He’s made it! Despite the fears of many of his supporters that dodgy dealings might be employed to once again snatch away the Democrats’ victory, Barack Obama has become president-elect of the United States – and by a decisive majority.

Let’s hope that between now and Obama’s takeover of the reins of office in January, George W Bush doesn’t manage to thrust his country into another war to add to his already lethal legacy. An invasion of Iran on the eve of the handover can’t be entirely ruled out, given his track record.

Let’s hope, too, that Obama manages to avoid the fate that lay in wait in the 1960s for those other inspirational figures Jack and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Historically, America has no shortage of bigots and nutters who are eager to take a potshot at the good guys.

It has become irritating, over the past few days, to hear Barack Obama repeatedly referred to as America’s “first black president”. For a start, he isn’t “black”. He’s half-white too. But basically he’s a highly intelligent human being whose oratorical skills have inspired many Americans to once again hope that tomorrow might be rather better than today.

So why the need to pigeon-hole him by skin colour? Basically, I suppose, it has a lot to do with America’s past. The fact that the voters have elected a man of mixed race to lead them says more about them than it does about him. It shows that a nation which was built on the backs of slaves, which less than 50 years ago insisted on segregating its white and black populations and having the latter travel at the back of the bus, has at last started to truly shift away from such ignorance and wickedness.

So when they proudly proclaim the Obama is their “first black president” they’re giving themselves a pat on the back for growing up.

It’s a rather different matter, though, to refer to Lewis Hamilton as the “first black Formula 1 world champion”, as has also happened this week. Again, he isn’t “black”. He’s just as much white.

To make an issue of his colour in this way is deeply patronising. What does it imply? That it’s somehow surprising that someone who isn’t pure-bred Caucasian should be able to drive a racing car more speedily and skilfully than opponents who are?

Isn’t it time we stopped assessing people by the shade of their skin and instead judged them solely by what’s underneath it?

Don't bank on anything

Banks increasing their interest rates to hard-pressed borrowers while the Bank of England is reducing the base rate. Banks continuing to pledge big bonuses to executives despite having gone cap-in-hand to the Government for funds.

These greedy institutions, whose feckless policies helped to bring about the financial crisis we’re all suffering from to various degrees, are making fools of Brown and Co and of the taxpayers. It’s time they were brought firmly to heel.