h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"PS The Celts had to come from somewhere"

But if there was no one there before them it doesn't count as immigrating. Just... I don't know, migrating.

Security forces will foil a drone-related terrorist plot on the UK mainland.

Probably Chelsea fans though

Someone will claim title to being the oldest human in history, or the fattest man, or a victim of the most devastating storm, or the greatest singer, or author of the greatest book ever. Certainly the Crime of the Century occurs every other year or so .

Guinness World Records, take note.

The Irish Public will realise that water charges are (a) inevitable and (b) desirable, and find something more sensible to protest about.

I don't have much hope for this one, to be honest. Well, maybe part a.

TRiG.

Conservative/ UKIP coalition at the next election. NHS definitively stuffed. EU referendum called. The slogan will not be Better Together.

So far THAT is the most depressing prediction for 2015.

PP.

The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts that the summer of 2015 will be hotter and drier than usual. but that prediction is only for North America. I don't know what predictions have been made about the weather in the U.K.

"Where were UKIP when we were invaded by Celts, Romans, Germans, Vikings, Germans, Normans, Danes". There was a thousand years after 1066 in which there was no appreciable demographic change in this country. A few tiny communities immigrated, sure (Huguenots?) but nothing on a massive scale. Then after WWII with the end of Empire and the welfare state, Asian and West Indian immigration from the colonies changed the face of the country on an unprecedented scale. EU migration over the last ten years has had a similar huge effect.

Asking where UKIP were a thousand years ago is disingenous to the point of ridiculousness. There are legitimate questions to be debated about the scale of immigration to this country and the ability of our existing infrastructure to cope. Pretending there aren't, pretending there's not a problem, and pretending that anyone who raises the issue is by definition a bigot is what contributed to the mid-noughties rise of the BNP and is what lost Gordon "that bigotted woman" Brown the election in 2010 and left us with the Lib-Con coalition we've suffered under this last five years. Don't do that.

The counter argument is that the pre-1950s world is not a benchmark for a prosperous nation in a 21st Century in which technology has completely transformed the global economy.

Predictions for 2015.

Prince Philip will pop his clogs.
Beyonce and Jay-Z will split up.
Bill Cosby will be arrested and charged with rape... but not convicted.
A major natural disaster (earthquake or volcanic eruption) will kill at least 100,000 people.
Robert Mugabe will die and the fight for succession will be ugly.
The number of people watching TV shows on catchup services including DVRs will be larger than the number watching them live.
Abortion will become de facto illegal in at least one US state.

Probably Texas.

Abortion is already becoming rare in places where few doctors can and will perform them.

I was about to predict that once I again I will score nul points in the deathlist game, but if Hoo's right and Prince Philip goes, I score.

I predict that Ukraine will win the Eurovision Song Contest.

Mol

I predict that millions of people will be disappointed for one reason or another.

I predict that a UKIP candidate will disgrace themselves by making racist and /or homophobic and / or disabledist and / or poorist and / or sexist comments (I think I have covered everything there - but they may sneak one in through the back door).

.......oh damn. They did that already. Never mind, there will be another one along before long.

Keep taking the medication.

Or perhaps don't.

PP.

There will be a financial scandal in Stormont.

TRiG.

Major problems will emerge in the provision of public services (you think we have major problems now? Just wait.....)

Brendan Rogers will be the first victim of the football league managers sackathon (late on 5th or early on 6th Jan).

None of the people on my deathlist will die.

PP.

The pope Francisco will visit Cuba.

M deathlist is safe form the Grim Reaper, too.