The political heroes and zeroes of 2016

From Boris Johnson and Donald Trump via Zac Goldsmith to Keith Vaz, we assess who came up smiling and who is left drowning their sorrows after the most turbulent year in politics we can remember

A bad year for former Tory MP Zac Goldmith, who lost his seat in a self-inflicted by-election defeat to the Liberal Democrats (Getty)

This year has been rather remarkable in terms of the speed of political change. The ascension of Donald Trump to the position of President-elect surprised the world, as did the Brexit vote in June. The fallout from these two events has been so significant that it's hard to recall that the Panama Papers scandal also happened back in January 2016. It seems a time ago.

Many have gained, and many have lost, over this year. Here are my political winners and losers from the turbulent 12 months that made up 2016.

Political winners

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson began the year as the Mayor of London, while also ensconced in the safe Conservative seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. He successfully campaigned for the country to leave the EU (although his commitment to that position has been questioned), and then progressed from a Conservative Party leadership candidate to the position of Foreign Secretary. Despite his gaffes – which included writing two columns before announcing his intentions during the Brexit campaigns, promising £350m for the NHS, and the infamous Gove betrayal – Boris has nevertheless gone from strength to strength. His public image and sense of humour have arguable saved him, yet one wonders how much longer his luck can last.

Donald Trump

Trump has progressed from business mogul to the President-elect of the United States. His shock win in November sent reverberations around the globe, as many of us (yes, me included) did truly believe that Hillary Clinton would walk the election. He now holds the highest political office in the world, despite having precisely no political experience, is settling a string of court cases against him, and boasts a tendency to say some pretty horrible stuff about women, immigrants, and, well, just everyone who disagrees with him. Just today, in a bizarre new year message to the people, he talked about his numerous "enemies". In hindsight, Trump has reminded us all that nothing in certain in politics. Perhaps the art of assumption will finally be abandoned in 2017.

Tim Farron

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron increased his party's council representation by 45 seats in last May's local elections, and the Lib Dems triumphed over Zac Goldsmith in the Richmond Park by-election. He has brought the Lib Dems back to the forefront of British politics, and produces quality questions during PMQs, rivalling Jeremy Corbyn and Angus Robertson at times. The 'third party' still has way to go – but Farron has laid the groundwork for a Lib Dem comeback.

Nigel Farage

Farage successfully campaigned for us to leave the European Union, despite not being a part of the official campaign to do so. He also threw his support behind Donald Trump and, even though the one political office he currently holds (as an MEP) is one he seems to despise, he has become a staple figure in the political media.

Political losers

Zac Goldsmith

Zac has had a bit of a shocker. After running a divisive campaign against Sadiq Khan in the London Mayoral election and losing, he then failed in his campaign to stop the Government agreeing to an expansion of Heathrow airport, and then lost his own seat in Richmond Park to the Liberal Democrats in one of the biggest own goals in recent British politics. On the plus side, as he noted himself, at least he'll have more time to spend with his family in the coming year.

Hillary Clinton

Clinton won the popular vote by some 2m votes, yet lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. A victory would have made her the first woman to assume the office of American president. Alas, that glass ceiling remains unshattered. Since her loss, she has removed herself from the public eye. One wonders what the future holds for her.

David Cameron

Cameron has gone from Prime Minister to Witney MP to, well, nothing – and all in the space of a few short months. Saying that, I hear he is earning quite a bit of cash giving speeches on Wall Street these days, and the Daily Mail has tipped him as a candidate for Nato chief. His bank balance hasn't suffered as much as his political career has, so our sympathy should remain at a minimum for Call Me Dave.

The Coup Masters

The Labour Party coup, designed to unseat the hapless Jeremy Corbyn in the wake of the Brexit vote, was an unmitigated disaster. If anything, it riled his supporter base so significantly that it solidified the leader's power and hold over the party. Attempts to disenfranchise new Labour members by stopping them from voting in the election frustrated a lot of people. What will 2017 hold for moderate Labour MPs, who now dwell on the backbenches while Corbyn, Diane Abbott and John McDonnell run the show?

Keith Vaz

Vaz faced an unmitigated PR disaster involving some prostitutes and various substances this year. Saying that, he managed to keep his position as MP for Leicester East and Scotland Yard has dropped any investigations into his actions, so things could have been worse.