The European Song Contest is rapidly approaching and the final will air on Friday 20th May 2006. The UK has already chosen their entry, although I’m not sure it’s worth actually entering. Since the UK has joined forces with the US the Eurovision song contest has been more of a general election rather than a singing contest – this is not what the Eurovision stands for.

I’m calling for all Eurovision voters to not vote politically, as they have done for the last 4 or 5 times! It’s not about a country’s military status or whether or not they’ve invaded you in the past, not whether or not they’ve still got the damn death penalty – it’s about the singers, the songs and the passion of music from hundreds of cultures over Europe. Granted, this probably won’t change the UK’s chances this year, but it needs to be done. I think it was last year that 4 countries that provide the most money to the ESC were the bottom 4 losers. I say if people still vote with political bias, we should stop funding it. I don’t see why we should have to pay them so they can passively protest against war. It isn’t the place.

So, I’ll be watching the contest (after my Spanish Listening and my Science module tests) but if I see Belarus giving 12 points to Latvia, Croatia giving 12 points to Serbia and Montenegro or Ukraine 12 points to Russia, I’m boycotting the ESC untill they stop it. I also think a letter to the BBC and UKIB (ITV, C4 & S4C) would be in order. It isn’t right, it isn’t fair and it’s not in the spirit of Europe.