Beyond the clickbait: Stories to watch in 2018

Long-term issues such as the National Planning Framework, new personal data rules and measures to improve the nation's health risk being sidelined in 2018 by the drama of Brexit and Trump

National Planning Framework 'should be the big story of the year'. Pic: Getty

2018 is mapped out already – arranged around the two big external stories of Trump and Brexit and the two internal stories of Repeal the Eighth and the Pope and the endless predictions surrounding whether and when the FF/FG team will jump off the election cliff.

Northern Ireland’s running out of rope, energy, imagination and decent leadership will play tunelessly in the background - unless or until Theresa May runs aground once more ...