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.
Celebrity gossip site TMZ was first with the news of Michael Jackson's death last week, securing one of the biggest scoops of the year, perhaps even the decade. This article in today's G2 takes a closer look at the website, which is run by Henry Levin, including its practice of paying people for stories - something that the mainstream media in the US has balked at.
