We are to believe, of course, that there is no smoke without fire. So, with that in mind, it is entirely possible that Grant Shapps has dredged up some disgruntled lunatic who will testify that the Lib Dems run secret poster lotteries.
Of course, for it to be actually true, you’d have to be able to find some actual evidence. An entry form, for example, or some promotional literature. The alternative theory is that the entire thing was run by word of mouth and that people were putting up posters purely because someone who they had never met before assured them sufficiently that they were “on the list”. All sounds quite fanciful doesn’t it?
Of course, the Tories are well versed in the use of the groundless smear. People will recall that in 2005, they put out a leaflet in the Cheadle by-election which strongly implied that the Lib Dem candidate (and now MP) was a rapist. You would have thought that after that little trick backfired (even Conservative Home condemned it), they’d be a little cautious about playing similar games in future. Clearly not.