David Cameron: Supporting Nick Clegg!

David Cameron isn't shy about supporting his good friend Nick Clegg, as he appeals to the Liberal Democrats to back their handsome Leader.

In a New Year message, the Prime Minister warns of "incredibly difficult cuts" ahead and asks that the Liberal Democrats do not lose faith in the Coalition. "I didn't come into politics to make cuts," he declared. "Neither did Nick Clegg".

His comments are unlikely to appease many Liberal Democrats and his own critics within the Conservatives. But, Mr Cameron has every reason to be concerned about his mate Nick's slide in the popularity polls, with many predicting that the LibDems will suffer a massive defeat in the May local elections.

The problem for Mr Clegg is that the public now view him as an unprincipled shyster, too quick to sacrifice principles for a place at the cabinet table. While many accept that Mr Cameron has had to make the required spending cuts, whatever the promises of the General Election, he appears to have escaped the same condemnation as his Deputy Prime Minister. Who said life was fair?!

The problem for Mr Clegg is that he set himself up as a new kind of politician, one who would be truthful and would deliver on his promises. He did not add a rider that delivery would be subject to prevailing conditions....! For that reason he is been seen as the man who put ambition before his promises to the electorate, although how he managed to go from hero to zero in such a quick time amazes me and him.

What happens if the May elections really do sound the death knell for the Liberal Democrats? Will local activists start to whisper demands for the head of Mr Clegg and how quickly will unhappy MPs in the party follow suit? Mr Clegg's position within the Coalition would be severely weakened and would not be helpful to David Cameron, who would be under pressure from his own side to go it alone.

Come 2012....the Olympics, The Queen's Diamond Jubilee....the feelgood factor....why, the Prime Minister may feel tempted to dump the Liberal Democrats and send his friend Nick into exile with a plum job in Europe.

It might break David's heart to put their relationship back in the closet, but if Nick can't deliver on his promises.......

Cheryl Cole: No.1 Celebrity.....

Cheryl Cole has had a tough year and the controversy over her action in snubbing Gamu Nhengu for X Factor, in favour of Cher Lloyd and Katie Waissel, did damage her popularity in the eyes of the British public. However, she may look fragile, but this is a woman in the Joan Collins mode, tough as old boots and capable of taking care of herself.

However, Ask Jeeves, has reported that she is the No. 1 celebrity asked about on the Internet and media coverage of her every move shows no sign of abating. Whether she will survive and thrive in the USA is another matter.
If reports are to be believed, Simon Cowell is determined to make her a star in the States, but he will quickly distance himself from anyone or anything that would damage his own credibility there. It is important to his entertainment empire that the X Factor is a success in the USA and he is taking a big gamble by insisting she join him on the panel.

Cheryl Cole may very well be a mega-celebrity in the UK, but she is an unknown in America and I wonder how the US audience will accept her commenting on its home-grown talent? (Has Simon placed David Hasselhoff on the panel of "Britain's Got Talent" to justify Ms Cole's appearance on the American X Factor?).
Also, Cheryl will have to modify her accent if she is to avoid other British artists fate on American television and how will this go down with her UK-based audience, who might resent any "fake" Americanisation she might present? Of course, if it led to success there would she be concerned about her UK fan-base?

X Factor provided the most talked about television event this year and its success was down to the high production values, the variety of contestants and, most important in my opinion, the mix of judges, who bitched, sniped and hissed at each other like never before.

Simon Cowell will work hard to ensure the success of the USA X Factor and it is almost certain that American audiences will not be disappointed. I just hope that Cheryl Cole will live up to the hype.

Jordon: Alex's telephone number.....

It made me laugh today on reading in the Daily Star, that according to a close friend, Jordon lists husband Alex's telephone number on her mobile under "My husband Alex Reid". Now Jordon has had many lovers in her time and is unlikely to even want to remember most of them, but you would think she would not need to be reminded of her current husband, Alex Reid.......the one who replaced Peter Andre.

Recently I wrote that it would not surprise me if she and Pete got together again, if only because both need each other to sell magazine stories, so I was not too surprised to read that they bumped into each other while out shopping recently and that the meeting did not descend into World War 3.
In fact, someone reported that they were "nice" to each other! I don't know if cameras were present to record the event, but you can bet that somewhere down the road an "exclusive" article will appear describing in detail their "chance" meeting.

Part of me shudders in despair that so many girls and young women see Jordon, or Katie Price, as a role model, but on the other hand I have to admire her for turning a non-talent into a long-haul career. In addition, she was responsible for the re-invention of Peter Andre, who has used his opportunities wisely, quickly learning how to exploit every last tidbit to sections of the media.

If Jordon has to be reminded who her current husband is, then it is also likely that her memory has to be jogged to remember the title of all those books she has written! However, I bet she can rattle off the name of every single plastic surgeon she has seen over the years, or maybe she has to list them under individual body parts!

2011 Year of the Protest against Coalition Government

2011, The Year of the Rabbit is almost upon us, representing diplomacy, politicians and sensitivity, the latter contradicting the first two and typical of those mysterious Chinese, as they move another step further in their conquest of the World.

Meanwhile, our own sensitive politicians in the Coalition government, will have to toughen up and prepare for the UK's own 2011 Year of the Protest. The share price may have reached a 30-month high, but it fails to warm the hearts of those who, just as bankers are about to celebrate their bonuses, will, one way or another, be victims of public spending cuts.

Job losses and social benefit cuts will impact on families and friends and there will be anger if, as the Archbishop of Canterbury implies, the rich get richer and there isn't a "willingness to bear the load together". Even those currently in jobs, are finding their standard of living threatened by pay freezes, loss of pension rights and bosses using financial uncertainties to push through changes in working conditions.

Students are up in arms over tuition fees and this subject alone gives opposition forces a platform for protest. The violence during recent protests has benefited the government, because the majority of the population would have been disgusted by images of police horses attacked, broken shop windows and damaged memorials, especially those in remembrance of the war dead. Militant student leaders, appearing at press conferences with their childish and outdated rages against the establishment, have discredited the student protests, but it is likely that 2011 will see even more marches and violence.

The protests against companies perceived as dodging UK taxes will continue, but this form of protest could backfire, with some firms reluctant to invest further in the UK. Those targeted by protesters, like Sir Philip Green are powerful forces within the retail trade and his companies provide thousands of jobs up and down the country.

Jobs feed into the tax system and if Sir Philip and his kind manage somehow to utilise legal laws to avoid personal tax bills, then he is only doing what the rest of us would do, if only we could afford it. He and others like him are not breaking the law, although perhaps governments have not been fair in the distribution of the tax burden. As the Archbishop says there is a sense that "the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load".

The Coalition has a tough job on its hand, but people do shoot the messenger and in the case of this government, it does appear that it is the Liberal Democrats who appear to be bearing the brunt of the population's fear and frustration. David Cameron has more or less escaped personal censure, but eventually he will have to take prime ministerial responsibility for the government's actions and there are those in his own party primed to play Brutus should the going get really tough. The knives may not come out for Cameron personally, but aimed instead at the Coalition partner.

Trade Unions are busy seeking new members and it is possible that militancy will flourish in the coming year. The Royal Wedding may supply a crumb of relief for the peasantry in April, but could the thousands on the streets of London wishing William and Catherine well, be the same people to take to the streets in protest against the hardships of the cuts?

For now, the Labour Party cannot relinquish its responsibility for the mess the Coalition inherited and its political and moral authority is busted for now. Opposition to the government may need to come from outside (or, even an unknown within the Labour movement?) and the right person could well harness the energy of those prepared to challenge the government. The hope is that such a personality will emerge from the politics of the positive and not from the shadows of the extreme.

Happy Christmas to readers and bloggers everywhere!

Vince Cable: Telegraph not nice......

There is something not very nice about the way the Telegraph went about secretly recording the wit and wisdom of the Liberal Democrats MPs. In the confines of the constituency offices, of course MPs are going to boast about the size of their power base and, in the case of the LibDems, well, it is inevitable that they would stick the knife in their government partners at every behind-closed-doors opportunity.

The LibDems have never been shy of attacking the opposition and make no mistake, the majority of them see the Tories as just that, even if they are happy to share the fruits and benefits of government office.

A role in a Coalition government was never going to be easy, regardless of which parties were sharing power and it would be naive to think that everyone was going to easily accept David Cameron as the new Messiah, or that his relationship with Nick Clegg was going to be the template for the rest of them.

Every morning, somewhere in the UK, a Tory and a LibDem must wake-up (in separate beds, I might add) and the very thought of sharing power with each other induce the urge to puke over the roses, not smell them.

Vince Cable should never have spoken about his battle with Rupert Murdoch in such tones. It was a stupid error of judgement and he has committed another error by talking of "great damage" to the relationship between MPs and their constituents, because of the Daily Telegraph's action.

Sending women out into the offices of MPs and secretly recording their conversations are somewhat suspect, but Mr Cable's comments about Mr Murdoch justified the paper's actions in the "public interest".

As a senior member of the government, Mr Cable should have known better...and perhaps instead of blaming others, just accept responsibility for his own unprofessional behaviour.

Prince William & Kate Middleton: The Royal Wedding...

Next year the government's cuts will really start to bite and there will undoubtedly be marches in protest on the streets of Britain. But, fear ye not, once again the Royal Family will do its duty and provide the nation with some light relief and human sacrifice.


For on April 29th 2011, in Westminster Abbey, Prince William will marry his long-term sweetheart, Kate Middleton, providing the country with a royal wedding to help us forget our troubles. At least, unlike his mother, she will not go to the altar bulimic and virginal, knowing that her future husband, Prince Charles, was in love with someone else. At least, on this occasion, the young prince and his bride-to-be appear to be in love and the match is not one of convenience or born of scheming.


But that is about the only nod to the modern world. To show her approval, The Queen has invited her to Sandringham for Christmas. This is the first time Kate has been welcomed, despite the fact the prince has taken her to his bed for eight-years or more. Catherine, (as she will soon be known), was also invited to a recent royal family lunch at Buckingham Palace, which was reported by the media as if one of the lower-classes had struck gold.


By all accounts the royals are mostly a snobbish, vulgar, gruesome lot, unkind to newcomers, even if, like Princess Diana, they come from the higher branches of the aristocracy. Kate is of the middle-classes, with parents who made their millions not through inheritance, but by sheer hard work. Oh, how the royals-by-birth will giggle at the very thought and how the women of the household will have a touch of the vapours each time they are required to curtsy before her!


The Queen has always carried out her duties with dignity and commitment, but the same cannot be said for all her off-spring, or over-extended family. Although the late Princess of Wales wanted to give her sons a so-called "normal" life, it remained a figment of her imagination, as did the wishes of her brother in his eulogy to his dead sister. The princes, William and Harry, were and will remain firmly entrenched within the the Royal Family, with friends, values and activities bound by the House of Windsor's first and foremost aim, which is the survival of the Monarchy.


Princess Diana was no shrinking violet, but she was unbalanced and did enormous and unnecessary damage to the Monarchy. Kate Middleton has played a long game in her desire to marry her man and it is hoped she shows the same determination in not allowing the blood royals make her life a misery. But it is also hoped that she and her prince will be allowed to bring some fresh air to an institution that badly needs it.


Locking the Duke of York in the Tower might be a start.

Vince Cable: Inflated ego goes nuclear....

The egos of politicians knows no bounds but Vince Cable's went nuclear in a secretly taped conversation between him and representatives of the Daily Telegraph and not, as he thought, his local constituents.

Vince Cable comes across like a decent man, but like his leader Nick Clegg, appears to be playing the role of a senior politician, rather than being one. Unlike David Cameron, who behaves as if born to the role of Prime Minister and wants to swat like a fly anyone who thinks otherwise.

I am uneasy that a newspaper should be making the news for underhand methods, rather than just reporting on them. Mr Cable may be embarrassed by his comments that he could bring down the government, but his insights into the in-fighting and machinations behind the Coalition policies are fascinating.

It does make you wonder if the Coalition will survive the full-term? Of course, if a general election was called anytime soon, then the Liberal Democrats could face annihilation at the ballot box and Nick Clegg would surely be replaced as leader, although it is likely a role would still be found for him within a Cameron government.

It does appear that every single piece of negativity from this government comes from the Liberal Democrats and the party's supporters must be asking if there is a Tory "plot" to eventually go to the country without them? While poor Nick Clegg, yesterday's man, weeps for what might have been, his friend David Cameron can relax over Christmas, with no real threat to his popularity or authority.

What the New Year will bring is another matter.....

David Beckham: Lifetime Achievement Award well-deserved...

The UK has always had a love-hate relationship with David Beckham and his wife Victoria, mainly because we don't like people to get too far above their station and didn't they just (!), from footballer to World Icon, from Spice Girl to Fashion Queen! Success seems to come effortlessly to the golden pair, although the reality is that it takes a lot of hard work and talent to feed Brand Beckham.

Through their own efforts and refusal to react to public criticism and media ridicule, it would be true to say that both have won the respect of the nation, even if at times it would help her public image if Victoria could acknowledge this with an occasional smile!

Throughout his career, David has mostly behaved with great dignity and humour (sure, there was that petulant kick and a few alleged affairs), but his Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony was a well-deserved recognition of his iconic status. His tearful response and the dedication of the Award to those serving in Afghanistan was a genuine and classic response from the man.

An emotional Victoria and their three children were in the audience to watch him receive the award from Sir Bobby Charlton and it was obvious how much David Beckham appreciated the recognition. Latest reports suggest that he is preparing to sign for a European team, but it is hoped he does not continue to play football beyond his ability to perform at his usual world-class level.

The Beckhams between them are great ambassadors for UK sport and fashion and it is likely they will hog the front pages for years to come.

UK Bankers: Money, that's what we want...!

"Money, that's what we want!" is the joyous refrain of UK bankers, in fact everyone of them across the globe. There is nothing wrong with that, so long as it means it helps create jobs and boosts the economy of host countries.

Unfortunately it is these people, who in recent times have displayed levels of greed and downright stupidity worthy of the most degenerate of Roman emperors, who have managed to so damage the economies of countries that many governments have had to introduce draconian cuts in services and jobs.
In the UK the cuts have yet to bite, but thousands of workers are likely to be out of work in the coming months. Cuts in public services will also impact on suppliers and industry in general have tax increases, including VAT, to absorb in the coming year. Employees in many companies, those still lucky enough to have jobs, have had their salaries frozen indefinitely.

Meanwhile, while ordinary people suffer loss of jobs and homes, the bankers go on their merry way, doing their deals and planning how to spend future bonuses which, under the circumstances, are obscene to even contemplate.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, have warned the financial sector that action will be taken should they overdo the bonuses in the coming months, but frankly when the rest of the country no longer believe their promises, why, oh why, should this bunch of bloated bankers?

It is all very fine for the government to threaten action against such obvious greed within the financial sector, but the reality is that shoulders will be shrugged, the champagne will continue to flow and bankers will continue to laugh...all the way from the bank.

Jordon: About to divorce Alex Reid.....

So, according to the Daily Star, Katie Price, aka Jordon, is about to divorce Alex Reid, the cage-fighter and cross-dresser. It seems they are only staying together so that her children can have a good Christmas, which brought tears to my eyes. Tears of laughter.

The pair have only been married for 10-months and even back then one got the impression that it happened because, following her divorce from Peter Andre, she needed another liaison to sell to the magazines. Jordon is a clever media-savvy woman who has built a £40million fortune around her transplants and implants, so the first thing she will protect is her fortune.

I must admit it amazes me that she can still make the front page of a newspaper. Surely by now every nook and cranny of her trashy life has been exposed and I don't think that there is anything left that would surprise us. Well, yes, maybe if she announced she was disappearing from the publicity circuit and really meant it!

What wouldn't surprise me is if she and Peter Andre got back together again. Both have needed each other to feed the oxygen of publicity these past couple of years...even if, bless him, Pete thinks it is all about his singing career. I suspect Katie knows exactly what her silicone-based appeal is. And it is beginning to sag.

Ireland: Credit rating agencies behaving like circling vultures....

Ireland is a country desperately needing the money and the space to crawl out of the mess it has made for itself. It is not being helped by the actions of the credit rating agencies, who are behaving like circling vultures, but instead of picking on the flesh of a warm corpse, just spit on a country and then downgrade its rating to make it even tougher for recovery.

What is frightening is that even with the support of the EC and IMF, there appears to be an agenda by other forces happy to watch countries implode. Greece, Ireland...who is next to topple? Isn't it time world powers seriously looked at the role of the credit agencies?

The Irish have the capacity and the spirit to get out of the mess its greedy bankers and politicians have created, even if it takes a decade, but it is hoped that if any lessons are learned one of them will be to dump the corrupt, the lazy and the sheer incompetent bunch who run the country as if it belongs just to them, while throwing scraps to the peasants.

The sadness of the current situation is that the people of Ireland must take much of the responsibility for allowing it to happen. For decades nepotism has flourished in the Emerald Isle, with grandfathers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunts and uncles, inheriting political seats and titles, all done with the consent of the voters. The powerful and elite are those who nod, wink and seal deals with a spit and a handshake and it never matters which party has the majority in the club they call Leinster House, the home of the Irish parliament.

It is hoped that in seeking a new beginning the people of Ireland don't dance and romance with Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams. It would be a dance of death and a curse on future generations of that great little country. Ireland is at the crossroads, again.

Julian Assange: Wikileaks boss granted bail...

Today, Julian Assange has been granted bail by a London judge in his battle against extradition to Sweden on allegations of rape and other sexual charges. Although it has now been revealed that it was the British and not Swedish authorities who opposed the original decision to bail him.

Any rape allegations should be dealt with in a serious manner, regardless of the prepetrator, but there is a groundswell of opinion that the allegations against Mr Assange do not stand up to scrutiny and that the two women involved were just plain angry he shared his favours between them.

There is a view, perhaps not in the United States, who believe that this is more about the leaks than rape, although surely European countries would not stoop so low as to conspire with the USA to frame him? Personally I don't think so, but then I never thought that civilised countries would have co-operated in the illegal torture of suspects.

Certainly, there is a dangerous arrogance about Mr Assange's belief that information should be revealed regardless of the consequences. The two women in Sweden provide the evidence that sexual promiscuity is also one of his traits, but that does not make him a rapist. He would not be the first to dangle his celebrity status to entice a variety of women into bed.

There is talk that America can't find a law on its stature books to charge him over the leaks and is thinking of creating one. But this would demean a democratic country like the United States. Perhaps it and other countries should be looking at the security apparatus that allows such leaks to take place.

Prince Charles & Camilla: Attacked by protesters...

Tens of thousands of students marched in London yesterday in protest against the rise in student fees which was voted in by the House of Commons yesterday. What was unfortunate is the large number of protesters hellbent on causing violence and destruction, with police, police horses and buildings being attacked.

In addition, the car carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium, was attacked. Both were shaken but unhurt, although there was damage to the royal car. They continued on to their engagement and returned to Clarence House in a police van.

The mindless violence in Central London yesterday was disgraceful and student leaders cannot just dismiss it as the work of a small minority. It was frightening to listen to student leaders on television and radio this morning blame the police for the violence, refusing to condemn the behaviour of those students who resorted to it, seemingly encouraging their actions.

Students legitimately protesting against the tuition fees are not being well-served by their leaders, who at a press conference this morning behaved like a bunch of uneducated idiots. The general public would have been shocked watching the violence unfold on television last night and any sympathy for the students will be lost should it continue. The ugly scenes removes the spotlight from the Coalition government and its action in voting for the fee increases.

As for the police, it is surely a disgrace that they allowed the future King, The Prince of Wales and his wife, to be caught up in the protests. It is a bad reflection on the force that they couldn't even protect senior members of the Royal Family.

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Tuition Fees: Nick Clegg's betrayal.....and mindless violence

So, the House of Commons voted by a small margin of 21, to raise tuition fees for university students. Sadly, the student protest in London has turned into more mindless violence, including an attack on the car carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

The majority of protesters will have had peaceful intent, eager to show their anger at what they perceive as a betrayal by the Coalition, in particular the Liberal Democrats and leader Nick Clegg, who will forever be associated with this episode. It appears others have taken part in the protests just to create wanton violence and destruction.

It does appear that, once again, the police are ill-prepared for the violent element amongst the protesters who have attacked the Treasury and the Supreme Court buildings.

For the government, the initial reaction must be one of horror that such scenes are being broadcast around the world, but it may ultimately play into its' hands with a general public equally horrified by the violence.

Like the poll tax riots before it, there will be protesters normally law-abiding, who will be dragged into acts that will give them criminal records to haunt them forever.

Wikileaks: Julian Assange's arrest.......

I think Wikileaks can do a goood job in exposing the duplicity of governments and others, who often just withhold information from the general public for the hell of it. However, like many others I am uneasy about some of the recent leaks which compromise diplomatic efforts and identify individuals to national governments who may seek revenge.

I also share the unease over the arrest in London of Julian Assange, wanted by the police in Sweden to answer sex assault charges. There is no question that he had sex with the two women involved, but one wonders if the charges against him would be pursued if he wasn't who he is. It appears that the two women happily socialised with Mr Assange after the alleged assaults and only went to the police together on discovering he had sex with both within days of each other.

The women deny they have been put under pressure to pursue the charges, but there is a concern that his extradition from London to Sweden will result in a request from the United States to issue its own arrest warrant.

I have no idea if Mr Assange is guilty of sexual assault, but it would not serve justice if one charge was being used to get him for another. The United States has good cause to be angry and concerned over the leaks on Wikileaks, but it would be bad for democracy and a bad reflection on the country if it was to seek revenge by underhand means.

X Factor: Simon Cowell is facing criticism.....

Just as he plans to introduce the X Factor to America, Simon Cowell is facing criticism here in the UK over this current and most watched series. Allegations of favouritism, miming by favoured acts, judges being nasty and bitchy with each other and rule changing has dogged this series.
The contestants themselves have also fueled the controversy with rows amongst themselves, rumours of bad behaviour backstage and even criticism of their own mentors.

This time round Cheryl Cole, said to be joining the judging American panel next year, has had her fair share of media negativity, including her alleged manipulation of Mr Cowell himself. Certainly, there is a lot of hostility amongst the judging panel this year, with Cowell and Louis Walsh at loggerheads and Dannii Minogue just about ignored by Simon Cowell, too busy having a platonic love-in with Cheryl Cole at his side. Some call it puppy love.

It will be interesting to see how the American public accept the Girls Aloud singer, especially when it becomes public knowledge in the States that she has a court conviction for assault on a black washroom attendant. Although as the ex-wife of a black footballer and with many African-American friends in the music industry, it would be difficult for anyone to pin a charge of racism on her.

The publicity, good and bad, has made for the best ratings ever, but there has been a real backlash over the decision that allowed the judges to vote off popular Dubliner Mary Byrne and select the 17 year-old Cher Lloyd to go through to the final. Viewers were under the impression that the semi-final would only be judged by the public and the suspicion, denied by Cowell, is that the rules were quickly changed to keep Cher rather than the country's choice, 50 year-old Mary.

This series has, without doubt, exposed some fantastic talent, especially Matt Cardle and, in particular, Liverpool's Rebecca Ferguson, who has the raw talent of a world-class superstar. Either could win, although the young group One Direction, mentored by Cowell himself, may just snatch the prize.

The MP & The Russian: The spy who loved me....

The 64 year-old MP with a reputation as a "lady's man" insists that his 25 year-old Russian assistant, suspected of spying for the Motherland, is innocent.

Mike Hancock, the Liberal Democrat MP, was introduced to the shapely Katia Zatuliveter on one of his regular visits to Russia. She started to work for him about two and a half years ago which allowed her a security pass for access to Westminster and information which officials say was not available to the general public.

It seems that during her employment the MP has asked numerous questions about sensitive defence issues, although one would have thought that the security forces would have put 2+2 together and come up with "honeytrap". Maybe.

It could all be very innocent, although it doesn't help that Mr Hancock, who is MP for Portsmouth South, where the Royal Navy is based, has a reputation for admiring the female form and is also currently on police bail for an alleged indecent assault.

But why anyone would think that the Russians would take advantage of this is beyond me.

Fifa: World Cup Bid..from Russia with love....

England's World Cup bid for 2018 was never going to amount to anything as the Executive Committee of FIFA pocketed their lies and their principles and voted instead for the big bear that is Putin's Russia.

It wasn't the losing that hurt, other bids lost out too, but the fact that at least six or seven members of the committee assured Prince William, David Beckham and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, that they would vote for England. Unfortunately, when the voting finally happened, only 2 votes held including the country's own, with Russia announced as the winner. Even the USA executive member, Chuck Blazer, failed to keep his promise.

It is being said that the allegations in the British media of corruption amongst the Fifa Executive was the prime reason for the treachery, but others have suggested that roubles from Russia with love may have played a part in the final decision.

There have been numerous stories of corruption within Fifa over the years but no real action has been taken to seriously address any of the allegations. In fact, most of the higher echelons of the world authority, believe that the free holidays and parcels of luxury presents, left outside their 5-star hotel suites, are a legitimate and necessary acknowledgement of their status within this august body.

The decision to hold the event in Russia may be the right one, but it is a shame that because a group of men behaved in a cowardly and hypocritical manner and said one thing, while doing another, a smell of double-dealing and backstabbing lingers in the air.

Nick Clegg: The lonely man of British politics.....

Anyone associated with advertising will be aware that one of the biggest advertising flops was for a cigarette called "Strand", featuring a good-looking guy smoking a cigarette with a caption that read "You're never alone with a Strand!" The television commercial featured "The Lonely Man Theme ". It flopped because no potential customer wanted to be associated with a product that suggested they were lonely!

I was thinking of Nick Clegg when the cigarette campaign came to mind. It only seems like..well..a few months since the smooth handsome leader of the Liberal Democrats was being hailed as the new hero of politics...promising honesty, openness and even the promise that there would be no more broken promises. It was all said and done in soft focus close-up and a belief that maybe, just maybe, he meant it. Even if, at times, he came across as just a little too sanctimonious and moralising.

But the Liberal Democrats are now realising that you can promise what you like when there isn't a hope in hell that you would ever have the power to deliver. However, fate and a hung parliament gave the party a place at the top table and since then, when it comes to the delivery of promises and principles, Mr Clegg and his colleagues have been found wanting.

During the election campaign Mr Clegg and his colleagues campaigned on the basis that they would oppose any increase in university students fees in the next Parliament. It was a firm and defining promise on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. However, once in bed with the Tories, Clegg had to backtrack due to the costs involved, resulting in the new proposals to treble fees.

This new realistic approach has badly damaged the Liberal Democrats and its' leader. It is also close to destroying the credibility of Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, who will introduce the bill to increase fees on behalf of the Coalition Government, but has said he may abstain rather than vote for his own department's plans!

The protesting students have Mr Clegg and his LibDems colleagues in their sights and future elections may prove uncomfortable for them. The one-time wonder boy is now the lonely man of British politics.....which reminded me of the "Strand" ads.
No one wants to be associated with a loser. Especially David Cameron, who is probably already working on a strategy for the Tories to gain from any Liberal Democrats fall-out.

England's World Cup Bid: Everything to play for.....

"Everything to play for..." is the message the England Team bidding for the 2018 World Cup is sending out, despite what is being seen as the BBC's efforts to scupper the bid. While we would all agree that the corruption within FIFA, football's ruling authority, should be exposed, I am not convinced that the state-owned media organisation, paid for by the taxpayer, should have broadcast an expose, just days before the vote to decide who will host the big event.

In the last few days the Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince William and David Beckham, have been in Zurich, meeting with FIFA officials in a last-ditch effort to grab the games from the favourite Russia.

David Beckham is once again proving to be a superb ambassador for England and football, full of enthusiasm and optimism that the country has all to play for in its battle for the big prize. His press conferences are packed out with journalists from across the world and his tact and diplomacy could well be the decider in England's favour.

We have to wait until Thursday for the announcement.