Keir Starmer, the UK Opposition leader, who should be rights be delirious with joy, benefitting from government stumbles and Tory divisions, has tripped into yet another sinkhole over Israel-Palestine and anti-Semitism. Labour polls are dropping and his policies are no clearer than they were, apart from some abrupt U-turns on green hopes. Backroom Svengalis, Blair and Mandelson, have been tarnished in the Post Office Fujitsu scandal.
His personal chart, 2 September 1962 has tr Saturn squashing his confidence as it is conjunct his Jupiter and opposition his Sun Pluto at the moment. He will lurch through more tensions in coming months with only one phase of better luck in the second half of May and again late December to late March 2025. Though he has an ominous, undermining SA Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune in that late year early 2025 period as well depending on his birth time and worse in 2026 with a dead-halt SA Mars conjunct his Sun Pluto.
His Leadership chart, 4 April 2020 10.45am is facing grinding difficulties and impossible challenges with tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn and then Mars/Saturn midpoint and then Mars over the next three years – which looks like a meltdown.
The Labour Party, 12 February 1906 chart, will be jangled by tr Uranus square the Sun Venus in late April/early May; with some luck from tr Uranus conjunct the Jupiter in August/September 2024 and May 2025.
The LP 27 February 1900 chart is doused in Saturnine glooms through this year and next.
A pity – I had high hopes for him when he came in. Maybe he doesn’t have the charisma to be a political leader or has just got stuck in an impossible situation.
ADD ON: A quick skip some of the front bench and others (without birth times).
Rachel Reeves, a Sun Mars in Aquarius square Uranus, is in for a turbulent phase of change from now onwards into early 2025 with tr Uranus shaking up her life. Tr Pluot opposition her Jupiter this year and next could suggest changes in her favour and she’ll certainly be lucky and successful – with a hint of more in 2025 when her SA Jupiter is conjunct her North Node (= a favourable moment in her destiny).
Andy Burnham is also boosted by tr Pluto square his Jupiter in Scorpio in 2025/26. Though he’ll need to push against resistance in 2025.
Angela Raynor is very up and down this year and has some lucky breaks in 2025 – her moment of real triumph comes in 2030.
Jeremy Corbyn is not giving up with tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter in Aquarius in 2024/25 but not looking hopeful on other fronts especially into 2025/26.
John McDonnell ditto – a blip of a triumph this August and in spring of 2025 but generally not in a progressive phase.
George Galloway – one opportunistic push in 2025 but on the whole going nowhere for several years.
ADD ON: The enigma that is Keir Starmer is explored in a biography by Tom Baldwin. He had a traumatic childhood with a mother in debilitating pain from an auto-immune disorder, a cold, distant, judgemental, fanatical father, described as having oppressive eccentricities; and a hospitalised brother with learning difficulties.
‘It is striking that Baldwin opens his account with an admission that he still finds Starmer difficult to fathom.’ When selected as a parliamentary candidate Starmer says: “I felt I was self-promoting and I find that really uncomfortable.”
His father ignored his children in his devotion to his wife but after his death Keir found a scrapbook of every newspaper story about his career as human rights lawyer and Director of Public Prosecutions then politician.
“When he finishes for the day, he goes home to his family or see his old friends,” Chris Ward, Starmer’s former chief of staff, tells Baldwin. “He’s just not a normal politician.” Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, likens him to a health and safety inspector — motivated less by ego than by an almost self-defeating seriousness.
For Labour in regards to government I think the 1900 chart is the one to watch. Saturn is now transiting conjunct to the Sun of that chart, which it also was in 1935, the early 60s and the early 90s. On first impression a difficult transit but given that the 1900 chart’s Sun is at the apex of a Mutable T Square I think it actually gives some grounding and structure to things. All the previous periods marked a point when Labour got serious about governing and attained power a few years later. Atlee became Labour leader during the 1935 transit.
The interesting moment for the 1900 chart will come later on in the decade when it will be having similar transits to 1945. Uranus will be in the same position as it was then and Pluto will be conjunct the Aquarius Moon (in in 1945 it was opposite it). Major Uranus and/or Pluto transits to the 1900 chart’s T Square have usually coincided with Labour regaining power, often convincingly so.
Given how various Astrologers claim Cameron’s chart is looking good, maybe his return wasn’t a coincidence and the plan is kick Sunak to the curb and replace him with Cameron to cauterize their election wound before the big day.
We haven’t had a Prime Minister in the Lords for more than a century.
He could resign from the Lords and run for a seat in the Commons, but, given the recent by-election results, could he win a seat in the Commons? And if he resigns from the Lords, he can’t be reappointed to the Lords again for life.
Starmer has Chiron at 8 Pisces 25, conjunct his Jupiter and opposite his Sun-Pluto conj. Tr Saturn is sitting on that Chiron now.
I’m intrigued about how Chiron features in politicians charts.
Sunak was fantastically popular until Tr Uranus was conjunct his Chiron, and all the stories of his wife’s non-dom status came out.
Chiron is vulnerability, isn’t it? Sunak’s point of vulnerability is his billionairess wife. I wonder what Starmer’s is.
Interesting isn’t it? Both Brown and Blair have Chiron conjunct their MC. David Cameron’s Chiron opposes his Uranus and Pluto conjunction. Boris has Chiron conjunct his north node. These are just the ones I know off the top of my head. I’m sure someone with the time to delve will find other examples.
Interesting that the Libdems did so very badly, but I wonder how tactical voting will affect them. Here in the (far) south they are the only alternative to the Tories, and left leaning voters here are deciding to hold their nose and vote for them even after the Coalition ( vote Libdem, get the Tories anyway).
Francine,
Totally agree with your comment regarding Andy Burnham
One of the oddities of politics is that there is a fair bit of evidence that a considerable section of the public have left of centre views on economic matters such as nationalisation (including surprisingly a fair few Conservative voters) but right of centre views on social issues subjects such as mass immigration. This is essentially the exact opposite of what both the Labour and Conservative parties offer the public when in government. Starmer’s recent record of back tracking on economic policy suggests this situation is not going to change whoever wins the next General Election. This situation will not change if Reform start to win seats as they are right of centre on both economic and social issues. I think there are a number of studies that show that economic left wing socially conservative political views are the least represented in British politics.
Are you thinking of something similar to the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance that launched in Germany a couple of months ago? They are left-wing economically (they are mostly members of Die Linke (The Left), who are quitting that party), who are appealing to AfD voters in the former East Germany with socially conservative messages.
Unfortunately they are also pro-Russian/anti-Ukrainian.
With Pluto finishing up in my 9th, what I find interesting is the difference between Brits and Americans.
If you gave this kind of result or lead to an American Presidential candidate they would be shouting from the rooftops about how they are going to win.
Starmer, being a Virgo Sun remains cautious and understated. I suspect Taurus Rishi would be the same – if positions were reversed. Not so if it were Gemini Boris or Aries Farage.
The most concerning factor currently in U.K. politics is the alienation of people from the democratic process. Last nights sweeping wins for Labour were based on pathetic turnouts of just 37% or 38% of the population. By comparison the famous Crosby By Election of 1981 saw a 69% turnout. The process of decline is there for all to read in the statistics. Many young people in the U.K. are now actually telling pollsters that they have no faith in Parliamentary democracy at all. Starmer may well win the next General Election but whoever forms the government will certainly not have anything approaching a “popular mandate”. What is most concerning is that politicians seem oblivious of thugs process presumably on he basis that winning is everything.
Indeed, the low turnouts are an indicator people being disengaged which I reckon is perceived lack of choice.
In that respect I see Reform UK poll getting 13% of the Kingswood vote and thereby giving rightwing voters an alternative to the Tories is a good thing. Which is not to say I want to see a rise in rightwing parties per se.
Of course, Labour have shifted to the right under Starmer, so even assuming they are elected as the next government; it’s probably just a watered down continuation of Thatcherism/neo-liberalism or whatever.
Correction – Reform UK got 13% in Wellingborough, 10.4% in Kingswood.
The LDs continue to freefall though with 4.7% and 3.5% respectively. Polling about as well as an Independent candidate in the first, and worse than the Greens in the latter.
Saying that, the LibDems would do a sight better in London periphery Green Belt seats where the locals have grave concerns about proposed building developments destroying beautiful English countryside.
The Conservative parliamentary party’s ousting of Johnson and then Truss in 2022 overturning the votes of the Conservative party members can now seem to have been a total disaster. It is clear that Sunak’s lack of any real mandate even within his own party is proving to be fatal. Instead of simply losing the upcoming General Election it looks as though they will be wiped out in an extinction event. As the threat the Tories face is existential now that the Reform Party vote is above 20% I wonder if Sunak will actually survive as leader until polling day. All this is happening before transiting Uranus has reached the Conservative Party 1912 Uranus at 22 Taurus or transiting Pluto hit their Uranus at 3 Aquarius.
Where are you getting above 20% for Reform UK?
I agree with your underlying point that the Conservative Party is in danger of getting wiped out, or at least significantly marginalised.
Apologies that is a typo. It should read 10%. That is usually regarded as the threshold for Reform to seriously impact the Tory candidates chance of holding a seat at a General Election. UKIP were polling about 12% in Parliamentary elections in 2015 when Cameron started panicking and called the EU referendum. The Parties will have their own local polling data so I am sure they know the score. In a smallish turnout it does not take a big shift of votes to doom a sitting MP.
I do hope the Tories will be wiped out, they certainly deserve it.
Despite the LP’s flaws, I hope so too. And the thought of Truss and Johnson rising from the dead is a horror show I’d rather not contemplate, but I would’ve be surprised if the Tories lurch to the far right once in opposition.
Aaargh – *Wouldn’t.
Hugh. Sunaks chart very heavily hit by the Uranus Jupiter in April. One cannot understand the stupidity of all the politicians worldwide who apparently need mega hearing aids. Democracy seems to have died a long death and I feel that has been deliberately done. War talk seems very loud over the last year. That Jupiter Uranus in April is exact on Sept 3rd 1939. Will the earth truly shake? Who can any of us vote for that we believe in ???
The case for UK Parliamentary elections to be decided by a system of Proportional Representation is pretty overwhelming.
The system we have now is an historical anachronism – from ancient days when voters voted for local individuals to represent them, rather than nationally based political parties.
The only reason the present system persists is because it has kept the Conservative Party in, more or less, permanent government with an odd interruption now and then. Honest and intelligent thinkers in the Conservative Party, such as Chris Patten, know full well that the present system cannot be defended, but the Conservatives would rather hold on to permanent power than entertain any notion of a rotten system being reformed.
That sounds like the Rethuglicans in the US. Power over country, permanent power over corruption, a true betrayal of democratic principles.
How do they differ from the Tories in that respect?
The problem is many countries have such a system, and they aren’t faring much better, are they?
There’s also that Greek system of giving the winner a bonus of seats, to avoid coalitioning.
But then, maybe some coalitions are good…
A mess.
Starmer is World Economic Forum, just like Blair, Brown, Sunak, Johnson, Mordaunt, KCIII et al. So it’s like a Uniparty.
Any chance you could look at the predictions for the WEF to see where the UK is headed Marjorie? That would be awesome. Thank you.
See https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/18/tech/davos-conspiracy-theories/index.html
I’m not sure that Starmer ever really negated the Momentum section of the Party. I have wondered if he is going to be an unwitting “Trojan Horse” if elected, and once ensconced, finds himself ousted as Party Leader in favour of the Far Left / Corbyn wing.
I am not so downhearted with Saturn transiting Starmer’s Jupiter and opposing sun Pluto. Saturn brings discipline and a concentration on reality and may calm excitement- a large majority will bring problems of its own.
So it may bring some sobering reality in that the UK position is generally poor, though not irredeemable. Having power is a great responsibility which at least Starmer treats seriously, unlike the shower we have had recently.
He never makes a firm stand on anything.
The Beatles wrote a song about Kier Starmer it was called ‘ Mr Nowhere Man ‘
I don’t see any stand out talent on the shadow front benches. I loathed Blair but at least in ‘97 when he was first elected he had some gifted politicians in his cabinet – Robin Cook, Mo Mowlam for example. I can’t get excited about the likes of Lisa Nandy or (perish the thought) Naz Shah.
I agree VF, I feel the same. As, it seems, do numerous voters of every political persuasion. I can’t find my notes on coalitions, hung parliaments etc at the moment. However, something of the kind is brewing in the collective psyche I feel. How that might emerge or manifest I don’t know. Things can change rapidly these days, and Uranus squaring the UK Saturn in Leo may reveal more. At this point, many will simply not vote at all since both left and right feel let down, unheard, and disappointed.
If unthinkable things happen out in the world, we may need some kind of war/crisis coalition in the future. Pluto in Aquarius might like some sort of shared endeavour too. Personally, I also think they should all get out of the Houses of Parliament for a while – it is crumbling, and the atmosphere in there is so gothic and enfolding I think it contributes to the dreaded ‘Westminster Bubble’.
If not Starmer, then who, Marjorie? That is the big question.
The current state of the country is about as much a poisoned chalice as can be. The question is who is the safest pair of hands for this toxic poisoned chalice?
Also, could you please look at the Lib-Dems, not as government, but as official opposition, with it being suggested on Twitter/X that there may be more Lib-Dems than Conservatives, possibly making Sir Ed Davey the Leader of the Opposition.
Official opposition? The Lib Dems are doing very badly, pushed into 4th place at Wellingborough with less than half the votes cast for Reform UK. In Kingswood they came 5th with just 861 votes, well behind Reform (2,578 votes) and the Greens (1,450).
Not sure my previous comment will get through moderation as I misspelt my name! I agree with your comments about Keir Starmer, Marjorie. Not many, if any, British prime ministers have been sun sign Virgos. However, Labour are not currently slumping in the opinion polls. The last 5 polls, finishing later than the Savanta one ( Labour lead 12) have the lead as between 16 and 25 – so basically no change. The results of today’s by elections will be interesting!
I don’t readily associate Virgo Suns with the qualities required for the top job either (a commanding personality). Maybe it’s his voice I’m not sure, but I think he lacks the charisma / wider appeal, to secure electoral victory. A shame as he’s a very bright man.
I agree with your comments about Keir Starmer Marjorie. There haven’t been many, if any, sun sign Virgo British prime ministers. However, Labour isn’t currently slumping in the opinion polls. The 5 opinion polls finishing later than the savanta poll(12 lead ) have the Labour lead variously as between 16 and 25 points, which is basically no change. The by election results today will be interesting!
What about Rachel Reeve? My Feng Shui expert was saying that the signs were saying we needed to be listening to women.
What about Andy Burnham the Manchester Mayor
The UK is now officially in recession. I think Starmer is full of good intentions but will inherit an impossible situation and will likely fail like Schulz in Germany. The influence of Tony Blair is a bad sign.