Future Imperfect?

The Times They Are-a-Changin'

Didn't find your answer?

Saturday's news is that President Trump is a-restin' peacefully, albeit with his trusty "nuclear football" close at hand; Boris is planning to relax mask restrictions for Christmas - so good news for Johnson Major; 12,800 more of us have C-virus (up by 5,000 on yesterday's numbers); and our friends in the North are this evening having their last hurrah before being locked down forever.

So what are your predictions for the next three months? Allow me to set the ball rolling with:

October: President Trump bows out on health grounds, and Joe Biden is inaugurated as president;

November: Rishi Sunak resigns in the wake of severe criticism of his increased taxation proposals; 

December: Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announces a curtailment of all Christmas celebrations until May 2023; all Noddy Holder songs are banned in perpetuity; Fulham are already relegated.

Anyone care to forward their forecasts?

Replies (31)

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the sea otter
By memyself-eye
04th Oct 2020 11:13

1. Aston Villa go top of the premiership (and stay there)
2. HMRC abandons all plans for MTD
3. Finally, I win the big one on the premium bonds (fed up of only £50 every month....)

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 11:06

memyself-eye wrote:

1. Aston Villa go top of the premiership (and stay there)


Well that was a good call! Got any tips for the 3.30 at Kempton?
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By Paul Crowley
04th Oct 2020 13:47

Nobody has the courage to point out the huge benefit of Covid deaths on future care costs and pension savings, that on their own directly equal state subsidies to the self employed, who worked all the way through covid and are now the nouvou riche.

Self employed dance and point out all the idiots who thought companies were for paying less money to the state

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By Tax Dragon
04th Oct 2020 18:05

Why do you use the word "courage"? What's courageous about making glib* comments that display such lack of humanity?

It's humanity that requires courage.

*Same word as last time, sorry. Feel free to provide another (but I won't accept "courageous"). I guess my plea(se) last time fell on deaf ears.

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By Paul Crowley
04th Oct 2020 22:39

Your reply is exactly the reason.

This disease has killed predominantly the elderly and people with underlying health conditions

I have no doubt that it will cause numerous conspiracy theories.
My brother (retired) volunteers at the hospital. He has been tested as having had it, my business partner was exposed to it as he gave his father a lift home from the hospital and next day dad was advised that dad had it
Both brother and dad seriously over 60 but healthy.

But a taboo to calculate both sides of the effects?
Brexit was a two way calculation, not this?

I knew it before I posted

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By Tax Dragon
04th Oct 2020 23:01

Saying things people disagree with is synonymous with saying things. Saying things you think most people will disagree with.... well, I'm a fan of free speech and I abhor the new forms of censorship we see. And I don't just mean in this forum. University students, for example, don't get to debate issues such as indeed the very one you raise because one or other view is deemed 'unacceptable' and is silenced rather than refuted.

So.... maybe glib was the wrong word. Make your point by all means; but make it more thoughtfully and with greater sensitivity. Fair enough?

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By Tax Dragon
05th Oct 2020 00:06

By way of context:

@Paul the above reply crossed in the posting with your late and substantial edit. Only your first sentence was there when I started typing.

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By Anonymous.
04th Oct 2020 18:13

Paul Crowley wrote:

Nobody has the courage to point out the huge benefit of Covid deaths on future care costs and pension savings,

I suspect the after effects of illnesses for Covid survivors plus the increased number of untreated/undiagnosed (because of lockdown) cancer and heart conditions will dwarf any Covid death "dividend".

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
04th Oct 2020 19:32

If Trump bows out we then get President Pence (Not the full shilling) and the Republicans then need to decide if it will be Pence or A N Other on the ballot, if of course Trump dies they go for the sympathy angle and select either Trump's wife or one of Trump's kids. (unless he has a dog that is smarter in which case it gets the ticket)

Manchester United sack Ole and appoint Maguire as player manager as we all know who he is (and he has a lot of money)

Sky commissions a Jose spin off from "All or Nothing" where everyone gets encouraged to be a c**t.

Luke Shaw becomes the face of the government lose weight campaign.

Celtic continue to be awful but somehow still keep winning.

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By Tax Dragon
04th Oct 2020 20:43

DJKL wrote:

Celtic continue to be awful but somehow still keep winning.

I can explain that mystery: look who they play against.

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By whitevanman
04th Oct 2020 20:29

Off at a tangent but, does anyone else think that news of Donald's infection is just a bit of "fake" news, manufactured by himself and his gang, in an effort to boost his share of the vote? Not sure the same was not true of our own Donald a little earlier this year.

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
05th Oct 2020 08:48

For all I think Bojo is a terrible PM he did look like someone who had been pretty ill. Re Trump, the jury is still out but I suspect he does have Covid- his WH is too leaky so if it was a stunt it would be bound to come out.

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 11:32

I'm not 100% convinced that was Trump in the hermetically sealed car. We're told Churchill used a double; as did Stalin. Could that be a Trump ringer in a blonde wig and a mask?

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Replying to I'msorryIhaven'taclue:
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By whitevanman
05th Oct 2020 11:57

Probably Bojo (but no doubt Cummings will give him an alibi) !

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By Wilson Philips
05th Oct 2020 22:55

Looks like Trump is doing what many feared. Having ‘recovered’ from it he’s now pretty much dismissing it as a non-issue. What an utter bell-end.

(I think that my spacing in that last sentence may be wrong )

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the sea otter
By memyself-eye
05th Oct 2020 09:51

7-2 ......glorious!

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By whitevanman
05th Oct 2020 09:59

Is that like 1-6?

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By Cheshire
05th Oct 2020 16:02

Don't go there. I'm regressing to the late 1980s.

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By carnmores
05th Oct 2020 10:14

you're still taking those supplements i see.

October not possible
November is possible
December extremely unlikely
;-)

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 11:44

I know, I know... for October I was going to forecast "Trump on life support system" but I wasn't sure how that might sit with the mods. And Biden the new chief on November 3rd.

I agree December's forecast is unlikely - how could anyone have a Merry Christmas without Slade? Just wishful thinking.

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By carnmores
05th Oct 2020 12:11

still not possible , the presidential term is 4 years no more no less, so if Trump falls after the Nov election but before the Jan inauguration Pence is sworn in for the remaining amount of the term and not Biden should he have won. if Trump is on life support the 25th amendment kicks in same thing applies

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 12:25

Gosh, January -I'm not sure Biden will live that long. Nor Trump, come to that.

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
05th Oct 2020 13:39

Right now if not Trump or Pence I think you get Nancy Pelosi as she is currently speaker in the House Of Reps.

See, that American History 2 course at Edinburgh has now come in useful, the American Constitution being required reading . I think my other half can likely still spout half of it from memory (she did a History & Politics degree) but that is only because whilst she also took Am Hist 2 she is in addition a closet Celtic fan so knows her history.

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By carnmores
05th Oct 2020 12:36

then its Pence or Harris or Pellosi .....ouch she may not make it either isn't she older than Biden or Trump . Shocking really someone younger please

what intrigues me is who if he wins will Biden appoint as SoS . i would like to see Pete Buttigegg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 14:35

Pete would be riding on the prison reform and legalise hash ticket. Should be popular.

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By carnmores
05th Oct 2020 15:02

and he speaks 9 languages must be tricky when you're stoned

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 19:35

Try learnin' maths in Welsh when you're high. Now there's a trick!

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Replying to I'msorryIhaven'taclue:
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By carnmores
05th Oct 2020 21:10

I like talking with an expert

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 21:50

Me too. But no mirrors allowed :)

It arises occasionally in alternative threads how members of our profession are sometimes placed outside of their comfort zone - their particular expertisms, if you will - which put me in mind of how the legal profession, the medical profession, and (for that matter) dentists are disinclined to castigate one another for their own particular lack of abilities / aptitudes / specialist knowledge.

Do you perhaps suppose that there exists some hope for accountants to arrange themselves into some sort of pecking order, without spoiling the particular chances of the participant adjacent to themselves? For example, and because of the C-virus trend, I believe it to be inevitable that accountants and solicitors will combine themselves in the near future. Do you imagine our compatriots capable of assembling themselves into some sort of batting order prior to that? Or might we still be hen-pecking one another?

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Replying to I'msorryIhaven'taclue:
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By carnmores
05th Oct 2020 22:15

It's the real thing but i can't teach the world to sing

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
05th Oct 2020 22:30

Can't beat the real thing!

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