Better start with the virus – Covid. The year will start off with a surge caused by Xmas and illegal gatherings on NYE. Big debates about school closures. Education Minister refuses to resign despite total incompetence. Some areas moved into tier 5 (how many more tears will we have to endure? Vaccine roll out becomes embroiled in controversy as some side effects are publicised. Some institutions demand a certificate of immunisation and the argument ensues. Also the logistics of immunising 70 million people will overwhelm poor old DoorMatt and Dildo.
Brexit starts with some glitches – anger at red tape, port congestion. But nothing major to start with. Price of food will start to rise. Large landowners demand maintenance of CAP size subsidy. Debate on globalisation of food supply is suppressed in Tory media (against the interests of big investors). But more people will be buying local and organic. There is a rise in xenophobic attacks by idiots who think that that is what Brexit means! By the summer when our new trade deals have proved to be worse than we had when in the EU there is a development of a sullen distrust of government. No blockbuster del with USA leaves the government floundering.They have a big majority but the tory party becomes increasingly split. Labour is also having problems with splits – Starmer is seen as too centrist, League Against Cruel Sports campaigns to abandon PMQT due to the humiliation it cause BJ!
Of course it could all go swimmingly well! But when tourists have to take out extra insurance for holidays (and some will inevitably get scammed), and run up huge roaming charges, or not have correct insurance for cars and pets, the reality of Brexit might click in. Of course the older people who voted for it are either dead or not bothered because they do not travel abroad.
I get the impression the likes of Where’s Wally (JRMogg) would like a return to Edwardian days where they could have servants whom they could underpay, women knew their place, the countryside needs conserving for shooting to be more fun, journalists submit copy before publication for approval,
Maybe will see the revival of trade unions as the government desperately tries to improve the economy by encouraging more zero hours contracts, and thus avoid having to freeze the minimum wage.
Will we see the government encouraging Serco or whoever to take over the food banks? It must hurt those hard core capitalists to see charity working so well!
Climate Conference should be Boris Johnsons finest hour – a world stage and he will talk the talk, but then not walk the walk. This is so obvious I am not sure it qualifies for a prediction!
Weather – No science here – I just think we may have a very cold snap early next year, followed by a few storms with flooding. I had a really good crop of tomatoes this year, I hope next year is as good – I am going to grow different sized ones. I wonder what my spring bulbs will look like?
Football – FA and major tv channels form a limited company to control football and syphon off a few more billions! Liverpool to win league again, although if ManC sign Erling Haaland in Jan anything could happen? I kind of think Chelsea might do it, with ManU a possible if they can get consistency. Spurs, maybe boringly? Outsiders not a chance – unless injuries due to fixture list become seriously inhibitive.
Will Sunderland with new owner get back to top level. Hope they do. And after the weekends results – where will Everton end up? And Aston Villa and Southampton looking good – will a chasm develop in the Premiership? And the Championship – Swansea and Bristol City seem to promise loads and the blow it! Swansea are too dependent on Ayew – my prediction on promotion to Pram is – Norwich, Bournemouth and ??? Brentford (tears again) or Watford.
The USA will recover its mojo slowly but surely as it recovers from Trump. Who will still be throwing his toys out of his pram with his $200 million fund he has to play with. I am sure we will see rednecks protesting and having some impact, but hopefully he will fade away, and America will exert a benign influence on world affairs. It needs to hold the line against Putin’s populism, and China’s growing world wide influence. The World Health Organisation needs proper funding now more than ever, and the same for population control subsidies.
Firms to go bust? Most of High Street ones have gone so it might be a culling of small shops? Sad but likely. Then councils will have to ask where their income is coming from? If High Street shops close, then it has to be council. tax or government subsidy. The obvious one is for Council Tax to rise – I am not sure tories can do it, but it seems a no brainer to raise council tax exponentially through the levels. I am not sure I have used the correct terminology there! But level one stays the same, and then increasing levels until high value properties (and I realise these need adjustment across the country as London values are so much higher). Perhaps there needs to be higher levels for empty properties as, contary to present regime, these absent owners might not be using facilities, but are also not contributing to the local economy.