current affairs, ramblings

2015 Predictions

I thought I’d give my crystal ball a dust off and see if I could come up with a few ideas as to what might happen over the course of this brand new 2015.
What follows is the best I can interpret from the misty images I saw in the aforesaid crystal ball. They are just my ideas of what might happen based solely on hunches and gut feel; I have no inside knowledge and I haven’t been studying the form — so if you base any decision on any of this I will take no responsibility for your idiocy.
Anyway, here are my thoughts on what might transpire this year:
UK

  1. Labour win the General Election — although probably not with an overall majority; they form a government in coalition with the LibDems
  2. As a result of the new government the unions start demanding, and getting, inflation busting wage rises
  3. Theresa May beats off a challenge from Boris Johnson to become leader of the Conservative Party
  4. There is no change in UK interest rates
  5. A major household name (possibly a high street store) calls in the receivers
  6. At least one UK holiday tour operator goes under stranding several hundred holiday-makers abroad
  7. Against expectations UK inflation will be around 4% driven by higher wage settlements and spending by the new government
  8. On 31 December FTSE will close down 10% compared with 1 January
  9. UK will see at least one major plane crash and one major train crash
  10. Duke of Edinburgh dies and is given a state funeral
  11. Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain’s longest reigning monarch
  12. The UK has a warm winter and a cold wet summer

Overseas

  1. Violence in South Africa between black tribes threatens to turn into civil war and causes a white exodus
  2. Death of President Mugabe of Zimbabwe is followed by further civil war
  3. Major epidemic will affect the developed world — could be Ebola or flu or MERS or something entirely new
  4. Australia will experience an earthquake of at least magnitude 7
  5. The Pope will issue a revolutionary encyclical, possibly on birth control, divorce or the celibate priesthood
  6. A number of international sporting bodies are proven to be driven by massive bribery and fraud
  7. The Islamic world continues to descend into total meltdown with more factional fighting, civil war and coups d’état; the exceptions are Saudi Arabia and UAE which remain relatively stable due to their oil wealth
  8. Russia continues to be belligerent over Ukraine and only their economic woes will prevent World War 3
  9. Brussels finally gets fed up with the UK’s posturing and formally asks us to leave the EU
  10. A major airline goes into liquidation

Personal

  1. I finally have to be put on insulin to control my diabetes
  2. We lose the venerable Harry the Cat (well he is over 17) but he is replaced by two kittens

It will certainly be interesting to see what really does occur. I’d be tempted to put money on none of this happening.
Do you have any good predictions for the year ahead?