POLITICS next year will inevitably be dominated by the general election.
But this year was certainly not lacking in political drama in Hull and the East Riding.
Some might even point to this year's election results for the city council, the European Parliament and a clutch of seats on East Riding Council in three by-elections as being a useful indicator to where voters might end up putting their crosses on ballot papers next May.
In all three contests, the rise of UKIP was impossible to ignore.
In Hull, Richard Barrett achieved a breakthrough of sorts for the party in Southcoates East by defeating Labour veteran and former Lord Mayor David Gemmell.
While Labour retained its overall majority at the Guildhall, UKIP pushed Labour close in several wards while the Liberal Democrats defied their poor national poll ratings with a decent haul.
The notable exception to that was former Lib Dem council leader Simone Butterworth, who lost her long-held seat in the Avenue ward.
The most significant feature of the UKIP surge in Hull was the fact that in some places candidates secured a strong second-place finish behind Labour without really doing much campaigning.
A few days later UKIP supporters were celebrating again when the European election results started to filter through.
Nationally, UKIP ended up with more seats than all three of the traditional main parties.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, the party secured three of the region's seats with Hull-based retired joiner Mike Hookem becoming a first-time MEP.
Closer analysis of the Euro votes also showed UKIP winning the popular vote across Hull.
It therefore came as no surprise to see former Labour city councillor Steve Walker joining UKIP in November.
The three East Riding by-elections also in November saw another UKIP breakthrough with Malcolm Milns winning in the Bridlington Central and Old Town.
In the other two contests, UKIP again finished second while the Liberal Democrats failed to even field any candidates.
With all-out elections taking place in the East Riding next year on the same day as the general election, the prospect of a UKIP battle with the ruling Conservatives on the council looks increasingly likely.
The build-up to a different kind of vote dominated the summer months as campaigners took the streets of towns and villages on the edge of Hull in an effort to persuade people to reject the idea of becoming part of the city.
The referendum was East Riding Council leader Stephen Parnaby's answer to Hull City Council's decision to commission an independent inquiry into options for changing the way local government operates in the area.
He described Hull's move as a "land grab" and openly questioned the impartiality of the commission.
Hull council leader Steve Brady responded by claiming the referendum was asking the wrong questions at the wrong time, dismissing the suggestion that any boundary shake-up was imminent.
Perhaps inspired by the turnout in the Scottish independence referendum a few days earlier, the 50,000 people entitled to vote in the 11 parishes did so in impressive numbers.
The overall turnout of 75.2 per cent exceeded all recent elections in the East Riding and Hull, including the 2010 general election.
The result saw a massive 95.5 per cent voting against any expansion of Hull's boundaries.
Afterwards, Cllr Parnaby called for a pause in any further debate on boundary changes and the prospect of combined authorities until after the General Election.
But Hull has continued to lobby for support for a cross-Humber combined authority to oversee strategic issues such as economic development and transport.
Guildhall leaders point to other major Northern cities where similar clusters of councils are now working together with the aim of making the most of the devolution agenda set in motion by the events in Scotland.
Chancellor George Osborne has even become their unlikely ally in the continuing ward of words with the East Riding with his Northern Powerhouse encouraging neighbouring councils to combine in exchange for more devolved decision-making powers.
Hull's inquiry is expected to publish its interim findings early in the new year when the debate will no doubt be resumed.
By then, both councils will have set their annual budgets for the coming financial year against a backdrop of continuing funding cuts by central government.
Of the two, Hull has appeared to have fared worst over recent years because of its traditionally heavy reliance on Whitehall funding to help tackle the city's wide variety of social problems.
Having lost around £100m of funding over the past five years, the strain is beginning to tell with some facilities being closed, others facing cuts in opening hours and council staff now on much-changed terms and conditions.
The East Riding has weathered the squeeze in better shape than Hull, although substantial financial reserves were used last year to support the council's adult social care services.
Unlike Hull, the East Riding has yet to close a library or customer service centre.
With an all-out election looming in the East Riding and a third of council seats in Hull up for grabs, any further service cuts are likely to be limited next year as councillors weigh up the political consequences.
However, more cuts are inevitable with yet more savings being required.
Next year is not going to be an easy ride for any politician, local or national.
Well-known councillors pass away
THIS year saw the loss of several well-known names in the world of local politics.
In Hull, former Labour councillors John Ranby, Mac Staveley and former Lord Mayors Jim Mulgrove and Gordon Caselton all passed on.
Ex-Conservative councillor Frank Holmes was also mourned.
In the East Riding, three sitting councillors – Ray Allerston, Angela Ibson and Doreen Engall – died within a month of each other.