DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Challenges facing PM at home and abroad

Whether outdoors among revellers drenched by showers or warm and dry at home, tomorrow night many of us will raise a glass of fizz in toast to 2024.

But as we stand on the cusp of the new year, what should be a time of peace and goodwill to all is, sadly, anything but.

We find ourselves in a world more frightening than it has been for decades, with swathes of it wracked by war and strife.

Ukraine is sheltering from drone and missile onslaughts for a second successive Christmas, its soldiers shivering in trenches as they fight their Russian invaders.

In the Middle East, Israel is still in shock over the cruel, racist Hamas slaughter of defenceless civilians on October 7.

Ukraine is sheltering from drone and missile onslaughts for a second successive Christmas, its soldiers shivering in trenches as they fight their Russian invaders

In the Middle East, Israel is still in shock over the cruel, racist Hamas slaughter of defenceless civilians on October 7 (pictured: People walk at an installation on the site of the Nova festival, where people were killed and kidnapped during Hamas attack)

As it widens military operations to destroy the terror group, families in Gaza suffer a growing humanitarian crisis. And with Iran stirring the pot, the whole region is in danger of descending into all-out conflict.

China, bent on global domination, makes no secret of its desire to seize Taiwan. And Venezuela’s Marxist leader is rattling sabres in South America.

These are deeply troubling times. But one factor makes them even more frightening.

Last year, the West’s response to the war in Ukraine was strong and unified.

This sent a powerful message to autocrats who like to think that freedom and democracy is a recipe for weakness. And it demonstrated the Free World was not prepared to overlook dictators’ attempts to redraw international borders by force.

Twelve months on, however, cracks have begun to appear in the alliance. While Britain has announced another consignment of air defence missiles for Ukraine, EU and US support is seemingly wilting.

If a vacuum in Western leadership and resolve allows Vladimir Putin to keep his territorial gains or – a nightmare scenario – expand them, it would embolden despots everywhere.

But so, too, would the extraordinary events imperilling democracy in the US. State judges are trying to ban Donald Trump from running for the White House because of his alleged role in the Capitol riot in 2020.

The clear suspicion is that Left-leaning courts want to expunge the Republican ex-President because they fear he would beat Joe Biden at the ballot box.

Depressingly, such interference is not confined to America. Judges here and in Europe have been happy to meddle, especially on Brexit and the Rwanda scheme – both policies the liberal elite loathes.

This risks giving succour to dictators. As Boris Johnson writes today: ‘We pay a big price – in our argument with the autocracies – if we are seen to allow the elites to tamper with democracy, and frustrate the popular will.’

If a vacuum in Western leadership and resolve allows Vladimir Putin to keep his territorial gains or – a nightmare scenario – expand them, it would embolden despots everywhere

While Rishi Sunak has shown he can perform with aplomb on the global stage, how would his domestic opponent, Sir Keir Starmer, deal with Putin? After all, he fought tooth and nail for Kremlin apologist Jeremy Corbyn to become prime minister.

Dishearteningly, a Labour victory looks increasingly likely at the next election.

So is there any way back for the Tories? The answer to that is yes, but it will take guts, political nous and more than a smattering of luck. First and foremost, the party must rediscover its purpose.

This Government was elected on a manifesto of low taxes, controlled migration and delivering the benefits of Brexit. Mr Sunak must honour those commitments.

Equally, he must fulfil his promises to crack down on the small boats and reduce NHS waiting lists. He has met his pledge to halve inflation, heralding cheaper mortgages and lower food and energy prices.

Now he should help families further by cutting taxes on income and inheritance.

If he can give the electorate positive reasons to vote Tory, all is not lost – both here and abroad. We wish him every success. And to all our readers a happy, prosperous and, above all, healthy New Year.