• Predictions 2022 – How did I do?

    Time to see how I did with my predictions at the start of the year.

    Boris Johnson will be replaced with a Prime Minister who is more competent, more right wing and more difficult to beat.

    Well, if we skip lightly over the horror of Liz Truss’s premiership, I’m going to claim this one as fulfilled. Left and right designations in politics mean less as the years go on. Prediction fulfilled.

    A good year for Michael Gove (who is almost invisible at the moment).

    I’m claiming this one too. He’s back in government and less invisible. If you don’t agree, you probably don’t read the Daily Telegraph. Prediction fulfilled.

    Church of Scotland General Assembly votes to allow same-sex couples to be married in church. More significantly, almost no-one leaves in a huff.

    Exactly what happened. Prediction Fulfilled.

    No progress for those seeking marriage equality in the Church of England.

    Sadly. Prediction Fulfilled

    US Republican Party do well at the November midterms.

    Gloriously, prediction unfulfilled.

    Midnight Mass will happen at St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow – some people will still be wearing masks but it won’t be mandatory.

    Yes, I did see a few mask wearers but we were getting back to prepandemic levels of attendence and Midnight Mass was a blast. Prediction fulfilled.

    Lots of people discover that cryptocurrency is not the sure thing that they thought. (Losses will disproportionately affect young people).

    Oh my, yes. What a mess some people have got themselves into. Prediction fulfilled.

    Nicola Sturgeon will be forced to announce a proposed date for an Independence Referendum against her better judgement.

    She announed on 23 June 2022 that it would be held on 19 October 2023. (Spoiler alert – it won’t happen on 19 October 2023). Prediction fulfilled.

    Lambeth Conference will take place but some people forced to participate virtually due to continued pandemic in developing world. (No new sanctions against pro-gay provinces).

    Well it took place but I’m not sure whether or not there were virtual participants. However, there were no new sanctions against pro-gay provinces. Prediction largely fulfilled.

    Working from home/hybrid working becomes normalised for big companies. Consequent increase in ransomware demands.

    Working from home is certainly still going on and there are many big companies that are planning for it continuing in some form. (Here’s a government report about it). And yes, ransomware has increased. (Here’s a paper on it from the Chartered Institute of IT).


    I’m guessing that one or two people might want to argue about whether I got this all as right as I think I did – particularly the first two, but not a bad year overall.

9 responses to “New statement on Civil Partnerships from the Scottish College of Bishops”

  1. Beth Routledge Avatar

    No occasion at which the Cope of Glory — which has attended blessings in the very furthest flung parts of Diocese — has been deployed can ever be thought truly informal.

  2. Stephen Peters Avatar
    Stephen Peters

    I think I’d like to become a Scottish Episcopalian in exile. (And after all, France and Scotland do have a long historic connection….)

  3. PamB Avatar
    PamB

    I have long maintained that we should start by annexing the Diocese of Carlisle.

  4. Kelvin Avatar

    One of the things that surprises me a little is that I’m unaware of people from England registering a Civil Partnership and then popping up here for a blessing. Straight people regularly come to Scotland to get hitched.

    1. Anne Jones Avatar
      Anne Jones

      Perhaps they don’t know that it’s a possibility.

  5. Kelvin Avatar

    Parts of this diocese are further south than the cathedrals in Carlisle, Newcastle and I think, even Durham.

  6. Zebadee Avatar
    Zebadee

    Could there not be a new border say from the Humber to the Mersey? Did not the old Kingdom of Strathclyde stretch down to Preston on the west side of Englandshire?

    1. Beth Routledge Avatar

      I’m all for extending the border down to about Cornwall. No need to do things by half measures.

  7. Stephen C Avatar

    I reckon this is an advance…but it is not straightforward!

    I long for the day when we will affirm that there will be no difference between the way we treat gay and straight people
    And that Bishops might feel free to go to what ever functions they like!
    I am 61, and I have decided “Bugger it!” (I am an Australian after all) I am going to do what I think is right. There must be some privileges in getting old. If the Bishop (of Adelaide) wants to take me to the High Court and contest my tenure for contesting his discriminatory and arbitrator rules then so be it, let him do so!

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