Reasons to be cheerful

AstraZeneca & Oxford University vaccine breakthrough
Trump accepts election reality, finally.
Massive hike in UK defence spending
Pete Wishart's Plan B?
Selfies for Europe
Small Axe & lovers rock

In a world seemingly mired in pessimism there were several chinks of optimistic light this week. Donald Trump, finally, appears to have accepted he lost the Presidential election, paving the way for a peaceful transition of power to Biden amd Harris with all that means not just for America but the world. 

And the latest results of the joint Oxford University AstraZeneca vaccine trials look incredibly promising, particularly for the developing world.

However, political realities do have a way of dampening the spirits and we look, in turn, at the Pritti Patel shambles, the massive hike in UK defence spending,the SNP NEC elections, Pete Wishart's latest statements on indeyref2 and Section 30. Finally turning to that article by Andrew Wilson in the Spectator.

Despite all that Lesley's week has been immeasurably improved by watching Small Axe, a series of films by Steve McQueen, on black activism in Britain. 

There's also reflection on what Rudy Giuliani's hair dye fail actually tells us about the Trump government,  the power of dancing , and selfies for Europe.