TV debates and polls can reveal a lot – but don't rely on them for accurate election result predictions
Votes are won not only by the ‘air war’ of ads, interviews and broadcasts, but also by the ‘ground war’ of activists knocking on doors and having conversations with individuals
In the fog of a general election, it is tempting for political reporters to grasp hold of TV debates and polls as a guide to how the campaign is going.
All Westminster was agog on Wednesday for the results of the massive MRP poll which pointed to a comfortable 68-seat majority for Boris Johnson.
And lobby hacks in their dozens flocked to Salford and Sheffield to be in the spin room for showdowns on ITV and the BBC last week.
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