This weekend sees the grand final of Eurovision 2012. How will Engelbert Humperdinck do? Will it be nul points again for the UK? What might happen if Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland went it alone?

Could Manic Street Preachers represent Wales at Eurovision?

Since about the year 2000 the UK's position as regular Eurovision high achievers has been eroded, some say fatally. Never again, they say, will the UK win, battling as the country does against politically-motivated 'bloc voting', an expanded competition, anti-British sentiment and terrible performances.

The UK last won in 1997 with Katrina And The Waves' Love Shine A Light. All through the 1990s the UK came in the top 10, until 12th place in 1999. From then on, we dipped: 16th in 2000 and 2001; 26th in 2003; 16th in 2004; 22nd in 2005 and 2007; 19th in 2006; 25th in 2008 and 2010.

Jessica Garlick was one of the few highlights for the UK since 2000

Welsh woman Jessica Garlick got third place in 2002, with other high points being fifth in 2009 and a mere 11th in 2011.

So, the UK's average position has dropped a long way from the golden days of Bucks Fizz or Brotherhood Of Man.

We were wondering, therefore... might it be better if Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland embraced the spirit of independence that - politically - our assemblies and parliaments have fostered?

Might it be that the British 'Celtic' nations could bat above their average in this most politicised of 'talent' shows?

There's a man who might know, and he's Dr Patrick Finney of the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University. "What an interesting question," he says. "It's not a subject that's been rigorously addressed by political science, but in the spirit of fun I can offer some thoughts."

Let's start simply: Do you think Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland might benefit from entering Eurovision separately from England?

"They might well do, and this would certainly be in the spirit of the current moves towards the establishment of more autonomous political identities in these parts of the UK. This assumes, however, that doing well in Eurovision is a prize worth winning - given the ruinous cost of staging the contest the next year, this might be a moot point."

What do you think of something I've heard people say on occasion, that the UK as a political entity has something of a toxic identity for mainland Europe? In 2003 even Terry Wogan suggested there was a backlash because of the Gulf War.

"This is a complex problem. What factors explain the UK's recent lamentable performance in Eurovision? It could simply be the proliferation of nations competing in the event, which makes it harder for any single nation to do well consistently.

"Equally, regional voting 'blocs' have emerged in the Balkans and Caucasus, in which near neighbours tend consistently to vote for each other - out of loyalty to each other rather than hostility to the UK, of course. But it may well also be that the UK is not well-positioned to win many friends on the continent, given entrenched perceptions that it is slavishly loyal to the US and snootily indifferent or haughtily superior to its fellow Europeans in the EU and beyond."

That tallies with a conversation I had a few days ago, in which a friend was explaining how much more friendly French people were when they discovered he was Welsh, rather than English. So might a 'Celtic' identity be more appealing for mainland European countries to vote for?

"Anecdotal evidence suggest this might be so - I have in the past pretended to be Irish when abroad to good effect! And the Republic of Ireland, I think, has a track record of more recent success than the UK in the contest."

You mentioned voting blocs. If voting blocs exist in the Caucasus countries, or the Balkans, might we expect a similar voting bloc from the Celtic countries?

"Definitely possible! I doubt they would give many votes to England, however."

Do Stereophonics capture the Celtic mood with their song As Long As We Beat The English?

Indeed; we see that in sport - "As long as we beat the English," as Stereophonics once sang. But do you think that Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish entrants should perform in the indigenous languages of their countries?

"This might make sense if the main purpose was the expression of national identity; if the purpose is to win, then English would probably be the better option, especially as it is increasingly the lingua franca of entrants."

Some interesting thoughts from an academic there. As a political experiment it would be fascinating. Culture is inseparable from politics, and it's more complex than one might first suppose: the Balkans are mutually-supportive despite having engaged in the most brutal conflict since World War Two.

At the core of the issue is the fact that most European countries, especially in the expanded format we've had in recent years which embraces former Soviet states, take the competition seriously. It's a matter of national pride. If the Celtic nations entered independently, would they also have this seriousness of purpose? If the UK sees fit to enter kitsch nostalgia, might Wales enter Manic Street Preachers draped in Welsh flags? Might Northern Ireland put forward Snow Patrol to sing an elegiac epic? Might Scotland decide that Paolo Nutini would show their country in a good light?

After all, exposure to hundreds of millions of European TV viewers would be something our tourist boards would love, and wouldn't even have to pay for.

Who would you put forward for Eurovision? Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other BBC blog, you will need to sign in to your BBC iD account. If you don't have a BBC iD account, you can register here - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of BBC sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? Read about BBC iD, or get some help with registering.

In 2004 James Fox became the last Welsh person to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. He came 16th, so not an unmitigated disaster, but neither was it a stellar success. I talked to him about his time on the competition.

James Fox

Looking back to 2004, what were your thoughts about Eurovision as a whole? Do you think it has a place for acts really trying to make a career?

"I remember being quite reticent about taking part in the selection show at the time, but not only was there the chance of representing your country on a massive scale in front of a European audience of hundreds of millions but there was also the offer of a Sony recording contract for the winner of the selection show, so that definitely tipped the balance for me.

"Eurovision was something I had watched growing up and always had this strange feeling that I would be involved in it someday. The competition is a strange concept anyway: I mean, how do you judge which song is 'better' than another? It comes down to taste, obviously, countries voting for each other and who provides the most shocking or original idea for the three minute 'mini musical theatre stage show' that it has now become.

"I think with the amount of exposure you get from the contest, that unless you have a total nightmare on the night like Gemini did the year before I did the contest, then I think it has a place for acts trying to make it, even if it does put them in a certain category within the music industry after they have competed."

What would say was the effect of your appearance on your career?

"After competing in 2004 I can honestly say that the most successful and profitable times of my career so far were in the years that followed immediately after Eurovision. It opened lots of doors and allowed me to go and star on Broadway and release my own records.

Did you know the most successful Eurovision single ever was, in part, Welsh? Or that the highest-placed Eurovision song since 1998 was wholly Welsh? No? Then read on as we plot the course of Welsh involvement in the biggest gathering of international singing talent on the planet! (And Jemini.)

Things kicked off in 1970 with Mary Hopkin's Knock Knock Who's There? She finished second, to Ireland's Dana with All Kinds Of Everything.

Pontardawe's Hopkin told the Western Mail in 2009: "I was so embarrassed about it. Standing on a stage singing a song you hate is awful. Unless you're expressing what's inside there's just no point."

Others haven't been so down about their moment in the sun. Carmarthen's Nicky Stevens of 1976's chart behemoths Brotherhood Of Man told us: "I remember sitting at home in Carmarthen watching the New Seekers on the contest and thinking wouldn't it be marvellous to win something like that. Little did I realise what was to come. I never dreamed in a million years that one day I would be a winner."

The song, Save Your Kisses For Me, went on to win, becoming the biggest-selling Eurovision song of all time, topping the charts in 33 countries.

Watch Brotherhood Of Man perform Save Your Kisses For Me:

The UK has suffered a drop in average scores since the 1990s, some think because of political protest at the country's involvement in international conflict, some think because the songs we've put forward haven't been any good. Luckily, there was a ray of light in 2002 with Swansea's Jessica Garlick.

Here she is, talking about performing at Eurovision and the inspiration she had from previous entrants:

Watch Jessica performing Come Back at Eurovision 2002, in which she finished third:

Two years later, James Fox of Bargoed attempted to do something that no male soloist had ever done for the UK: win Eurovision. Despite the Fame Academy graduate winning the selection show by a country mile, he came 16th in Eurovision, He did, however, improve on the previous year's 'nul points' from Jemini.

Sometimes Welsh artists don't even compete for the UK. Newport's Jon Lilygreen stepped up for Cyprus in 2010 in mysterious circumstances:

Watch Jon Lilygreen And The Islanders performing for Cyprus in the 2010 Eurovision finals, with Life Looks Better In Spring:

This year we could have had another Welsh entrant as Tom Morgan went for the competition to represent Finland. Unfortunately, as he told us: "I didn't make it any further than the final 40! I got myself 826 "likes" but that wasn't enough to get me far up the chart. I think I ended up in 37th place, although I'm not 100% sure about that. At least I know I didn't come last!

"I'll admit that my song wasn't particularly great (I wrote and recorded it in a massive hurry), but I still think it was one of the better songs of the 40... maybe the Finns just didn't appreciate having a foreigner 'in the running' to represent them in Baku."

So this year we'll have no domestic talent to cheer for, but never fear. We can always pretend that Jemini were Welsh and watch this on repeat:

What have been your favourite Eurovision entries? Feel free to comment! If you want to have your say, on this or any other BBC blog, you will need to sign in to your BBC iD account. If you don't have a BBC iD account, you can register here - it'll allow you to contribute to a range of BBC sites and services using a single login.

Need some assistance? Read about BBC iD, or get some help with registering.