The dwindling readership of the Telegraph may have noticed a change in the mood of the paper following the sudden departure of Tony Gallagher as editor. A thorn in the side of the Tories for much of the last four years, the paper has seriously softened its stance toward Cameron’s government of late. It’s not even subtle:

A source familiar with the situation stresses to Guido “the deal has been done” ahead of the election, with the paper fully signed up to support the Tories to the hilt – especially in regard to the “purple menace”. The terms of the deal – and the benefit to Sark’s famously reclusive billionaire brothers – remain a mystery.

UPDATE 31/10/14: In the PM’s just published declarations is this meeting: