We love it when the front page splash in the newspaper is also our biggest traffic-generating story online. It happens surprisingly rarely. The lead story usually gets hits a-plenty, but the chart topper is just as often a news story form page 754 about a tap-dancing poodle. That's the joy of internet traffic and the effect of random google searches.
So high was demand for Anthony and Martin's news story about Admiral Sir Michale Boyce's concerns over the legality of the Iraq war that we put the transcript of the original interview on the site too. We're good like that.
We have already received a few letters and emails asking why we led the paper with a news story that might fuel the case against the prime minister for taking us to war in Iraq, and then published a long leader in robust support of Labour in the election. The simple answer is that we run news stories when they are strong and important, and that priorities on the news list are decided independent of the opinions that appear on the comment pages.
We also got a few letters that were just plain angry about the Observer's decision to back Labour, and some letters in support of our view. The balance in our mail bag was quite even. The debate has also been running on the blog here and there.
The final leader line was agreed after a vigorous debate that started with a meeting in the Editor's office at the end of last week and continued pretty much until we went to press on Saturday night. It was not an easy process and, as might be expected, the newspaper's support for war in Iraq continues to be controversial inside and outside Observer towers. But that is one issue, and this is a general election to select a government. It is not a referendum on the war. In the end, we reached a clear majority decision to endorse Labour and to do so with vigour. We recognised also the desirability of a strengthened Liberal Democrat presence in the new parliament. In other words: vote Lib Dem where you have a Lib Dem MP or in Lib-Dem/Tory marginals. Otherwise, vote Labour. And definitely don't stay at home.
