UK: economic and financial situation turns more difficult

April 20, 2008

Dear friends,

As the following news show, the economic situation in the UK is turning bad, reflecting the transit and period combination in the 16° Virgo rising chart for the UK (chart attached).

Mars-Jupiter period is operating until 18 May 2008, when the Mars-Saturn period commences. The transits have been quite difficult with the

- recent transit stationary nodes over 6th lord Saturn in the 12th house (strain on financial stability due to loan losses at Northern Rock etc.).

- transit 6th lord Saturn is in 12th house (financial stability is weak)

- transit 8th lord Mars is opposite transit 4th lord Jupiter (housing situation is bad)

- transit 2nd lord Venus is conjunct natal Rahu at 23° Pisces in 7th house (wealth strained and pound sterling weak, Chancellor of Treasury raises taxes)

- transit 12th lord Sun in 8th house along with 1st lord Mercury (obstacles and losses)

Given the successful prediction for the UK made last year based on this chart, it is really proving its authenticity for Great Britain.

Best wishes,

Thor

Economy 'facing painful slowdown'

14:12 GMT, Sunday, 20 April 2008 15:12 UK

The weakening pound is benefiting exporters.

The UK economy is set for a "rapid, painful adjustment" over the next two years, according to an influential economic forecasting group. Growth will fall from 3.1% in 2007 to 1.8% this year and 1.5% in 2009 unless the government acts decisively predicted Ernst and Young's Item Club. Employment will hold steady while manufacturing will reap the benefit of the strong pound, the report said. But the outlook for the housing market and High Street is "bleak", it added. House prices will fall by 10% in the next two years, while the number of people moving home will shrink by 40% , the report said. And with consumers less able to borrow money because of lenders' stricter loan criteria, the growth in consumer spending will slow from 3% last year to 1% in 2008 and 2009, it predicted.

"Although the UK economy has remained relatively buoyant so far this year, our reliance upon international banking markets means it is only a matter of time before it slows," said Peter Spencer, the Item club's chief economic advisor. "This is going to be a rapid, painful adjustment and it will be a rough ride for a substantial proportion of the population. We are facing a massive sea change in the balance of the economy."

Housing gloom 'worst in 30 years'

09:53 GMT, Tuesday, 15 April 2008 10:53 UK

Major lenders are expecting house prices to fall in 2008

Confidence in the UK housing market fell in March to its lowest point in 30 years, according to a closely watched survey of property surveyors. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (Rics) said that 78.5% more surveyors reported a fall than a rise in house prices in March. This was the gloomiest reading since Rics began the survey in 1978. The government's own house price figures confirmed a fall in prices in February by 1.6%. The results come after leading mortgage lenders have offered similarly downbeat views on property prices. Rics said the next six months would be crucial for homeowners and would-be buyers in the UK.

Historical low

The Rics house price balance dropped for the eighth consecutive month. It exceeded the previously lowest reading in June 1990. Jeremy Leaf, Rics spokesman, said the gloom was the result of the credit crunch and its effect in stopping mortgage providers lending to each other. Brendan Denver spent thousands on his home but cannot find a buyer

"Sentiment is at a very low ebb and will continue to remain depressed while the economy suffers from this unique liquidity blight," he said.

New warning over mortgage lending

15:27 GMT, Friday, 11 April 2008 16:27 UK

Several lenders have yet to decide whether to pass on base rate cuts

Mortgage funding could be cut by half in 2008 if no extra funding comes from the Bank of England, says the Council of Mortgage Lenders' (CML) chairman. Steven Crawshaw, in a speech at the CML's annual lunch, said that lending at just 50% of the 2007 figure of £108bn was a "real possibility". In October the group predicted a 15% slowdown in net lending, but now supply has been hit by the credit crunch. Lenders have been withdrawing products dramatically in recent weeks.

'Sense of shock'

The CML chairman said there had been slightly lower demand for mortgages since the October prediction but lenders were now facing real constraints on collective access to funds. "I have a sense of shock at how deeply our successful industry has already been hit by these unprecedented funding market conditions," he said. "Potential borrowing still significantly exceeds the industry's collective capacity to supply funds.

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April 24, 2008

Dear friends,

The problems in the UK continue. Over 400.000 civil servants, mostly teachers, have now gone on strike over pay. They say inflation has eroded their earnings in recent years and that the present contract offer by the government will continue with that trend. Prime Minister Gordon Brown appealed to the civil servants to avert a strike but to no avail. The strike is considered a grave setback for the Labour Party, the party of the government.

The transit of KETU and RAHU over natal 6th lord (political opposition) SATURN (civil servants) in the 12th house (losses) shows this event very clearly.

Best wishes,

Thor

Page last updated at 09:06 GMT, Thursday, 24 April 2008 10:06 UK

Strike disrupting 8,000 schools

Teachers are on strike over a pay deal

About a third of schools in England and Wales have been disrupted by the first national teachers' strike in 21 years. The walkout by thousands of teachers has closed or partially closed up to 8,000 schools, and forced parents to stay at home or find childcare. The National Union of Teachers is to stage more than 50 rallies across the countries, as members demand a 4.1% pay rise rather than the 2.45% on offer. Schools minister Jim Knight said it was a good deal and he felt parents' anger.

This one-day strike is the opening move in what the teachers' union says will be a long-term campaign over pay. Throughout the morning, teachers formed picket lines outside their schools. Some held banners aloft bearing slogans such as "Where's the money, Darling?" Others handed out leaflets to parents to explain why they were taking action. Widespread disruption Earlier this week, a survey of eight out of 10 councils showed that a third of schools were expected to be affected. This could mean lost lessons in schools teaching more than 2.5 million pupils. The Local Government Association said about half of the disrupted schools would be closed entirely to pupils - with the others closed for individual classes or year groups.

Cosmologer <cosmologersamva Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 6:23:22 PM UK: economic and financial situation turns more difficult