Ali Kirker: Ordinary folk rebelled in 2016… but it’s kindness which sticks in the mind

WELL, I think we can all agree 2016 was quite the year.

So much happened that I was surprised when someone on the radio earlier this week referred to the Scottish election last May.

Is it just me or does that feel like years ago?

In the intervening months, we’ve had the EU referendum result – even the Leave campaign seemed shocked to win – and then the even bigger political earthquake of Donald Trump being elected in America.

It’s fair to say it was the year of ordinary people making some genuinely shocking decisions.

But I don’t think anyone took that decision-making lightly.

So seeing certain politicians backtracking on campaign pledges – “It wasn’t me who mentioned £350m a week more for the NHS” – was galling.

And neither was it great to see people who voted to leave the EU collectively labelled racist or backward-looking.

Wasn’t it more of a feeling that politicians and those with power had simply stopped listening to the concerns of ordinary people – and here was a chance to tell them it wasn’t good enough?

Whether it was the NHS, jobs or immigration, many felt their concerns were being discounted.

Who was really sticking up for those people? Or even listening?

It felt as if so many politicians were too busy bickering to listen to Mr and Mrs Average. Let’s hope they’re listening now.

As we reflect on the rollercoaster of a year, let’s not forget 2016 was a time of amazing acts of kindness and courage.

Like every year, I suppose – though sometimes it’s easy to forget that.

Surely one of the most cheering moments of 2016 was Alistair Brownlee helping brother Jonny over the line during a triathlon.

Afterwards he referred to Jonny as a “flippin’ idiot”.

The whole episode summed up family loyalty and relationships in one neat package.

And didn’t you love seeing Borders lass Samantha Kinghorn, who was paralysed after a wall of snow fell on her in 2010, compete in the Paralympics?

Her concern was for her dad, who was there at the time of the accident. She wanted Rio to bring closure for him.

More power to you, Samantha.

I loved the story of 100 Londoners stopping to lift a bus off an injured cyclist. Superhumans one and all.

What about terminally-ill Bradley Lowery, the five-year-old Sunderland lad who received 28,000 Christmas cards? Lovely!

New years mean new starts. And 2017 and beyond will see us live with the consequences of the historic decisions made in 2016.

Let’s hope our politicians deliver.

But it’s those simple kindnesses that can make a difference to people’s everyday lives. Here’s to more of the same this year.