Election '97: It's in the stars ... Major faces a cosmic meltdown

John Major may as well stay in bed today. It's not just the pollsters who are predicting a disaster, he also faces a cosmic meltdown. The Prime Minister could not have chosen a worse time to call the election, according to the astrologers. He has played right into Tony Blair's Venus ascendant. Unless the stars are wrong, it will be a Labour government leading Britain into the new millenium. Paddy Ashdown cannot expect much immediate change from today. But for him things can only get better. He may yet find himself part of a Lib-Lab coalition, because although the stars are favouring Mr Blair at the moment, he may have problems with his backbenchers in the future.

John Major

(Aries. Born 29 March l943)

"It is quite obvious that the Prime Minister did not take astrological advice when setting the election date," said astrologer Jonathan Cainer, who writes a horoscope column for the Daily Mail and magazines such as Woman and Prima. "If he had he would have known that this was precisely the wrong time to call it. Tony Blair must feel it is a gift from heaven which has landed in his lap.

"Both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan took astrological help when making important decisions, and the longevity of their political lives show this was hardly a foolish thing to do."

1 May is in Mr Blair's sign of the zodiac, Taurus, and the Sun is also there at the moment. Mr Cainer says Mr Major should have gone to the polls towards the end of last year, when the stars were much more benign for him.

Tony Blair

(Taurus. Born 6 May 1953)

The stars are shining bright on the Labour leader at the moment. Venus, the ruler of Taurus, is in his star sign, and so is Mercury, the planet of communications and commerce. And Rupert Murdoch's Sun is not the only one backing Mr Blair, the planet by the same name is also in Taurus.

Jonathan Cainer said: "This is undoubtedly a very auspicious time for Mr Blair. Mr Major has given him the advantage by the timing of the election. But the Labour leader has a particularly good planetary situation as well."

But there could be trouble ahead. Mr Cainer said that for Taureans "Jupiter's sharp link to Venus is a classic cosmic warning. You are in danger of getting too much of a good thing. You may soon have to pay a high price for a source of pleasure".

Paddy Ashdown

(Pisces. Born 27 February)

Tony Blair's problems with Bolshie backbenchers could get Mr Ashdown the Cabinet post he covets. There are also strong planetary connections between the charts of the two men- the Sun and the Moon when Mr Blair was born, to the Leo ascendant in Mr Ashdown's Pisces.

Nicholas Campion said: "Obviously the chances of the Lib Dems winning the election are about as great as Elvis Presley landing a flying saucer on top of the Loch Ness monster. But he could end up with a job in government. There are strong planetary links between the two men. There need not even be a hung Parliament for Ashdown to get involved. The two men should work well together."

Jonathan Cainer said: "Over the next few months [Ashdown] will find himself going through a period of renewal which proves immensely beneficial."