A Spectator's Notebook BY THE TIME you read this, either
the Government will have suffered one of the most striking defeats in by-election history or the public- opinion pollsters will be hunting for their passports, while disillusioned Liberals howl outside their office windows. I sug- gested last week that most of the then uncom- mitted (22 per cent., according to the News Chronicle) would swing to the Liberal side as the Torrington campaign wore on. My confidence Was momentarily shaken by a Devon friend Pointing out that the answer 'Don't know' to the question 'How are you going to vote?' in those Parts does no•t mean `I haven't decided' but 'Mind Your own damn business.' But, as it happened, later polls confirmed my impression; support for the Liberals rose from 32 per cent. (Mail, March 19) to 39 per cent. (Mail, March 24)—a trend Which the News Chronicle and the Express also reflected. No doubt other things were involved; but I feel that the results of the early public- °Pinion polls, showing the surprising extent of Liberal support, brought many uncommitted or disgruntled voters to the Liberal side.
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