Once again this year I’ve retrieved my crystal ball from the back of the wardrobe and dusted it off. However it becomes cloudier by the day so despite regular consultations over the last month what follows are my guesses at what may happen during 2020.

As before, I’ve divided the predictions into sections: UK, World and Personal. I figured that Brexit is now so likely to happen that it is “business as usual” and doesn’t warrant its own section. Note also that various items are currently redacted (although I have them documented) as some might consider them over-sensitive.

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UK

1. Look out for natural disasters around 9-10/02 (snow), 9-10/03, 7-8/04 (very wet Easter), 6-7/05 (financial crash) (all of these dates are moon at perigee and full).
   Also 30-31/10 (plane crash) (moon is at apogee, full and a Blue Moon).
2. Penumbral lunar eclipse (visible in London) 10/01, 05/06, 05/07, 30/11 may also presage problems.
3. UK leaves EU on 31/01: UK will not request a further extension and anyway the EU wouldn’t grant it.
   Leave deal will be unsatisfactory (basically the deal of 10/2019, passed due to Tory majority in the new parliament) containing many Henry VIII clauses (many of which will be abused before YE).
4. Government cannot agree a trade deal with EU by YE.
   If the EU proposes an extension beyond YE 2020 the UK government will refuse it, thus cementing a total “no deal” Brexit.
5. Boris Johnson continues to believe in unicorns and will ride out the economic turmoil following Brexit.
6. Corbin is replaced as Labour Leader by a woman; possibly one of Yvette Cooper, Stella Creasy, Angela Eagle, Angela Rayner. (Predicted before the runners and riders are declared.)
7. Despite attempts by UK and Ireland, the parties in Ulster are unable to agree a power sharing administration.
8. There’s a move to reunite Ireland as the post-Brexit border is unworkable.
   This could stimulate Sinn Féin take their seats at Westminster to try to push through the reunification.
9. Scotland is denied an independence referendum in 2020 by Westminster and fails to get a Supreme Court ruling in it’s favour.
   The SNP will build resentment against Westminster in order to win elections (and maybe a referendum) in 2021/22.
10. Increasing calls for reform of electoral system (to some form of proportional representation) but they’re continually blocked by the government who implement boundary changes to cement their position.
11. HS2 gets the go-ahead and a feasibility study into extensions to Edinburgh/Glasgow and Cardiff.
12. Fracking is allowed to restart.
13. Sadiq Khan wins a second term as London Mayor – but only just.
14. Nigel Farage gets a peerage; John Bercow, Kenneth Clarke and Dominic Grieve do not.
15. Appointees to the Supreme Court (eg. the replacement for Lady Hale) are seen as being clearly political appointees, rather than appropriate legals.
16. Because of the economic turmoil the UK is in recession by YE.
    Unemployment hits 10%.
    Bank of England Interest Rate returns to 0%.
17. Sterling plummets against dollar and Euro following the UK’s exit from the EU.
18. Inflation rises to at least 10% by YE, mainly due to large cost increases in the food industry and hospitality sector.
19. FTSE falls 10% cf. start of year – due to Brexit and the financial crash.
20. Financial crash, probably in early May, with the possibility that a bank will fail.
21. S&P and/or Moody’s downgrade UK creditworthiness by two levels.
22. Mortgage interest rates hit 10% before YE.
    Average UK house prices fall by at least 10%.
    Repossessions double.
23. Pensions (private & state) are compulsorily frozen.
24. Drug prices double as the US buys up the NHS.
    Prescription charges are extended to everyone with no exemptions.
25. Either ASDA or Morrison’s fails or is taken over; Debenhams finally fails.
    Major problems for M&S and/or John Lewis – a partnership between the two looks likely.
26. Major drug/alcohol or fraud/fixing issue uncovered in one or more of UK athletics, rugby, cricket.
27. Extinction Rebellion fizzles out.
28. Diane Abbott and Theresa May are diagnosed with long-term illnesses.
29. Magnitude 4 or greater earthquake somewhere in UK.
30. At least 200 deaths in illegal migration attempts to the UK.
31. Plans announced to replace the Thames Barrier; work to start 2025 and complete 2040.
32. Announcement that London congestion charge zone will be expanded out to N & S Circulars in 2025/6.
33. Relatively mild wet January/February followed by a cold wet spring & summer thus ensuring a poor fruit and grain harvest.
34. Death of the Queen and Prince Philip.
    Possibly also Prince Charles, in an accident.
    William becomes King by YE.
35. Other Deaths: Edwina Currey, Gordon Brown, a royal duke, Kenneth Clarke, Jeffrey Archer, Dennis Skinner, Lord Heseltine, Lord Gowrie.

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World

1. Trump wins 2020 Presidential election due to Democrat dissent over their candidate.
2. Saudi Arabia drastically cuts oil exports amid internecine turmoil.
3. Zimbabwe finally succumbs to outright civil war which spills over into South Africa.
4. South American countries descend further into right-wing government.
5. Rate of Amazonian deforestation increases.
   Global temperature and CO₂ emissions continue to rise.
   The COP26 climate talks in Glasgow (in November) end in disagreement and failure.
6. Major violence (civil war?) in Turkey.
7. Violent uprising continues in Hong Kong and India.
8. Russia annexes one of the Baltic states.
9. Big solar geomagnetic storm causes major breakdown of satellites and infrastructure, probably across North America but possibly elsewhere.
10. Collision between two operational satellites (maybe as a result of geomagnetic storm).
11. Boeing Starliner and Space X Crew Dragon both launch crewed capsules.
    One of them fails with loss of the crew.
12. At least one other major space mission fails.
13. Magnitude 7 or greater earthquake in California and another in Peru.
14. Greta Thunberg is burnt out and sinks out of sight to complete her education.
15. At least one major global IT company fails (or is saved only by a takeover).
    Also a major airline and a shipping line.
16. Major plane crash in western Europe – possibly France – possibly controlled flight into terrain.
17. Ebola flares again in central Africa.
18. Significant new disease emerges (as MERS and SARS did); concern at possible pandemic.
19. Number of western countries ban vaping or include it in their anti-smoking regulations.
20. Amazon and/or Facebook is involved in a major anti-trust or privacy law suit.
21. Deaths: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Dalai Lama, Angela Merkel, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch.

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Personal

1. Personal (a), (b): [[REDACTED]]
2. Neighbours1 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]]
3. Neighbours2: [[REDACTED]]
4. Neighbours3: [[REDACTED]]
5. Local Community1 (a), (b), (c): [[REDACTED]]
6. Local Community2 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]]
7. Local Community3: [[REDACTED]]
8. Friends1 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]]
9. Friends2 (a), (b), (c): [[REDACTED]]
10. Friends3: [[REDACTED]]
11. Friends4 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]]
12. Friends5 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]]
13. Friends6: [[REDACTED]]
14. Friends7: [[REDACTED]]
15. Deaths: 11 named individuals [[REDACTED]]

These have all been redacted as the content is bound to be sensitive to people I know, however they are documented in my files and will be reported on at the end of the year.

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Obviously I shall keep a tally and will publish the results at the end of the year. Let’s hope I do better this year than I have over the last several?

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I’m conscious that much of the above will be in people’s “bad news” category. So this year I intend to also log good news stories. Good news is, of course, a rather flexible concept as it depends on one’s values of “Good” and “News”. The stories I log will therefore be ones which meet or exceed my personal, flexible and arbitrary values of Good and News. Hopefully there’ll be a list at the end of the year.