Sport and Politics

The odd looking little man beside the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is the fabulously wealthy Bernie Ecclestone (83) - the boss of Formula 1 which organises all these boring car races in countries across the world.

Now Bernie has been int he news for two reasons recently - first of all he was in court over an £85 million damages claim from a German media group, Constantin Medien, which was rejected but the trial judge concluded that Mr Ecclestone had made a "corrupt" deal, that he had taken a bribe over the sale of Formula 1 shares and that in giving evidence he had not been "reliable or truthful".

Just the sort of qualities to enable someone like Bernie to have President Putin's ear, you might say.

Anyway, the second reason Bernie is in the news has to do with Russia's new anti-gay laws and in an exclusive interview with America's CNN TV channel, Ecclestone has said that he completely agrees with President Putin's policies.

What a surprise? I wonder if this latest venture into politics is connected with the fact that Sochi in Russia, site of the recent Winter Olympic Games, has also been chosen to host Russia's debut into the Formula 1.  

Little Bernie has leapt to his new pal's defence by asaying: 

"He hasn't said he doesn't agree (with homosexuality) just that he doesn't want these things publicized to an audience under the age of 18." 

"I completely agree with those sentiments and if you took a world census you'd find 90% of the world agree with it as well." 

What a plonker the man is - not least because both the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments have recently passed new laws introducing a right to gay marriage and neither parliament would be associated with the ugly gay bashing agenda which is now underway in Russia.

Readers may also remember that Bernie Ecclestone was also involved in the first big scandal to hit the 1997 Labour government led by Tony Blair - in which Formula 1 donated £1 million to the Labour Party. 

Shortly thereafter the Labour government announced that Formula 1 would be exempt from a ban on tobacco advertising even though a ban was a specific commitment in Labour's 1997 election manifesto.

So it seems that sport and politics go hand in hand after all. 

The only thing that occurs to me is that with all that money you'd think Bernie would get himself a decent haircut, but who knows maybe he likes the used mop-head look.