Not Bill.

Contrary to Mr Smith's earlier assertions it would appear that former US President Bill Clinton's recent non-appearance in Aberdeen wasn't actually down to him.

"FORMER Olympic runner Brian Whittle is facing financial ruin after Bill Clinton pulled out of a showpiece speaking event in Scotland. Whittle, 44, who made his name in 400m racing, is a co-director of Glasgow's PB Events with former Scotland rugby star Derek Stark. The pair pulled off a huge coup by booking the ex-US president for Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre this Sunday. But they failed to raise the cash demanded by Clinton's European agents."

Apologies Mr President, but never mind. You are still a "six figure sum" plus better off ... and you didn't have to travel to Aberdeen. Result.

On The Bill.

So, "Organisers of the prestigious Bill Clinton lecture in Aberdeen, which was axed at the weekend, will be holding urgent talks to work out how to pay back thousands of pounds to people who bought tickets. The shock news that the former US president would not be appearing at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre emerged in an announcement from organisers PB Events that Mr Clinton was pulling out due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Mr Smith must admit to having been surprised when Old Bill was said to be coming to Aberdeen. "Unforeseen circumstances"? Mr Smith doesn't think so. The bottom line is that he probably wasn't going to make enough cash and that was it. But pity all those poor Aberdonians who might not get their cash back.

Topping The Bill.

So, "Details of a lecture by former US President Bill Clinton in Aberdeen in June have been revealed after weeks of local speculation. Mr Clinton is thought likely to speak on issues including the road to the White House, the war in Iraq, the credit crunch and the energy industry. Tickets for the event at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) are expected to cost about £95 each."

From now on Mr Smith will always view £95 as representing a "Lewinski."

Making political history.

It's not every day that a lowly councillor makes political history, but that's what happened last Thursday when the SNP's John Corall was elected to the Midstocket/Rosemount council ward on Aberdeen City Council, becoming the first councillor ever to be elected in Scotland using the new Single Transferable Vote in a multi-member ward at a by-election.

Congratulations to Councillor Corall and commiserations to the Scottish Conservatives who also became the first Scottish political party to lose a council seat under the new voting system, with a gain for the SNP, albeit at a very late stage in the iterative voting system.

Mr Smith suspects the result will have ramifications for all political parties, because it probably means that unless a candidate manages to get themselves elected with a majority of the vote at stage 1 of the ballot process, It makes it virtually impossible to predict what then happen when the second, third and fourth stage voting preferences of the rest of the voters come into play, and there are no prizes for coming second in a by-election.