This is Spectator Radio and you're listening to The Spectator podcast with Lara Prendergast.

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Hello and welcome to the Spectators podcast, The Christmas Edition.

I'm Lara Prendergast.

So it's the end of the year and we can safely say that 2018 hasn't been any less loopy than its recent predecessors.

In this year's final Spectator podcast, we'll be taking a look at some of the major political and cultural events of the year

with a few of our favourite commentators and experts and we'll be casting a look at some of the major political and cultural events of the year with a few of our

favourite commentators and experts, and we'll be casting a look forward to 2019. We'll be talking about

labour. It hasn't had a great year, but is it closer than ever to government? Plus, we'll be

looking at the divides that have split Europe. And finally, we'll be looking at Trump and how he

settled into the second year of his tenure. But first, you'll be looking at Trump and how he settled into the second year

of his tenure. But first, a little bit of everyone's favourite thing, Brexit. At the beginning of the

year, David Davis was still Brexit Secretary. We hadn't yet struck a deal with the EU, and

few people had heard of the word backstop. So, what has happened this year? I'm joined by our

political editor, James Forsyth, the new statesman's political editor, Stephen Bush, and Justice

Minister, Rory Stewart, one of the only advocates of Theresa May's Brexit deal. So, James, at the start

of the year, the Brexit secretary was David Davis and Boris Johnson was still in the foreign

office. Do you think our negotiating position looked a little stronger back then?

I think this year has not developed to Brexit's advantage. I think it would be fair to say.

I think in a way though, actually if we go back to an event that happened this time last year,

it was that joint report in December,

where the past was essentially sold on the Irish border question.

...