THE first ‘Market Comment’ for 2017 gives me a fitting reason to reflect on the past 12 months.

Though, to me the year has been somewhat of a ‘blur’, there has been no real possible outcomes which unites us.

The Queen famously used the term annus horribilis a Latin phrase, meaning 'horrible year' to describe her conclusions for 1992.

I see 2016 as similar and think it will go down as another Latin phrase in years to come once things all span out and we know the true outcomes of the people’s decisions.

Fundamental to the UK was the decision to exit the EU.

Whilst a majority for those who voted, it was only a very small majority.

Where margins are small you will get discontent.

There is also the full picture of what exit really means as nobody really knows.

Each party made claims, yet politics is like the big black box.

We input to get output, yet nobody knows what happens within the black box to give us the outcomes.

Are these for the better or are they detrimental.

The full answers can take decades to source and you get to a stage where turning back is not an option, yet going forward is also accepted as not an option.

You are left with one great big mess.

We are already seeing this with the news that inflation will start to rise and talks of prices rising gives rise to wages which remain generally stagnant.

So why have we seen a rise in houses prices and a rise in rental prices.

Surely signs of buoyancy and not depression?

Again not what would be expected?

Rather topsy-turvy.

Base rate which at unprecedented levels for so long before surely could not drop any further, yet again we were wrong.

Rates came down to a quarter of one per cent after the vote in favour of Brexit.

One can argue that the effect is too small to make much of a difference and that this more appears political than economic.

The banks now fail to make adequate margins yet for borrowers, namely those with assets the party continues.

Though what preciously has the Government done to assist tenants?

Whilst some regulation have been implemented, there is nothing to assist tenants financially.

Surely this is wrong?

We have seen similar in the USA with Donald Trumps victory for the Republicans.

A result like Brexit which was not forecast and which stunned the western world.

Surely common sense would prevail, yet as a democracy the people voted and voted in style.

Protest vote maybe or making the best of a bad situation?

Not a sound starting point as Trump appears to want to re-write the rule books.

The markets prefer levels of certainty, a general direction.

Though we do not appear to have this.

We know we need to correct the imbalance, we need more housing, affordable prices, affordable rents, reduction in welfare budget and as Michelle Obama said this week a sense of hope as this is being lost.

Others feel similar, as one cannot see any direction and without this we potter, things stagnate and political parties fold.

2017 will either be a year to beat the critics and to use the term the glass remains half full or are we heading down the annus horribilis route with the glass half empty.

Be sure to order your copy of the Stroud News and Journal for January 3, 2018 and I will give you the answer…