Eurovision - or Euro stitch up?

It's official. The Eurovision Song Contest is no longer a showcase to vote for the best song writing talent in Europe. It's a trading floor of diplomatic etiquette, where votes are a currency to be used to kowtow to allies and show subservience to superior states.

I know it's meant to be fun and not taken too seriously, but it's beyond me how Andy Abrahams (http://www.andyabraham.co.uk/) can be applauded on X Factor week after week by Osbourne, Walsh and Cowell (not to mention nine million of the British viewing public) yet last night scrape through in last place with fourteen votes - six from San Marino and eight from Ireland.

I was not altogether surprised to hear last week that the UK will always be guaranteed a place in the Eurovision final, solely because the competition receives far and away the highest amount of funding for TV rights - from the dear old BBC, which through our licence fees is ultimately through you and me.

Maybe it's time to agree that Eurovision was fun while it was fair, but with the EU costing the UK upwards of £16m a day, we're probably giving Europe enough of our hard earned cash.