William Hague: Every right to assert his heterosexuality but.....

I feel sorry for William Hague that he should feel it necessary to issue a statement denying he is gay and, forcing the message home how straight he is, by including intimate and painful details about his wife's miscarriages.

He has every right to assert his heterosexuality, especially with a wife at home, but it is sad that such statements of denial and the media's response to them, have a tone that suggest homosexuality is a contagious disease.

He would have been better ignoring the rumours, although it is time that some sections of the media stopped reporting "being gay" in negative terms, as if it was a curse.

The Labour Leadership: Tony Blair's approval as toxic as a kiss......

David Miliband in his quest to be the next leader of the Labour Party, must be relieved that Tony Blair has resisted shouting his endorsement, even if the whole world knows he is Blair's choice. Today, the ballot papers went out to the Labour faithful, just in time for the publication of Mr Blair's autobiography, which confirms, without remorse, his decision to stay friends with George W. and invade Iraq. It also allows him to finally dish the dirt on Gordon Brown.

It is a sad truth that Tony Blair could have gone down as a great Prime Minister. Some good things happened on his watch, but dragging the country into a flawed war will be his lasting testimony. He may be hailed as a hero in other corners of the globe, but within the UK the approval of the ex-Prime Minister must be as toxic and as welcome as a kiss from a visiting vampire.

Meanwhile, the Labour Leadership is turning into a Cain and Abel melodrama, with the brothers so desperate for power that, when it comes to each other, love really has walked out that door. How will they be able to work together in the future? And what of Ed Balls, the man from Planet Brown? He is staking his claim to the position of Shadow Chancellor, although if I was the winning Miliband I would reject the man who has the makings of being as bitter and brooding as his one-time boss.

Next year, the country will really start to feel the pain inflicted by George Osborne and by the time of the next election it is possible that voters will be crying out to be rescued from the severity of the Coalition's actions. A charismatic Labour Leader could very well be seen as the saviour. I just suspect that whoever he or she is has yet to emerge into the limelight.

Any suggestions?

X Factor: Tuning up to be another great success for Simon Cowell...

The new series of X Factor is already tuning up to be another great success for Simon Cowell, the man who, if he was a Mars Bar would undoubtedly eat himself. Just two programmes in, we have had the single mum with mental issues and no talent and another, who in a previous series had a breakdown on rejection, but who has returned victorious and through to the next round. Annastasia Baker is definitely one to watch.

Cheryl Cole has now beaten her battle with malaria and one can but wonder how much of her recovery was due to first-class medical care, or seeing those guest presenters doing everything possible to replace Dannii Minogue, or God forbid, Ms Cole herself. Like Louis Walsh, I quite liked guest Katy Perry, who wasn't fazed by Mr Cowell's omnipresence.

This is the first series I have seen from the beginning and it is like a drug, although it just confirms that the show is more about the relationship between the judges than the talent. Meanwhile, the media continues to support the series with all kinds of stories, including the trashing of Simon's rented villa in Spain by some contestants. I laughed aloud at the quote from Cowell suggesting that those involved would pay for the damage out of future royalties. He and us, know that it is unlikely the majority will ever have the pleasure of seeing a royalty statement. Bless.

Kate Moss: Surprised and sore.....dumped by Topshop

Kate Moss

Kate Moss must be feeling real surprised and sore that her fashion line is no longer required by Topshop. It seems her eventual replacement is 19 year old Chloe Green, who just happens to be the daughter of store boss Sir Philip Green. As she goes through life, will Chloe ever wonder if she got the position based on ability or because of her connection? I doubt it.

Meanwhile the knight, who lives in Monaco with his wife, who is the named owner of the holding company for Green's businesses, which saves millions in UK taxes, is the man appointed by David Cameron to seek out efficiencies in government. I am sure, if asked, he will also pass on his knowledge as a tax expert, although you too would need to be in the rich category.

After all, taxes are for the lower classes.

The Coalition: Flexing masculine muscles....

Everyone knows that the Coalition government has no choice but to make tough decisions in its effort to cut the deficit left by Labour, but there is that suspicion and concern that in flexing their masculine muscles, George Osborne and company, will cut too deep and too quick, with the poor being hit the most.

Whatever Labour says right now about the economy is irrelevant, such is the loss of the party's credibility. It will take time for the new Leader to establish himself, (of course it's going to be a man!), as an effective opposition force, especially when it comes to economic matters, although throwing money at the banks does appear to have been the right decision at the time.

What is worrying is that bodies like the Institute for Fiscal Studies are questioning the government's assertion that the proposed cuts are fair and shared by all, when the evidence seems to suggest that it will be those at the bottom end of the pile who will experience most of the pain.

When the cuts really do start to bite, Nick Clegg is going to have a hell of a job keeping his party together. The rumblings suggest an atmosphere, one suspects, just like that in the Senate before the knives came out for Julius Caesar. How will Nick's team respond when the Lib Dems are trounced in the local elections and the electoral reforms are rejected by the voters? Will those troublesome senior party members, like Charles Kennedy and Simon Hughes, keep their gobs shut then? I don't think so.

Tough choices have to be made, but perhaps George Osborne needs to spell out why his spending cut programme can't be over a longer time frame and that he is not rushing it just to flex those muscles, until just before the next election when lo, with or without the Lib Dems, he finds the resources to dangle tax cuts and other goodies at those nice Tory supporters.

Meanwhile, the poor can eat cake.

Cat Woman: Lola the cat gets her revenge on Mary Bale

Lola, the cat, has certainly got her revenge on Mary Bale, the forty-five year old woman, who dumped her in a wheelie bin "as a joke". The four-year old tabby cat was picked up by this sick woman and left in the bin for 15 hours until her cries were heard by her owners, who then produced CCTV coverage of Mrs. Bale's dirty deed.

The lady in question is employed as a customer services assistant for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Coventry and one wonders if her lack of concern for the poor cat also extends to her dealings with the bank's customers? She should be ashamed of herself and I hope she gets fired.

Nick Clegg: Fat boy "holding the fort"....

Nick Clegg will be "holding the fort" for two whole weeks whilst his partner David Cameron enjoys a holiday in Cornwall. Mr Clegg set the General Election campaign on fire with appearances in the TV debates that were self-assured and charismatic. Back then there was even talk that the Liberal Democrats could actually win a majority and run the country without the need of support from either the Conservatives or Labour. We can all shake our heads in disbelief now, but go back and read the papers of the time!

Personally, I think, Mr Clegg allowed the publicity to go to his head. When he should have shown humility, no matter how fake, he came across as arrogant and condescending and I still say that his lack of respect and attempts to humiliate Gordon Brown, lost him vital votes.

Even now, the Liberal Democrats are getting none of the kudos for the decisive decisions the government is preparing to make to cut the massive deficit. Nick Clegg's own standing within the country has plummeted. What is frightening for his party is that the public has yet to feel the pain of the Coalition's planned actions and therefore a real backlash has yet to come.

Appearances are everything and the Conservatives appear not to have sacrificed too much to form the government, whilst the junior party looks to have surrendered a lot more in its eagerness to taste power. Many Lib Dems' supporters would never have contemplated voting Conservative and feel betrayed that their votes effectively put the Tories in government.

Mr Clegg's decision to ditch principles exposed his thirst for power at any price, no matter what he might say about "the national interest". The current polls are not good news for the Deputy Prime Minister and the danger is that members of the general public, who voted for the LibDems, may not be ready to forgive and vote Labour at the next general election, but might consider the opportunity to directly elect a Cameron government instead of doing so by proxy. That could wipe out the Liberal Democrats.

Nick Clegg has the difficult task of selling the Coalition, without erasing the independence of the Liberal Democrats as a viable party and, of course, himself, as its leader. Apparently he plans to use the Prime Minister's absence to raise his own profile and set out the Liberal Democrats own agenda for the future. Of course, he has to do this without even a hint of disagreement with his power buddy, Mr. Cameron.

Mr Clegg probably easily gained and (already) lost those extra pounds, a reflection of his standing with some of his party and most of the public.