So the UK has a contest and selects an entrant, the details of which are all over the net within a few seconds of choosing it, somehow this information is withheld from the audience of the contests, IT WOULDN'T WORK.
Just like to pick up this idea of not saying which country the songs are from... I think the internet problem is a red herring, as it's only Eurovision anoraks like us who take the trouble to listen to the songs beforehand. I've been to a lot of Eurovision parties and no-one's ever known what the songs were before the contest except me. Perhaps it's different in Eastern Europe, but I can't imagine that broadband is more widespread out there than here...
On the other hand, countries might be aware of their own song and those of their immediate neighbours, so it could make the neighbourly voting even worse. Unless we get countries to close their borders for the month before the ESC? Workable and effective, I think we can all agree
Just a correction: It was Malta. Probably due to all the Brits that live there!
Using that logic, I guess if Poland ever get in again, we'll be giving them 12 points. It may just be that Maltese people like Scooch. Weird....
Immigration does play a role - the reason why Germany always scores Turkey so well is because of the significant influx of Turkish workers to the country in the years after the second world war.
I think that part of the 'political voting' problem is in allowing countries who aren't participating in the final to vote. But then I suppose that the problem would be transferred to the semi-finals.
Perhaps the solution lies in dividing Europe into regions? Each region holds a contest to nominate two or three countries to put through to the final, and then when it comes to the voting, you can't vote for your own region. Or something.