or someone less showy? my pitch is simple, i'm theresa may and i think i'm the best person to be prime minister of this country. michael gove launched an attempt that was ultimately doomed. the problem: he was supposed to be managing boris johnson's bid for the topjob. having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, i have concluded that person cannot be me. yes, his supporters wept on a day that has become synonymous with tory treachery. over the course of the last few days i've realised that while boris does have those special abilities to communicate and to reach out, what he did not have was the capacity to build and to lead that team and provide leadership this country needs at this critical moment. it left only one other contender. andrea ledsom. the energy minister, an energetic leave campaigner, andrea leadsom. what do we want?

we want it? and now! but supporters mounted a march on parliament then she gave a newspaper interview that was interpreted as her saying she would make a better pm because she had kids and her campaign and her campaign ground to a halt. i have, however, concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well supported prime minister. so theresa may arrived in downing street. if you are just managing, i want to address you directly. i know you're working around the clock, i know you're doing your best, but i know that sometimes life can be a struggle. the government i lead will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. we will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. she paused plans for a new nuclear power station at hinkley point over concerns about chinese involvement, then gave it the go—ahead.

she approved a third runway at heathrow with a vote in parliament due in a year. she plans to let schools expand in england, and who said she didn't have a funny side? what message of reassurance does the prime minister have for fat middle—aged white men who may feel that we have been left behind? that is a very interesting point, perhaps my honourable friend would like to come up and see me sometime. the job of chancellor went to philip hammond, his nicknames include spreadsheet and box office. he ditched a target to balance the nation's books by 2020 and amber rudd was named home secretary, she faced a near record level of immigration. and we were introduced to the three brexiteers, the international trade

secretary liam fox, rebooted as foreign secretary. spreading charm. and keeping comedians and work. foreign secretary, on the subject of europe, is brexit living up to all of your hopes and expectations for britain so far? of course, brexit has already been a wonderful journey. borisjohnson, what do you say? i would say, we never really expected to win i think behind brexit it's a bit of a laugh, blast the numbers all over bus. in scotland, the tories other leading lady, ruth davidson, was having a blast. the conservatives steamed in second. forcing labour into third place north of the border.

labour found itself with a bit of a puzzle, its leader jeremy corbyn was immensely popular with party members, not so much with his members of parliament, some of whom described his performance in the referendum campaign as pretty lacklustre. morning. early one morning the shadow foreign secretary, hilary benn, was sacked, much of the rest of the shadow cabinet packed their bags, including angela eagle. you found this personally very difficult. yes. i feel i have served in the best way i can and today i had to go. she launched a leadership challenge but dropped out when the welsh labour mp owen smith got more support. can we get through, please? at a fractious party meeting there was a row about whetherjeremy corbyn could automatically stand in the contest. yes, he could and there was a court case over which members and supporters could actually vote. no, not all of them. owen smith presented himself

as a more competent corbyn. i think the party that i love and the party that has been such an engine for social change and an engine forjustice in this country is in jeopardy of not being able to do that, in danger of not being able to form a future labour government and change people's lives for the better. while he criss—crossed the country, often by train, getting into a furious row with virgin about whether he could get a seat. didn't stop him winning the election as leader and with a bigger share of the vote than before. we are proud as a party that we are not afraid to discuss openly, to debate and disagree, that is essential for a party that wants to change people's lives for the better, that is not prepared to accept things as they are. it is also an essential part of what has drawn over half a million people into membership of what is now the largest political party anywhere in western europe.

the labour party had victories elsewhere, like the mayoral election in bristol. sadiq khan was elected mayor of london. the former shadow chancellor did surprisingly well on strictly. he'sjumping up and down. jezza had time for fun catching some pokemon with me in a park. the party ended the year where it started with jeremy corbyn at its centre. a previously leader, tony blair, came under scrutiny with the publication of the chilcott inquiry‘s report into the iraq war. it was 2.3 million words long. the decision to go to war in iraq

and to remove saddam hussein from power in a coalition of over a0 countries led by the usa as much was the hardest, most momentous and agonising decision i took in my ten years as prime minister. now, ukip, where to start? after basically causing the referendum and then winning it, nigel farage resigned as ukip leader. during the referendum campaign i said that i want my country back. what i'm saying today is i want my life back. and it begins right now, thank you. diane james succeeded him but didn't much like the look of it and quit after 18 days. steven woolfe was hospitalised following an alleged punch—up with a fellow mep, after he left hospital he left ukip.

i will be withdrawing my application to become leader of ukip and i'm actually withdrawing myself from ukip. you are resigning from the party. yes, with immediate effect. the next leadership contest was won by paul nuttall. there are open goals in british politics today. but ukip has to be on the pitch to kick the ball into the back of the empty net and that is no more apparent than when it comes to the labour party. mr farage was making friends in the usa. i've just received a call from secretary clinton. cheering. she congratulated us, it is about us, on our victory and i congratulated her and herfamily. the nigel visited the donald in trump tower shortly after his victory. no, we're just tourists.

prompting this tweet. no thanks, said the british government. hang on, we haven't mentioned brexit for about four minutes. brexit means brexit. and we are going to make a success of it. at the tory party conference in october, the prime minister explained a bit more about what that meant, for example, the great repeal bill. pay attention. we will convert the body of existing eu law into british law. when the great repeal bill is given royal assent, parliament will be free, subject to international agreements and treaties with other countries, and the eu on matters such as trade. to amend, repealand improve any law it chooses. she also said she would trigger

the negotiation process, by the end of march. but gina miller had other ideas, she won a gate at the high court only parliament could start it. the government challenge that ruling at the supreme court, we have a set of files called the ca. the electronic bundle. 1697. bundle three, tab five, think that is the... thejudges will give their verdict in a few weeks. meanwhile, brexit secretary david davis had to explain he hadn't really described his counterpart in the european parliament as satan. i was being tempted by the chairman of the select committee to criticise you, so i said get it..

he was the satan. that clarifies it all. he is examining the pros and cons of brexit on 50 different sectors of the economy from cakes to cars, it is certainly doing terrible things to the english language. it leaves us towards a smart and smooth brexit as i like to call it a smexit. mark my words, we will make breakfast — brexit a success. and was there at brexit effect? zac goldsmith triggered a byelection over heathrow, the lib dems nabbed it after a pro—eu campaign. it is a good morning, the start of many more. yes, the lib dems, remember them? just now to resume me is listening to the ukip wing controlling because everybody, now maybe she will listen to some panic stricken tory mps with lib dems are breathing down their necks. isn't it time you listen to the electorate may or may not want brexit

but they certainly don't want a hard brexit. farewell 2016, hello 2017. donald trump will be inaugurated as president of the united states, there will be elections in france and germany and we will have elections for mayors in manchester, liverpool and birmingham but british politics will be overwhelmingly dominated by the negotiations for our exit from the eu. hang on, maybe i should head back in there? no, i can't miss all of that! it's going to be way too warm for snow this christmas, that's for sure. if anything, snow this christmas, that's for sure. ifanything, one snow this christmas, that's for sure. if anything, one of the mildest christmases we have had, about as mild as it gets really

across our part of the world this time of the year. 15 potentially, 1a 01’ time of the year. 15 potentially, 1a or 15 as we head into christmas day. storm conor is pushing in mild winds in our direction. this is the temperature first thing, around 10 01’ temperature first thing, around 10 or 11 temperature first thing, around 10 or11 in the temperature first thing, around 10 or 11 in the south. 7 across the north. through the day cloudy and rain on and off, a little bit of sunshine too. in the north of scotla nd sunshine too. in the north of scotland blustery showers, however. particularly across the western isles, some will push through northern ireland and into the north—west of england. again look at that, 13, 14. north—west of england. again look at that, 13, 1a. then a change on boxing day. howling gales across the far north of scotland, amber warning from the met office here. further south, just that little bit calmer. beyond christmas, fog could be a problem. this is bbc news. i'm reeta chakrabarti. the headlines at seven: authorities in tunisia arrest three people suspected of being part of a terror

cell connected to the berlin christmas market attacker, anis amri. a man and woman have appeared in court in london charged with making preparations for a terrorist attack. israel condemns as shameful a un security council vote calling for an end to settlements on occupied palestinian land. tributes are paid to the status quo guitarist rick pariftt, who has died in hospital in spain at the age of 68. also in the next hour: the prime minister calls for unity after the brexit vote. in herfirst christmas message, theresa may urges britain to move forward as the country prepares to leave the eu.