reticent states, such as Sweden and Finland, rushing to join the pack as well.
Meanwhile, brave Ukrainian troops are demonstrating the superiority of Western technology on the frontline, outwitting and outgunning their Russian adversaries who have underestimated Ukrainian courage and resolve, and NATO firepower.
West’s Covid response puts China’s to shame
Covid-19 took a massive – and, as yet, not fully understood – toll on our lives.
But, thanks to our brilliant medical researchers delivering a comprehensive vaccine, we were finally able to move out of the lockdown cycle in 2022.
Indeed, not only has the Covid-19 vaccine helped end the pandemic in the West, it has also spurred further medical advancement, with suggestions it may provide a treatment for certain cancers in the near future.
Contrast this record with that of China, which, despite being one of the most draconian countries in the world, has so far failed not only to produce a viable vaccine but even a coherent policy to manage the spread of the virus.
As we reflect on 2022, we can take comfort from the fact that predictions of authoritarian China challenging the hegemony of democratic America now seem premature.
Economic mistakes of 2022 must not be repeated
Last year will perhaps be best remembered though for economic turmoil.
The joy of the ending of Covid-19 restrictions has been tempered by high inflation, non-existent growth and a looming recession.
These global headwinds were further exasperated in the UK by Liz Truss’s ill-fated mini-budget, which crashed the pound and shot mortgage rates – already under pressure – into the stratosphere.
This, coupled with rising energy costs, has been a disaster for the finances of many families across the UK.
The silver lining, such as it is, will be of little comfort to those currently facing hardship.
But is worth noting that Truss’s disastrous foray has effectively killed any prospect of unfunded Thatcherite economic experimentation by others in the near future.
Both the Tories and Labour now not only know they must deliver growth, but that this growth must be fair and – crucially – not come at the expense of the worse off.
That is a subtle but important change in the framing of our political debate, and one that should – in time – pay dividends for us all.
All of this means that we can look to 2023 and beyond with hope.
It will not be easy, and we will undoubtedly face severe challenges.
The war in Russia could yet turn in Putin’s favour, while Xi Jinping, his authority eroded, could lash out against Taiwan.
The Tories could yet make the economy worse.
But whatever challenges we face in 2023, 2022 has shown we have the structure, ideas and character to meet them.
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