• Last year’s predictions – how did I do?

  31/12/2019

  The UK will begin leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. It will take 10 years to leave, 10 years for it to be evident to the whole country how stupid it was and 10 years to get back in, with none of our current special measures. (Hope this prediction doesn’t come to pass but fear it will).

  Well, we didn’t begin leaving on 29 March 2019 but the clock is ticking. Failed prediction

  The only thing to make EU-positive lefty-liberals to have pause for thought will be the EU Elections in May which will result in big gains for the so-called populist right.

  Well, the populist right did well but not that well. It wasn’t the overwhelming success many predicted. And the liberal left collapsed rather than took notice. Failed prediction.

  No progress towards same-sex marriage in the Church of England, despite much clearer calls for it to happen.

  No progress but the emergence of the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England does offer some encouragement. Prediction fulfilled.

  Significant concerns in many UK dioceses about the cost of bishops, and particularly their spouses, attending the Lambeth Conference in 2020. (Over £5000 each).

  There is undoubtedly concern about this and there’s been some online comment about through the year it but not a major press scandal yet. (Any spouse going to this is complicit in homophobia and expensive homophobia at that). Prediction fulfilled.

  Elizabeth Warren / Beto O’Rourke begin to emerge as the Democratic dream ticket.

  Beto is out, Warren is still in. No dream ticket. Failed Prediction.

  Stricter legislation in connection with drone operators.

  New regulations announced. Prediction Fulfilled.

  Steps towards legalisation of cannabis under serious consideration within SNP.

  SNP did exactly as I predicted. Prediction Fulfilled.

  No referendum on Independence.

  Prediction Fulfilled

  Cyber attacks merging with terrorist attacks.

  Difficult to prove who is behind these things but they are increasingly being regarded together by the security services. New legislation adopted in USA to try to combat it. Am claiming this one as a win. Prediction fulfilled

  One of Scotland’s daily newspapers ceases print publication.

  Not yet. Not yet. Failed prediction.

  2019 Predictions

Previous Posts

• The morning after the day before

  19/09/2014

  Yesterday was an extraordinary day in Scotland. I don’t think that any of us really knew how tense it was all going to get until the day itself. There is much to celebrate in the turn-out, which was phenomenal. In recent weeks, people have engaged in a political process in ways I’ve never seen before…

• Why saying No Thanks is the progressive option

  13/09/2014

  Why saying No Thanks is the progressive option. This is a golden time for democracy in Scotland. The media, the airwaves are full of political debate but more than that, the whole nation is debating what we should do next. Who wouldn’t want that new democratic passion to be spread wider than Scotland’s borders? That’s…

• Opera Review – Les Troyens

  09/09/2014

  This review was first published by Opera Britannia Rating: It was a tale of two divas. And it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. The Mariinsky Opera‘s Les Troyens was a bold attempt to bring an epic work to the Edinburgh Festival which never quite achieved what it should have done. Though…

• Pictures to think about #2

  08/09/2014

  There I was last week standing in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, staring up (as you do) at the stunning mosaics high up on the walls. The pictures are astonishing and I may get round to posting some of them online later. My attention was distracted though by a small boy rushing backwards…