One of the members of the last Socialist government jailed for fraud is called Colorado. As this can mean ‘blushing’ in Spanish, this seems only too appropriate.

Talking of meanings….. The wedding ceremony response ‘I do’ translates into Spanish as ‘Si, quiero’. This also means ‘I love’ and ‘I want’. And possibly a few other things as well. This must make Spanish one of the easiest languages in the world for a man to lie in when he is being asked to give an assurance that he loves the women he is trying to get into bed. ‘Do you love me? ‘Yes, of course I want you’. Theoretically speaking, of course.

Mr Fraga has now advised that Madrid’s preferred candidate as his successor will stay in his job but warned that he can’t guarantee this situation for the long term. Like beyond next week, I suppose. Meanwhile, one of the barons of the Clan of the Beret has been made Campaign Organiser for the 2005 elections. I think we can begin to detect a pattern forming here. So much for dignity. Unless this means ‘expediency’ in Spanish.

99.5% of applications for firearms in Pontevedra were approved last year. These included 411 people who said they wanted them for personal defence, compared with 5,400 who cited hunting purposes. These figures would be inconceivable in today’s UK, especially the former, as no one is allowed to go in for self defence with a pencil, never mind a rifle. Yet, strangely, gun crime is unknown in Pontevedra, whereas it’s rising rapidly in the UK.