Big Bother

As the greatest of reality shows gets under way, it's mildly absorbing fun to ponder which of the contestants will win. Will it be the older bloke, with the boring voice and the funny mannerism when he's talking, a twitch which serves to distract at least this observer, or will it be one of the two younger blokes; the smooth-talking smarmie, who seems short on facts but makes for great watching or the little chap who is telling us all how he wants to change the world?

Of course, we're really all waiting for the Challenges.  Things haven't really warmed up as of yet, but a few soakings, egg-throwings, walking on thin planks in funny costumes and singing in a mud-pool and we'll all enjoy the entire process much more.

And given the ubiquity of the internet, bloggers, facebook, forums and iPhones, we may also see contestants gaining votes for helping their fans, irrespective of party affiliations.  Which is really how it ought to be.

This is also a wonderful opportunity for Plaid, a group whose power base is expanding because they are genuinely so good at helping their constituents.  And perhaps we could do worse than follow the US model, with individual States being able to legislate on almost anything, but federal control being retained by the White House.