After a whirlwind of a political year in 2024, with elections in the US, UK and across much of the globe, 2025 is already shaping up to be another momentous 12 months.

From the return of President Donald Trump to the White House in January, to the challenges ahead for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to the future of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, to crucial climate agreements ahead of COP30 in the autumn, there’s a lot to brace for.

Ahead of the New Year, we take you through the key developments to watch out for. 

US politics

2025 is set to be a historic year for one reason alone: Donald Trump’s inauguration and his return to the US presidency following his win against Democratic rival Kamala Harris.

The 2024 US elections saw a power shift to the Republican Party across the presidency, House and Senate, giving Trump a stronger base to deliver his legislative agenda.

Globally, Trump’s presidency will have wider ramifications across foreign relations, fraught or changing relationships with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, as well as allies such as Europe and the UK, and global bodies such as the United Nations (UN).

Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine in a day, to impose tariffs on Chinese goods and restrict China’s ownership of US land and infrastructure, as well as cracking down on immigration into the US from Mexico and Latin America.

While on trade, the president-elect has pledged to enact a 25 per cent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office, as well as higher tariffs on Chinese goods – including a reported 200 per cent tax on some car imports being under consideration. 

But economists have warned that the impact of tariffs could be a cost to US consumers, and risk provoking global economic consequences, including for China, Germany and the UK.

UK politics

2025 also marks the start of the first full year of Keir Starmer’s Labour administration, after his election win in 2024, which will see him aim to get his government back on track.

The Prime Minister has faced a series of challenges after his victory, despite securing a historic majority, including economic difficulties, an unpopular Budget, and protests from farmers and family businesses following changes to inheritance tax (IHT).

Meanwhile, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch will be hoping to begin turning around the Conservative Party’s fortunes following their struggles at the ballot box in July. However, she has said specific policies will be a long time coming, and wants the party to fully analyse what went wrong.