Describing the newly appointed UK Defence Secretary as a “newly minted moron” Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian security council, said if British troops were sent to Ukraine they would be “ruthlessly eliminated”. Shapps had taken it upon himself on the first day of the Tory Conference to grandstand about Brit Army instructors being sent into Ukraine, provoking Rishi Sunak into issuing an embarrassing retraction.
Shapps, 14 September 1968, took over Defence of which he has zero experience in late August, his fifth cabinet position in the past year. He has been elevated by four out of the past five prime ministers despite a series of scandals. The DM in a scathing piece some years ago said he made up for “lack of talent in braggadocio, vanity and vainglorious self-promotion.” He earned the nickname Duracell Bunny, for his dogged ability to keep going despite countless scandals.
Having blundered over Ukraine he then proceeded to praise Saudi Arabia on women’s rights! https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/grant-shapps-praises-saudi-arabia-on-womens-rights-t9r3xf3d7
The UK is lobbying to sell Saudi Arabia 48 Typhoon fighter jets in a £5 billion deal though Germany could scupper it over human rights issues and the civil war in Yemen. As one commenter remarked ‘Remember the Golden Rule – whoever has the gold makes the rules.’
Shapps is a scattered Sun, Jupiter, Uranus Pluto in Virgo with a bombastic Mars in Leo; and a tricky yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn. His life underwent an upheaval when he moved to Defence with tr Pluto trine his Uranus but it will continue to do that for another fifteen months so it will be turbulent and nerve-stretching road ahead. Slightly worrisome is the proliferation of Uranus Neptune aspects by Solar Arc and transit which could suggest a fanatical stubbornness or just extreme worry. But it would not point to good judgement, for sure. Plus a shock come June 2024 as tr Uranus squares his Mars.
His Defence Term chart, 31 August 2023, has a Water Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Uranus trine Pluto formed into a Kite with Sun opposition Uranus. And Uranus further highlighted being on the focal point of a yod to Saturn sextile Neptune. Water Grand Trines can live in an unrealistic bubble – and an overdose of Uranus can be destabilizing, pointing to an obsession with rocking the boat and upending the status quo. Which is not what Defence needs.
The UK/Russia 8 November 1991 relationship chart shows considerable stress at the moment with tr Uranus opposition the composite Uranus and that will extend through 2024 with tr Uranus square the composite Mars as well. With disappointment and bad feeling running through till 2025. The UK/Russia 1917 relationship chart also shows aggravation.
It isn’t that Ukraine should not be supported but a throwing a loose cannon like Shapps into the mix is a considerable mistake.
Fun fact, Grant Shapps is the cousin of Clash guitarist Mick Jones.
The Clash, of course, posed as hard left revolutionaries.
What wonderful irony! Grant “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Schapps!
Hi Marjorie,
The chart you have used for defence is of 31 March 1923.. and in the article you have written 2923..
I try to avoid Mars in Leo people as much as poss… anything in Leo ditto.
Then you are missing out! Says she with a Leo stellium Some of us are just shy pussycats. Even Zelensky has Mars in Leo – it can give good qualities too, you know.
🙂 you are excluded from above SuHu. But very Leo of you to defend Leo!
Have you done the chart of Medvedev, Marjorie,?
His brain is damaged by alcohol since Iong. He is as crazy as can be …
Guess he would like to blow the whole West away as long as he will stay alive with Vodka..
Grant Shapps has much in common (though perhaps not astrologically) with John Bercow: both full of themselves and over estimating their ability. But on the flip side, Medvedev is a well-documented drunk – who vastly over estimates Russia’s abilities! From analysis I have read elsewhere, October is not going to be a good month for Putin or Russia; thanks, in part, to eclipses.
‘He earned the nickname Duracell Bunny, ….’ Marjorie I think that’s meant to say Dumbacell Bunny?!
‘As one commenter remarked ‘Remember the Golden Rule – whoever has the gold makes the rules.’ That would be the US, and I think they spent it (since WW2 etc), hence everyone’s (the West – post WW2 countries) reliance on the dollar currency doing well / stock exchange….?!!! (Watched a really interesting documentary on this the other day – might be only a theory or some truth there?
Anyway at least as basic as possible, one would have thought that Sunak did his homework or at least googled the stats before agreeing to his current placement and potential disaster in their making. Let’s go figure …!
We couldn’t make this up for real!!
I must admit, as soon as they announced Schapps as the new Defence Secretary, I had the visual image of Putin doubled up with laughter. This man would struggle to run a stall at a village fete.
Oh dear …!!!
This is the calibre of minister you get when party and cabinet loyalty are deemed more important than ability to do the job. So sorry that Ben Wallace stepped down after discovering that Brexit had scuppered his chances of becoming NATO head. Things are getting rough for Ukraine now as once close allies start to turn away due to a resurgence of populist sentiment. Perhaps Shapps was trying to reassure them that the UK is not wavering but he is just clumsy and, as in WWII, in an armed conflict careless talk can still cost lives.
Jeez sounds like the UK is in as much nerve stretching and political disarray as the US. A lot of gaslighting is going on for sure.