THIS week’s column carries a health warning. What follows is not for the faint of heart. However, be reassured – it ends well.

Cast your mind ahead. Imagine it is January 1, 2021. As is fitting on New Year’s Day, we take a look back at the past year.

It was a torrid time for the UK. Covid-19 proved to be extremely difficult to manage when it reasserted itself in successive waves. So-called herd immunity continued to be elusive, and great swathes of England are again under lockdown as repeated calls for “common sense” went unheeded.

Britain now has its second prime minister since Boris Johnson stepped down in September, when the second wave of outbreaks turned out to be unstoppable. Things did not improve under the new PM Michael Gove. He found himself overwhelmed by the pandemic and mushrooming problems stemming from a No-Deal Brexit.

Trade deals failed to materialise or were concluded on such unfavourable terms that home producers were greatly penalised. And many went out of business.

The UK civil service, once the envy of the world, was reduced to a shadow of its former self. Mass resignations did not help, of course.

READ MORE: Michael Russell: The truth behind Westminster’s hostility to Scotland

The new wholly politicised leadership of that body proved itself unequal to the task as many sought to enrich themselves from the public purse.

Corruption grew to such a degree that it was conducted openly. The door to 10 Downing Street was ever open to shady traders, but always closed to the needy. As corruption grew, ordinary folks decided compliance with the law was optional for them, too.

The black market flourished as food supplies shrank. Everyday items became increasingly scarce as supplies were channelled to administration supporters. Social cohesion fell apart as the people aped their rulers.

Prison populations swelled with those unwilling, as well as those unable, to pay their bills.

Collecting taxes became more and more difficult, with the collapse of civil service morale. Public services were very badly affected, and growing numbers of those living from week-to-week resorted to high interest loans for essentials.

Teachers and other public servants found their terms and conditions sharply worsen as the British Government resorted to coercion, instead of collaboration.

In October, the pound crumbled in value, resulting in yet another change at the top of the Tory party – and another prime minister. The new PM Chris (failing) Grayling found himself the unexpected beneficiary as warring Tory factions fought to replace the incumbent. He was soon out of his depth.

Things deteriorated dramatically in November, when the full impact of a No-Deal Brexit became a terrifying reality. Most households found that they had little fresh produce, as the transport system buckled, and prices shot up.

The devolved administrations had, in some respects, gone their own ways since the decision by Scotland to close its southern Border in August. This was inevitable as a vast wave of potentially infected holidaymakers threatened to engulf the Scottish health service.

READ MORE: A brief history of Scotland's 468-year-old Border with England

The Border closure proved to be a spur for Unionist parties in Scotland to reconsider their constitutional outlook. Faced with a huge rise in support for independence in the polls, coupled with gross corruption and rampant maladministration at Westminster, thoughtful members of the Conservatives and Labour parties in Scotland sought to oust their leaders.

When that failed, these parties split into pro and anti-independence factions.

As November faded into December, there was little to cheer about. Few families were in a position to think about Christmas; they focused instead on surviving it. Unemployment rose sharply and social benefits were reduced. The streets were crammed with homeless families and the prime minister was all but invisible.

Absent of all effective scrutiny, government contracts were spewed recklessly. Little attempt was made to justify these expenditures and the media was largely silent.

Following a serious attempt by the BBC in September to highlight growing problems, its head was replaced, and its charter was reviewed by a committee headed up by a government adviser. The committee concluded the BBC was overstaffed and its budget needed to be cut substantially. From that point, the BBC became a government mouthpiece.

On December 29, 2020, the Scottish Government appealed to the international community to recognise its independence. This was in line with the December 22 court ruling that the Scottish people are sovereign, a successful outcome for the hard work of the Forward As One group.

The EU, now unfettered by the need to avoid being involved in the internal affairs of a member state, promptly signalled its welcome to the new Scottish state. The indispensable centrepiece of the appeal to the international community was a new Scots Constitution, approved by the Scottish people on St Andrew’s Day, 2020.

This column welcomes questions from readers