As diligent students of British politics understand, most votes under our first past the post system make no real difference to the result of a general election. The ones that count are those cast by swing voters in marginal constituencies. The Conservatives have been confident in their assertions that, despite a narrowing gap in nationwide opinion surveys, their lead among these defining voters in the marginals is big enough to make the crucial difference. A carefully targeted poll in this morning's Times suggests their confidence may be misplaced.
Remember Trafigura? Recollect the Max Mosely case? Well this morning we learn that a Premier League footballer has won a new super injunction that prevents journalists writing about his affair with a team-mate’s girlfriend. The gagging order was granted by a High Court judge, Mr Justice Tugendhat, under human rights laws. I am not supposed to tell you that it exists. You can read a lot more about it in the Daily Mail. The married player successfully claimed that exposing his infidelity would be a breach of his right to a ‘private and family life’. Paul Dacre has chosen to ignore aspects of this restriction on free speech. You can find the player's name all over the internet.
