Mitt Romney wins big in Florida primary

Mitt Romney in full voice after Florida primary

Mitt Romney used large amounts of cash and negative advertising to come in first in the Florida primary. American democracy has fallen a bit overnight. The lofty ideals of the Founding Fathers have been overshadowed by a need for political war chests and political warfare. Or put it another way, money and mudslinging win the day.

Of course, Mitt Romney did not have much to do or say to win. Newt Gingrich shot himself in the foot. Rick Santorum and Ron Paul were more or less ignored by the pundits, although the two candidates have preferred to focus on upcoming contests. No, Romney won because he didn't have much competition in Florida. That said, he hasn't exactly sparkled. Florida's economy isn't in that great a shape. More of the same will get it out of shape even more.

The BBC is rooting for Romney. I don't know what others think of the word "only" but the BBC says Newt Gingrich only managed 32%. Only? After all he's been saying about moon colonies, fidelity and tax gathering, I'd think 32% was very good. Only, eh? If only! Mitt got only 46%. Those big bucks stuffed into his war chest couldn't persuade more than half to vote for him. Only 54% voted against him. If one only puts the votes of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul together, then Mitt Romney still has more against him than for him. His only hope is a continued split opposition.

Result -

Mitt Romney	774,492	46.24%
Newt Gingrich	533,038	31.93%
Rick Santorum	222,774	13.34%
Ron Paul	117,094	7.01%
Rick Perry	6,768	0.41%
John Huntsman	6,197	0.37%
Michele Bachmann	3,959	0.24%
Herman Cain	3,494	0.21%
Gary Johnson	1,196	0.07%

The total number of votes cast was 1,669,462. If one takes into account the votes for candidates who have withdrawn, adds them to the other non-Romney votes, then 894,970 voters did not support Mitt Romney. If only they had.

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RBS Fred Goodwin's knighthood shredded as well as stripped

Fred Goodwin explaining himself and the failures of RBS

Sir Fred Goodwin is stripped of his knighthood for services unbecoming. Fred the Shred is disgraced and dishonoured. It was bound to happen. After all, the Labour Party is all excited about it, RBS that is. The cabinet is making noises off and the public is certainly not in a mood to bow and scrape in front of bankers and their bonuses. So it's back to being plain Mr.Fred Goodwin for the former Sir Fred. If only he had eaten that large portion of humble pie that was offered to him. If only he'd said sorry instead of waiting for it to be beaten out of him. But that was not to be. If he was as clever with public opinion as he was with creating a behemoth of a bank, albeit one with dodgy money flowing through its computerised accounting systems, he'd be OK now. But no. He knew better.

This should be a salutary lesson to greedy men who get the megalomania problem. There was a chap on Newsnight last night telling Jeremy Paxman that these bonuses were out of all control. That they are. I get the impression these corporate types have hijacked our public companies and are just milking them for all they can get. What separates them from the criminal classes I cannot imagine, except one is legal and the other is not. Morality has little do to with it. Yes, yes, the labourer is worthy of his hire and no doubt the likes of Fred Goodwin ARE worthy of good reward. But certainly not a raid on company assets just to assuage some innate greed. Maybe surgery is the only thing that will stop them!

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Ten questions Floridians should ask Newt Gingrich

Newt sees the moon as a place to be - lunacy for lunar politics

Newt Gingrich is a wily old cove. He is also a bit of a lachrymose crocodile and at times a rodent in need of a scrub. James Cagney would have recognised him on occasions given some of the things he says. Anyway, seeing as Newt has more fantasies than factual policies, these are the ten best questions I think those in Florida thinking of voting for Newt should either ask him or ask themselves. Just so they are certain he's their man.

1. Is the moon made of green cheese?
2. Do you speak French?
3. Can an African-American president be a European socialist?
4. Is it OK to seek fidelity in your opponents whilst philandering yourself?
5. How big can the national debt get before you return your blind eye?
6. Does the Constitution (for which you are for) hold everything a government requires to govern?
7. Is extra-constitutional lawmaking ever justified?
8. Do you prefer big or small government?
9. Have you ever consorted with lobbyists?
10.Was working for Freddie Mac a wholely satisfying experience?

If asked in a deep and searching way these questions might reveal something of the true nature of Mr.Gingrich. None are in the "casting the first stone" category, but they are my idea of illiciting something from the waffling rhetoric and status quo talk he's been offering so far.

Anyway, it's not up to me. It's up to the good folk of Florida who happen to support the Republican Party.  I trust that they choose wisely today.

Oh, and for all Newt fans, moongazers, amateur lunatics, et al, this is for you. Mixing moonlight with Valentine's Day!

PS - It's all very innocent.

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Sarkozy given to insulting Britain

Nicolas Sarkozy peddling falsehoods in French!

It's a bit rich for the Hungarian Frenchman, Nicolas Sarkozy, to be insulting Britain. He's not exactly been a just steward of the French economy. Today he boldy states that "the United Kingdom has no manufacturing" and considers this a right and proper thing to say. He's not only wrong, he's rude and simplistic. Must be those heels giving him too much air.

Under his leadership, France has been made to sign up to all manner of devious shenanigans in order to save the Euro. That benighted currency has been fiddled with and perverted before it was converted. Both France and Germany cobbled together this new money, then broke their own rules under the stability pact, oversaw a spending spree that even Croesus would have blushed at, and then had the brass neck to lecture the "southern states" about profligacy and financial ineptitude.

Nicolas Sarkozy is a weasel wordsmith of the worst kind. I hope he fails to be elected as president again with a thumping and resounding "NON!"

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Spanair collapses leaving passengers stranded

Spanair grounded as airline goes bust

Another airline bites the dust. This time it is Spanair, described as being Spain's fourth largest airline. Seeing as the largest, Iberia, had to merge with British Airways just to keep going, it doesn't say much for the other two. The trouble is people are not going to Spain as much as they did. The whole thing is a spiral downwards into decline. What can be done about the Spanish economy I do not know, but Spanair is no longer part of it. Except to say that the vultures are circling. Ryanair being one of them - "We certainly see it as an opportunity to expand our base" - and the Spanish government being another, seeking to fine the corporate corpse 9m euros (£7.6m; $11.9m) over the collapse. Talk about trying to get blood out of a stone!

When any business collapses it shows that competition is weakened and the market is contracting. This may be good news for Ryanair but not such good news for passengers. It will be a fateful day if the only airline in Europe is Ryanair. Hobson's choice and no mistake!

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RBS boss Hester caves in over £1m bonus

Stephen Hester sees his RBS bonus evaporate

I had thoughts this morning of a navvy knocking on Stephen Hester's door, the front door to his Oxfordshire home. "Sorry to tell you Mr.Hester, but the Haitch Ess Too is coming straight through here and you have to vacate". I wondered if Mr.Hester would go meekly or create a stir. Just fantasy, of course.

So now we hear that Mr.Hester has bowed to the inevitable and given up his bonus. He won't be taking it. The board of RBS was urging him to fight. After all, he has done some good at the bank. He's cut dodgy lending, sold off some businesses that were not needed and has generally steered the bank into calmer territory. In normal times he might well have deserved this bonus without a murmur. But these are not normal times. We live with vast government debt, vast personal debt and businesses going bust, mainly retail, on a weekly basis. Those running corporate business may or may not be savvy with their business dealings. But their political antennae are rusty and picking up duff signals. That RBS could not see or hear the rumblings of discontent are testament to their failure to comprehend. Actually, they probably did realise but chose to be defiant and bolshie.

If we are all in this together, it includes the banks. They should not be made to wear sackcloth and ashes, but it must surely be prudent for them to be aware of the backlash these bonuses cause. If they have advisers let them "advise" better. However, if the bosses of banks and other corporates wish to fight public opinion over this issue, then they may rue the day.

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Bill actor Colin Tarrant dies suddenly at 59

Colin Tarrant dies aged 59 in Bristol

When one gets to a certain age the news of a death comes as a surprise. Then it becomes something to be expected. When one of my great aunts or uncles died, it was expected. "The old trout had a good innings!" was one remark I well remember my uncle saying of one, seemingly loved and respected, great-aunt. However, I'm not yet at an age when I expect death, although I know I shouldn't single myself out for special treatment for inclusion in the centenarians' club. Maybe it's the time and period we live in, expecting rude and robust health for ever.

Anyway, I was quite shocked to hear of Colin Tarrant's sudden death. He was one of the mainstay's of The Bill, a very talented actor. I once saw also him in a comedic role and he was very good. But he was only 59, younger than me. Sudden death is always a shock, yet it is a sudden death I'm looking forward to myself. Now that may seem selfish, as those left behind will be shocked themselves and no doubt a trifle upset. I hope so anyway. But I will be gone. No worries about being prodded and poked by carers and the like. Woken up to eat indifferent meals. Watching TV perched up in bed. Or not as the case may be. If I do get bedridden, I'd prefer a dose of dementia just to get by. Now dementia is very distressing for those who witness it, myself included. But I seem to think that those it inflicts are not necessarily that unhappy. I would be bored stiff if I had little or no movement and had to endure endless prattle from nurses and doctors about my "condition".

I was shocked about Colin Tarrant. But he can rest in peace now without the endurance of pain and bodily ailments. That is a mercy. He leaves memories of excellent acting and of being, as West End theatre producer David Pugh says in a tribute, "a lovely man, he loved the theatre, his politics and his family". What more could be said.

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Wimbledon is not just for tennis

Glory days for Wimbledon

Once upon a time there was a football club in Wimbledon. Known as the Dons. They did very well and were on top of their game, literally. Then the money men moved in and moved the club all the way to Milton Keynes. Hardly South London. These people were of different clay, with their stone cows in their fields and a shopping centre for a town. But money talks and sometimes walks. The Football Association and the Football League, ever keen to advance the cause of cash in the game, just sat back. But the footballing folk of Wimbledon started up a new club. The Dons were like a phoenix. They had to call the new club AFC Wimbledon, but every one new it was Wimbledon starting again. The runaway club was calling itself MK Dons, but in reality was Milton Keynes, as very few Wimbledon folk travelled to this place for a game. And so AFC Wimbledon started in the lowly leagues and progressed up. Now they are one league behind their rival.

I mention this because football is in the news regarding Harry Redknapp and his tax affairs. Bungs may come and bungs may go, I do not know, but the story of Wimbledon is a nice one. The ordinary fans standing up to the money men and the financial flotsam and jetsam that permeates English football today.

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Jamie Oliver's kitchen chef found dead

Kevin Boyle found dead - RIP

I hesitated at first as to whether I should put Jamie Oliver's name in this post. After all it's nothing to do with him that one of his original TV apprentices has been found dead. The name Kevin Boyle means little to anyone apart from his family and circle of friends. That's the thing about names. Famous names mean something. Why else would Sainsbury's have used Jamie Oliver's name other than to cash in on it. So the news media uses a famous name to highlight the death of a chef. It has been said that Mr Boyle would be remembered for being an "exceptionally caring person who devoted himself to his friends". That sounds an excellent epitaph.

But we may never have known of Kevin Boyle if he had not been associated with Jamie Oliver. Now we do. Fame used to be fifteen minutes worth for the average person, according to Andy Warhol. With the internet it is fifteen minutes plus a slice of eternity.

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