The days are closing in, the weather is freezing and Christmas is almost here. But there's no let up for our political leaders. Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, is facing calls from the Police Federation to resign after refusing to implement a pay rise in full. Gordon Brown is spending most of the week clocking up a hefty carbon footprint as he flies to Iraq and Afganistan and then onto Lisbon, ending up in the most exciting destination of all -- Brussels.
In Politics Weekly I pick over the events of the last full week of the year in Parliament with Nick Gibb, the shadow schools minister; Polly Toynbee, the Guardian columnist, and Julian Glover, our chief leader writer.
We discuss whether Britain is on the right path in Afghanistan after the prime minister followed up his visit to Helmand Province with a statement to MPs outlining plans for a lengthy commitment to the country. We also ask whether Brown's government has at last outlined a compelling vision for the future after Ed Balls, the schools secretary who is a key ally of the prime minister, outlined his children's plan. And finally we don our bow ties and put out our Union Jacks as we recreate the atmosphere of the last night of the Proms to join the debate about the future of the United Kingdom.
