Wherein Local predicts the future, with dubious veracity

At the beginning of 2018, the outlook is bleak. An aggressively far right Justice has been appointed to the Supreme Court, the economies of the UK and United States are in ruin, the EU teeters on the brink of collapse, and Russia has annexed the eastern regions of Ukraine, along with Belarus.

Lacking a clear guiding figure in the United States, NATO struggles to put up a coherent resistance to Russian gains.

USA
In the United States, things are dire. The Democrats begin - slowly, ever so slowly - to regain control of the Government, picking up a majority in Congress, and swinging the Senate, though only just, picking up Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Nebraska and, damningly, Texas.

The Democrats, finally able to have influence on the Government, block the majority of Trump's policies. In the 2020 election, Trump loses heavily to Elizabeth Warren, losing the traditionally blue states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan he won the previous election, but, additionally losing; Utah, Arkansas, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alaska and Kentucky, and performing poorly even in the states he retains, with Texas coming down to a 30,000 vote split.

Though the Republicans lay much of the blame for this on Trump, the yet worse results they get in 2024, where they lose Texas, is the death knell for the party. As the Republican party collapses into obscurity, the Democrat party splits along ideological lines, forming a more left wing party, the Liberal Party of America, and the Democrat Party, which moves slightly further to the right.

United Kingdom
As the economy goes into ruin, and Jeremy Corbyn fails to put pressure on the Conservative Government, he is shifted to Shadow Minister for Europe, and Sadiq Khan becomes Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition.