What a Bloomer

Reporter: Jim Williams
Date published: 16 August 2013


THE FRIDAY THING: IT is a pity that Euro MP Godfrey Bloom (a member of UKIP, naturally) lived up to his name (as in bloomers, as in mistakes) and turned a reasonable attack on handing millions in aid to other countries when we are trillions in debt, into what sounded like a racist rant.

By describing “Bongo Bongo Land” as being on the receiving end of our largesse, the outspoken Euro MP not only put both feet in it but also trampled on the civilised common sense that regards hints of racism unbecoming in a politician.

If getting lots of publicity out of his speech was the plan, it certainly succeeded. But it has done Mr Bloom no favours.

He has a point when he condemns our government for sending millions of pounds overseas to be spent on who knows what, because it seems no-one can account for the destination of all this dosh.

He claims it is spent on sports cars, fancy apartments and even yachts by self-serving politicians leaders.

All that has happened is that Bloom has put himself to us as someone who puts racial issues at the top of his agenda - justifying criticism of UKIP since the party entered the political arena and attempted to distance itself from racist extremists.

But is it any worse than David Cameron’s assertion that one of the chief benefits of sending this “aid” abroad is that it will deter beneficiaries from not coming to the UK?

Does that sound just a teeny bit racist to you?


THINK twice before you go for that holiday dip.
I always thought that the jelly fish posed the greatest danger to paddlers and just-about swimmers like me. But from Sweden and Denmark comes news of something much nastier.

Apparently the pacu fish, which grows to eight inches long and is related to the piranha (that’s a keep out clue if ever there was one), has some disturbing eating habits.

According to Denmark’s Natural History Museum, although the pacu normally eats smaller fish it regards male private parts as a special delicacy to be enjoyed.


FINAL WORD: Phubbing is a new word for us all to take on board.
Apparently it means looking at your phone instead of talking or listening to the people around you.

Very few phone conversations are worth disrupting a good meal or a few glasses of the foaming stuff for. My strategy when going out for a night is to leave my mobile at home.