After a season that threatened to unleash political and economic chaos every few hours, it is hard to step back and imagine the shape of a whole new year.

Financial News readers have gamely stepped into the breach, sharing their views on Brexit as well as other topics of critical importance that have lately been starved of oxygen. The City, and the UK, are mired in a process that may yet yield better days, but at present is utterly tedious. Still, we press on.