The End of the Case Panorama, following its custom of
taking up Spectator debates, had this week a splendidly in- articulate item on public opinion polls. Do you realise, reflected Dimbleby, as if he just thought of it, that with Parliament up for the long recess and no more by-elections . . . (see last week's Quoodle). And so into a piece of stonewalling by the chieftains of the polls that would have done credit to Scotton. Still, now at last we seem agreed. Let me spell it out. Item, it is agreed that random sampling is the best method. Item, all the Daily Mail polls are done by random sampling. Item, the ordinary weekly Daily Telegraph Gallup Poll is done by the inferior method of quota sampling, although the same organisation also once a month take a poll by random sampling. Therefore, say I, the NOP is the best guide to what is happening in the country. The prosecution rests.
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