LAST YEAR reaffirmed the severity of our global crises. As Britain endured its hottest day, deadly flooding swept Pakistan. The scourge of war claimed thousands of lives as the hawks banged the drum for escalation. The far right made gains in Italy and the US as the Western world raised the drawbridge to those fleeing suffering.

However, that’s only one side of 2022. On the other, last year laid the foundations of the new world. Across Latin America, a tide of hope swept away the forces of reaction. Colombia elected its first-ever leftist president and Lula’s election in Brazil may well have saved the Amazon rainforest.

Closer to home, the organised working class regained its confidence and more working days were lost to strike action in Britain in 2022 than at any point over the last decade.

In Scotland, the story was similar. A year characterised by class war brought suffering, but also the hope of change and dignity.