• 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

• Can you backdate a marriage?

  03/10/2014

  How interesting to learn about the new rules that will govern couples in England and Wales who have been in a Civil Partnership who wish to change (upgrade?) their relationship status to a marriage. It seems that they are going to be able to do so easily and will receive a “backdated” marriage certificate which…

• Sermon preached on 28 September – Who do you think you are?

  28/09/2014

  Who do you think you are? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “Hello, can you help me, this is ICM and we are conducting a telephone poll in connection with the recent referendum would you be willing to answer some questions.” And I said yes –…

• You can’t bomb people into being nice Westerners

  27/09/2014

  In a way, watching the debate yesterday in the House of Commons on whether the UK should join in with Air Strikes against the so called Islamic State felt different to me from the last times we’ve had similar debates. This time I felt I was open to persuasion. As the debate began, I hadn’t…

• Freshers: How to Choose a Church

  25/09/2014

  Every year at this time I find myself thinking about freshers coming to Glasgow to one of the higher education institutions. One way or another I was involved in freshers’ week quite a lot over the years. I did three degrees so went through it myself three times, then in subsequent university years I was…