Shereen - A Review of News

This week there was a touch of schadenfreude in the studio as we reviewed the Sunday papers. They were full of the kind of chaotic snow pictures that we've been getting used to in Scotland over the past few weeks, only this time it was the M25 and Heathrow that were looking post apocalyptic. It seems the rest of the UK is just as ill equipped to cope with the Arctic conditions as we are.

Today's studio guests were journalist and political biographer David Torrance, STV's on line editor Robert Dawson Scott, and writer Kirsty Scott.

David Torrance remarked on the contrast between the way the Westminster Transport Secretary dealt with it compared to our own transport Secretary who was forced to resign.

All of them took much delight in reading that petrol head Jeremy Clarkson had to be rescued from the snow having abandoned his car. Kirsty said she hoped they picked him up in a Prius.

Once again there was fiery debate which began before we were even on air. This week the subject that got them going was Wikileaks man Julian Assange. Kirsty and Robert had a right ding dong. It doen't take much to get Kirsty going. She's furious at Assange's new found folk hero status, with celebrity followers like Jemima Khan calling him "the new Jason Bourne". She thinks he's a man with a massive ego and that the rape allegations against him undermine any credibility Wikileaks might have. Robert senses conspiracy. I practically had to pull them apart.

As well as this week's big talking points we looked back on the year gone by. There was the formation of the Coalition (David told us how he blagged his way into the Downing Street Rose Garden for the Nick and Dave love-in), Gordon Brown's demise and subsequent re-invention, and the feelgood story of the year, the Chilean miners.

Lots of contenders for pictures of the year from Gordon Brown with his head in his hands after his "that bigoted woman" gaffe, to Charles and Camilla under siege in their car, to the satellite picture showing the entire UK covered in snow.

It's been quite a year. Next week I'll have a Boxing Day special of my favourite interviews of 2010. For now have a very Merry Christmas.