Tag Archives: David Cameron

October 30, 2015 · 8:53 am

EU Unbans Occult Websites Banned By David Cameron | Alex Sumner

From Huffington Post:

It has been announced in the news today thatThe European Union has voted through legislation that will require all internet providers to treat online traffic “without discrimination” …

Source: EU Unbans Occult Websites Banned By David Cameron | Alex Sumner

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May 8, 2015 · 6:31 pm

General Election 2015: The Aftermath

With the results declared, the British General Election is over, and so it is time to see how my predictions fared against the actual facts and figures. I cannot help but think that the overall conclusion to be drawn is that the stars predicted the direction the result was going to go today – though not the precise details.

David Cameron / The Conservative Party

What I wrote:

Cameron (9th October 1966, London) has a lot of favourable influences going for him that day… The Conservatives will be the largest party in Parliament, but without an absolute majority. David Cameron will stay on as Prime Minister, this time of a minority Conservative government, not a Coalition.

What actually happened:

The Conservatives did get an absolute majority – but only just, to wit: twelve seats. However, in practical terms it’s actually sixteen seats because Sinn Fein boycott the House of Commons on principle. The prediction I made did seem to reflect the BBC’s exit poll published just as the polls closed, but not the final results! Still, we should remember that it is entirely possible that with by-elections, this majority may be wiped out and become a minority in the course of this parliament – that is exactly what happened to John Major in 1992.

Ed Milliband / The Labour Party

What I wrote:

Labour will be the second largest, but will experience a loss of seats, mostly to the SNP, but also to UKIP.

What actually happened

Labour were the second largest, and did experience a loss of seats to the SNP. However, due to a quirk in the UK’s election system, they lost a lot of seats not to UKIP, but because of UKIP. More about this anon.

Nigel Farage / UKIP

What I wrote:

…UKIP will see significant gains in the numbers of their seats… UKIP will go through a period of reform where they are forced to jettison the more extreme elements of their party.

What actually happened:

UKIP saw significant gains in their number of votes, not seats. According to a BBC poll, UKIP notched up 12.6% of the popular vote, becoming the third most popular party amongst the electorate, with only the Conservatives and Labour in front of them. However, because of the way UKIP voters are distributed throughout Britain, voting for UKIP divided support for the Labour party, allowing in many cases the Conservative candidate to get in. Had for instance, the same number of UKIP voters been concentrated in a small region instead of equally distributed across the country, the same number of votes would have translated into increased seats in parliament – but the constituency map is gerrymandered against them.

Still I was right about UKIP having to jettison the more extreme elements of their party – e.g. Nigel Farage himself! 😛

Scottish National Party

What I wrote:

[T]he SNP … will see significant gains in the numbers of their seats. The SNP will find it difficult to hold the balance of power though, as the other parties will be reluctant to work with them.

What actually happened:

The stars were generally correct about the SNP’s fortunes – also vindicating my decision to examine the horoscope of Angus Robertson, their campaign director. The SNP did see a significant gain in the number of its seats – mainly because, unlike UKIP, they are concentrated in one (demographically) small region (i.e. Scotland), where the average size of each constituency in terms of voters is smaller than the rest of the country. The system, in other words, is gerrymandered in their favour.

The SNP also failed to hold the balance of power, though for different reasons entirely – i.e. the  Conservatives winning an outright majority. However: as I said above, it is still within the realm of possibility that the Tory majority may diminish within the lifetime of the parliament, so the dynamic of power between the parties may yet change.

Natalie Bennett / The Green Party

What I wrote:

[S]he will be disappointed by the result of the election. The day will be pretty much a non-event for her… The Green Party will be neither better nor worse off after the election than before.

What actually happened:

Unfortunately, this is precisely what occurred. The Green Party held on to its one seat in Brighton, but won nothing else.

Nick Clegg / The Liberal Democrats

What I wrote:

Clegg will be the subject of much anger, also the forces of change will be proving difficult for him to make any headway… [I]t will be a good time for Clegg to be alone, and to realise his flaws and weaknesses… The Liberal Democrats in general, and Nick Clegg in particular, will collapse.

What actually happened:

I so totally called this one!!!

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March 30, 2015 · 1:36 pm

How To Predict The General Election 2015, part two

Following on from my previous post regarding the nature of the problems facing the next Government of the United Kingdom, I now turn to predicting the winners / losers specifically. This I have done by looking that the birth charts of the leaders of six main parties, and comparing the transits made with the horoscope for the election. I use this information to calculate whether they will be celebrating or not come close of polls on Election Day, and hence infer the fate of their party therefrom.

David Cameron – Conservatives.

David Cameron

David Cameron

Cameron (9th October 1966, London) has a lot of favourable influences going for him that day, mainly thanks to the planet Jupiter. This is sextile his natal Sun, Venus and Mercury, signifying it is a good time for new opportunities, making a good impression, and for promoting himself and his ideas. The one warning sign, however, is transitting Saturn square to his natal Mars, which suggests he will not be victorious outright.

Ed Milliband – Labour.

Ed Milliband

Ed Milliband

Milliband (24th December 1969, London) will also be experiencing Saturn squaring his natal Mars – like Cameron. Unlike Cameron, however, the planet Jupiter is not so conspicuous. The minor planets such as Venus and Moon suggest he will experience some transitory good news on the day of the election, but this will not last into the new Parliament itself.

Nick Clegg – Liberal Democrats.

Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg

Clegg (7th January 1967, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks) has a rather nasty T-formation caused by a transitting Mars / Uranus opposition square to his natal Sun. Clegg will be the subject of much anger, also the forces of change will be proving difficult for him to make any headway. Also, Saturn transitting his natal Moon signifies that it will be a good time for Clegg to be alone, and to realise his flaws and weaknesses.

Nigel Farage – UKIP

Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage

Farage (3rd April 1964, Downe, Kent) will be having an auspicious day come May 7th. Transitting Saturn is trine to both his natal Sun and Mars, suggesting he is mature, responsible, and projects confidence: also he is able to meet his responsibilities. Moreover, transitting Jupiter is also trine to his Sun, signifying new visions of the future and new inspirations are likely to come along – an increase of good fortune. However: transitting Saturn opposes his natal Venus, suggesting he would do well to rid himself of delusions when it comes to close partnerships (such his relations with other members of UKIP).

Natalie Bennett – Green Party

Natalie Bennett

Natalie Bennett

Bennett (10th February 1966, Sydney, Australia) has quite possibly the most disappointing chart of all the leaders of the major parties – not because it is particularly disastrous, but because it is totally unremarkable one way or the other! The only transit of interest is that Uranus, representing the forces of change, are in opposition to her natal Moon, signifying that she will be disappointed by the result of the election. The day will be pretty much a non-event for her.

Angus Robertson – SNP

Angus Robertson

Angus Robertson

“Duh, Alex, I thought Nicola Sturgeon was leader of the SNP?” Yes, but she’s not standing in the Westminster Parliament! The leader of SNP’s Parliamentary Party, however, is Angus Robertson MP (28th September 1969, Wimbledon, London), who is confirmed as the director of the SNP’s 2015 general election campaign. I have therefore decided to use his details rather than Sturgeon’s. As it happens, Robertson’s chart has a lot of good points to say about it: Jupiter is sextile his natal Jupiter, showing that he will find it easy to work with his own natural talents for ensuring success. Moreover, transitting Saturn is sextile a natal stellium of Sun, Mercury and Uranus, indicating that he has a more mature grasp of his own capabilities, and projects a more responsible, perhaps serious, and self-assured personality to others. Progress he makes during this transit period is likely to bring him rewards in his career, whilst the forces of change are generally working in his favour. The only warning note is transitting Saturn square to his natal Venus, suggesting that he will have a tough time working on improving his manner as well as the things that he offer to others in partnership.

Conclusion.

I shall therefore put my neck on the line and make the following predictions as to the result of the election:

  • The Conservatives will be the largest party in Parliament, but without an absolute majority. David Cameron will stay on as Prime Minister, this time of a minority Conservative government, not a Coalition.
  • Labour will be the second largest, but will experience a loss of seats, mostly to the SNP, but also to UKIP.
  • The Liberal Democrats in general, and Nick Clegg in particular, will collapse.
  • Both the SNP and UKIP will see significant gains in the numbers of their seats. The SNP will find it difficult to hold the balance of power though, as the other parties will be reluctant to work with them. UKIP will go through a period of reform where they are forced to jettison the more extreme elements of their party.
  • The Green Party will be neither better nor worse off after the election than before.

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March 19, 2014 · 10:20 am

An Open Letter to the UK Government, on behalf of all Authors

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer.That's a mighty big case just to carry a resignation letter! :P

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

I first wrote a letter like this in 2011. The law has not changed since then! Fortunately though, the UK Government today has yet another chance to get it right, as today Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne makes his Budget Statement.

To: the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister.

CC: The Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Dear Sir,

Firstly, others of a churlish disposition might point out the irony of me posting an open letter to you on this, the kind of web-site you are trying hard to censor – but I am above that! Perhaps if my loyal readers re-blog or share this often enough, it might actually come up on your radar, as it were (hint hint).

Anywho, I appreciate you have a lot on your plate right now, and you are probably fed up to the back teeth with people adding to your woes by intimating that you may not have got it exactly right with the state of VAT policy right now.

Which is rather unfortunate as that is the precise reason why I am writing this letter.

However, I am not going to waste your time by going on a long rant about the fact that increasing indirect taxation only works during a time of economic prosperity because in a recession poor people don’t have the opportunity to get a higher paid job in order to escape their increased costs of living. Instead – I would like to take issue with the status as regards to Books and Ebooks. The situation is basically this:-

Currently, printed books are not subject to VAT – but Ebooks are.

Ever since VAT was introduced back in the 70s, successive Governments have shied away from putting VAT on books because they did not want to be accused of placing a “tax on knowledge.” Fair enough – but Ebooks contain just as much knowledge as print books, so on this basis they should be subject to the same preferential treatment, should they not?

Moreover – there is the environmental issue. Producing printed books entails chopping down lots of rain-forests, and is a far more costlier process than producing an ebook. Ebooks, however, can be sold at a far-lower price per unit than print books, for much the same reasons that it is cheaper to download MP3s than buy CDs – and no trees are hurt in the process. For a Government that is seriously committed to the Environment, surely the enlightened approach is to favour Ebooks over print-books.

IMHO, Ebooks are the future – especially when it comes to everyday reading. I can only think of two reasons at all why paper-books should continue to exist in the future. Firstly – Antiquarianism and the antiquarian book trade, for whom old editions of books and manuscripts are its raison d’etre. Secondly – gift books. After all, there is great value in getting a copy of a book autographed by the author – but unfortunately there is no comparable way to do this electronically.

There are some strange people who think they can’t do without the “feel” of a book in their hands, but I have no sympathy for them. If they are so kinesthetically-oriented, perhaps they would like to imagine that they have the sap of innocent trees on their hands as well? (Hey, it’s not quite as dramatic a metaphor as having blood on ones hands but give me some sort of credit!)

So to summarise – to recognise the increasing importance of Ebooks in the modern day world – and for environmental reasons – either put VAT on printed books but not ebooks (the reverse of the current situation); or abolish VAT on both books and Ebooks altogether.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Sumner

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March 20, 2011 · 5:24 pm

Invasion of Libya Predicted by Astrology

In my blog-post How To Predict The General Election Result Part 3, posted in May 2010, I wrote, regarding the day of the UK general election:

On May 6th itself there will be a T between the Moon, Sun and Mars: i.e. the Moon is square to the Sun, which is square to Mars, which is in opposition to the Moon. The people (Moon) will be challenging the Government (Sun) to action, but warfare etc (Mars) will be holding it back – which in turn will upset everyone. Whoever wins on Thursday is going to have a tough time of it in the new parliament.

What now follows I guess critics will probably say is an exercise in retrocognition, but the fact is that roundabout the same time as I posted on this my blog, I went to some smart reception or other in London – as you do – and having invoked Dionysus several times I boldly expostulated on my further thoughts on the situation. The astrological figure for the day of the 2010 General Election was effectively the day on which the present Parliament was “born” – hence, factors indicated on that horoscope also represented influences on the life of the forthcoming Government.

Therefore, I held forth to my rapt companion at the time, because Mars was in such an awkward position in relation to the Sun and Moon, I predicted that the warfare of which I had written in my blog-post referred to warfare taking place in the new Parliament. I.e. not just continuation of the warfare then going on, but a major escalation, such as the opening of hostilities on a brand new front.

I did not mention Libya by name at the time. So before you say “Alex conned us by using a deliberately sensational blog-title to induce us to read this,” please bear in mind the following important point: it was the fact the new Government would get involved in new hostilities which could have been predicted, rather than with a specific country per se. I dread to say that it was inevitable, because theoretically the Government could have chosen to avert this particular outcome – or perhaps they knew it was likely and so did it anyway. The Government does not appear to make a habit of listening to astrologers – after all, they have not indicated they are going to take me up on my suggestion regarding Ebooks (yet).

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May 12, 2010 · 8:09 am

Winners & Losers – 3

Nick Clegg

Finally – for this election at any rate, there is Nick Clegg. On April 6th I said:

Clegg is popular right now, and has the opportunity to make a good impression on others.

Which was borne out during the election campaign by his performance in the leaders’ debates. Also:

Like Cameron, he shares the Sun / natal Caput Draconis conjunction, and the Jupiter / natal Saturn conjunction.

The very fact that both he and Cameron have their Caput Draconis in the same place would tend to indicate that their destinies lie together – which is now borne out by the fact that they have formed a coalition government. Finally, I said:

Nick Clegg – will come out of this election very well.

And:

… there will be a Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition – this will see Clegg rewarded with a senior Cabinet post.

This has been confirmed today with Nick Clegg being named as Deputy Prime Minister – and thus the most senior Liberal politician since David Lloyd George.

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May 11, 2010 · 9:09 pm

Winners and Losers 2

David Cameron

It appears that David Cameron will be Prime Minister after all. On April 6th I said:

David Cameron – could do well, although it will be a difficult time for him.

As it turned out this pretty much summed up his results. Although his party won the most seats in the election, he did not become Prime Minister automatically: it only took until Tuesday for Gordon Brown to finally admit defeat.

Messrs Tredinnick, Corbyn and Hancock

All won their respective seats I am glad to say. Rudi Vis unfortunately did not. This means that unless there are some dark horses in the new intake, there are two less MPs who are sympathetic to astrology and alternative health in the new Parliament.

Astrologers generally

Before I get too egotistical I should point out that a number of astrologers correctly predicted what was going to happen. What I will say though is that there are at least two ironies brought out by this whole affair. I firmly believe that the stars impel and do not compel: but that presupposes that one takes notice of them in the first place. Thus we have a classic situation here that Gordon Brown could have listened to the advice of astrologers and not held the election on that particular date: he also could have listened to the advice that we were giving him and taken pains to avoid making the kind of mistakes from which we said he was in danger. But he did not, so it played out with Brown being the hapless puppet of circumstance.

The other irony – and one which I am especially pleased about – is that David Tredinnick faced opposition in his constituency from some quantum physicist who disliked his stance on homeopathy (nb: what does a quantum physicist know about medicines and healthcare???). However the stars were looking out for the MP, and not for the physicist!

So hooray for astrology and astrologers in general! Politicians: you ignore us at your peril!

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May 11, 2010 · 6:52 pm

The General Election – Winners and Losers 1

A month ago, I attempted to use astrology to predict the outcome of the General Election. Let’s see what has in fact happened:

Gordon Brown

On April 6th I said:

…Gordon will be facing a time of tests and trials – he will find it difficult to attract the things and people he wants in his life…

He certainly does find it difficult to attract the things and people he wants in his life, i.e. things (staying in power) and people (Nick Clegg). The Telegraph reports that Brown’s attempts to broker a deal with Clegg ended in acrimony, although Clegg probably did not help things by suggesting that Brown should resign.

… he will suffer a series of set-backs that cast doubt on his ability to win.
Prediction, April 6th.

Let’s see: there were the dismal performances in the leader’s debates (see here, here and here) for a start. And then of course there was  the infamous gaffe in which he called a pensioner a bigot whilst wearing a TV microphone. And of course most importantly I predicted:

Gordon Brown – cheerio.

Which came to pass on May 11th 2010.

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May 3, 2010 · 10:18 am

How to predict the General Election Result – part 3

The real battle in the UK general election is hotting up. No – not between the rival parties: I’m talking about rival astrologers! Russell Grant predicts a win for David Cameron this Thursday, using the time-honoured astrological technique of noticing that the Tories are in front in the opinion polls.

Still I notice that he agrees that the election has been called at the worst possible time. On May 6th itself there will be a T between the Moon, Sun and Mars: i.e. the Moon is square to the Sun, which is square to Mars, which is in opposition to the Moon. The people (Moon) will be challenging the Government (Sun) to action, but warfare etc (Mars) will be holding it back – which in turn will upset everyone. Whoever wins on Thursday is going to have a tough time of it in the new parliament.

I still think that Clegg is going to do well – and note that I predicted this a month ago at the start of the campaign, before all the TV debates started!

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April 6, 2010 · 11:22 am

How to predict the General Election 2010 result

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that the United Kingdom is going to the polls on May 6th 2010. I therefore present my predictions as to what is going to happen, especially to the leaders of the three main political parties.

The Day of the Election Itself

The Sun is square to both the Moon and Mars (which are in opposition to each other). The Moon, incidentally, is in its last quarter. This means that the day is good day for getting rid of things. There will be upset and quarrelling. Moreover, Jupiter and Uranus are conjunct, but both are opposed by Saturn. There will be a revolution in the state of the British Government, which will be at the expense of old ideas – or indeed, older men.

Hence, the day of the General Election will be very acrimonious. We will certainly have a new government – younger contenders will fare better than older ones.

Gordon Brown

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Gordon – leader of the Labour Party and the current Prime Minister – is badly affected by the Saturn-Jupiter opposition. Saturn opposes his natal Venus and Mars, whilst Jupiter is conjunct to them. This means that Gordon will be facing a time of tests and trials – he will find it difficult to attract the things and people he wants in his life, and he will suffer a series of set-backs that cast doubt on his ability to win.

Conversely, however, he will feel a strong urge to socialize and indulge himself, but become lazy with regard to work and his career. It would also be a good time for him to take up a new physical activity.

In summary, the stars are telling Gordon that it is worthwhile taking up a new hobby – after all, come May 7th he will have plenty of time to pursue it.

David Cameron

David Cameron – Conservative leader and current leader of the Opposition – shares a lot in common with Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats (vide infra). In both cases Jupiter is conjunct their natal Saturn. This is both a good and a bad thing – Cameron (and Clegg) will become aware of increased opportunities, but also of increased responsibilities as well. Moreover, both men have the Sun conjunct their natal Caput Draconis – the signifier of Destiny. Both are hungry for growth and direction. Also, according to one source it indicates a time of connecting with others who share common interests – particularly another male or authority figure.

Cameron however does differ from Clegg in significant respects. Neptune opposes his natal Mars. This would indicate that he can bring an unusual degree of imagination and idealism to his work right now, but needs to stay realistic, in case he overstretches himself.

Nick Clegg

Clegg is the leader of the third largest party, the Liberal Democrats. The last time they had the merest whiff of power was in 1978 – thirty-two years ago, when they briefly had a pact with the then Labour government (it fell apart). They have not actually been in Government since the First World War.

Despite being the also-rans of British politics for close to a hundred years now, Nick Clegg of all the three party leaders is personally in the best position astrologically speaking. Like Cameron, he shares the Sun / natal Caput Draconis conjunction, and the Jupiter / natal Saturn conjunction. However in his own right he also has a number of favourable aspects peculiar to himself. Saturn is trine to his natal Venus – signifying it is a good time to curb spending and cut away accumulated debt – also, relationships begun during this time are likely to prove long term.

Uranus is trine to his natal Moon and Sextile to his natal Venus.  This indicates a time during which he can discover new and different reasons or ways to enjoy and appreciate life. Also – that he could receive unexpected help or support from someone younger or a woman – perhaps this means the youth vote, or female voters. Given that Jupiter is conjunct Uranus, it shares the same aspect to Moon and Venus: Clegg is popular right now, and has the opportunity to make a good impression on others.

The only warning note is sounded by Neptune, which is square to his natal Moon. He could get the wrong idea, develop false ideals, and let his imagination carry him away to the point that those who support and care for him are neglected or hurt.

Conclusion

My predictions can be summarised as follows:

  • Gordon Brown – cheerio.
  • David Cameron – could do well, although it will be a difficult time for him.
  • Nick Clegg – will come out of this election very well.
  • Probable result: in the statistically unlikely event of a hung parliament, there will be a Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition – this will see Clegg rewarded with a senior Cabinet post.

Finally I should point out that in regard to my prediction about older men having to make way for younger ones, it should be noted that Brown (born 1951) is the oldest of the three party leaders; Cameron (born 1966) is second but Clegg is youngest (born 1967).

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