NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Editorial: UK and US battered by political chaos - and it's likely to continue

NZ Herald
14 Dec, 2020 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Supporters of United States President Donald Trump who are wearing attire associated with the Proud Boys attend a rally in Washington on Sunday. Photos / AP file

Supporters of United States President Donald Trump who are wearing attire associated with the Proud Boys attend a rally in Washington on Sunday. Photos / AP file

Editorial

EDITORIAL

In 2020, constant waves of chaos have come to characterise politics in two key countries.

Every time there's a lull and a chance to take stock in the United States and Britain, another wall of water floods the zone.

This week is important for both, but it's unlikely to end the ongoing instability.

In the US, the Electoral College vote today to officially elect Joe Biden the 46th president offers a chance for the country to mop up and find some firm ground after last month's election.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Even so, the New York Times reports that President Donald Trump and his allies have set their sights on January 7 when the electors' ballots are to be read into the official record in Congress, as a last stand to overturn the result.

On Sunday, thousands of supporters of the outgoing President rallied in Washington, to back his desperate legal attempts to win the election he lost. They included a large contingent of the extremist Proud Boys group.

In Europe, there is still a chance sense could prevail with negotiators trying to reach an agreement for a future relationship under Brexit. Yesterday was supposed to be the final day to find common ground but talks continued. A no-deal Brexit remains on the cards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It appears as though the challenges of this year, with massive death and disruption from the pandemic and economic recession, have not resulted in a desire to calm things down and seek safe harbour.

Instead, restraints have been further loosened and nationalism fanned.

Discover more

Opinion

Supreme Court make short work of Donald Trump's 'big one'

13 Dec 05:13 AM

On the surface, it seems strange that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson would look back on this year and then decide his country could handle more chaos and economic pain, which is what a no-deal would bring with the new year.

Britain left the European Union - and the stability of belonging to an important single market - in January but has largely kept its trading terms during a transition period, which is due to end on December 31.

It would crash out on default World Trade Organisation terms, including tariffs and quotas, if there is no deal.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Brussels last Thursday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Brussels last Thursday.

At the weekend the British Government stepped up planning for a no-deal on January 1.

Supermarkets have been told to stockpile food, plans are being drawn up for billions of pounds in bailout money, and nationalistic flourishes in the form of navy gunboats are meant to ward off French fishing vessels.

One possibility is Britain could publicly opt to leave without a trade deal – referred to as "Australia terms" - while being open in the next two weeks to "Canada terms", or free trade with no tariffs. Johnson has said Britain would "prosper" either way.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull popped that balloon last week when he told the BBC that Britain "should be careful what you wish for" in believing an Australian-style trading relationship with the EU was a good option.

Australia would prefer to have what the UK might throw away. It has been negotiating a free-trade agreement with the EU. Turnbull described Australia's existing trade relationship with the EU as "pretty disappointing" with "big barriers".

Former Tory party chairman and European commissioner Chris Patten called Johnson an "English nationalist" and said he feared for Britain's future.

The no-compromise attitudes and influence of the fringe within the Conservative and Republican parties have grown over decades.

The depressing takeaway from the US and UK this year is that in certain unusual circumstances there is nothing that will dissuade a leadership group and their supporters from pursuing a radical course.

No background problems, no economic cost, no community suffering, no facts, no rules, no common sense, seem to intrude that might result in a rethink of the situation.

Hopefully there's still time to step back and de-escalate.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from World

World

Ukraine says Russia launched largest drone, missile attack of war

09 Jul 07:42 AM
Premium
World

Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot shares anti-Semitic posts on X

09 Jul 07:19 AM
World

Study: Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter

09 Jul 05:07 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Ukraine says Russia launched largest drone, missile attack of war

Ukraine says Russia launched largest drone, missile attack of war

09 Jul 07:42 AM

The latest strike beat a previous Russian record of 550 drones and missiles.

Premium
Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot shares anti-Semitic posts on X

Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot shares anti-Semitic posts on X

09 Jul 07:19 AM
 Study: Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter

Study: Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter

09 Jul 05:07 AM
Teen attack at Brazil school kills child, injures two more

Teen attack at Brazil school kills child, injures two more

09 Jul 03:43 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP