Party activists go right to the wire

This was always going to be a strange election because of Brexit and because it was unexpected.

Add to that the suspension in campaigning because of the terror attacks, and in Wales after the death of Rhodri Morgan, and it has had a stuttering feel.

It happened for entirely legitimate reasons but nevertheless it must have been frustrating for the parties looking to generate momentum.

It has also been a frustrating experience for voters. On the big issue of Brexit, the public is none the wiser about how tariff-free trade can be achieved while leaving the single market or how controlled immigration can be achieved when it has failed in the past. These are all central questions.

Then there is the mixing up of devolved and non-devolved issues to bamboozle the public. After this campaign I wonder if the parties will at least be honest with us and say that in their minds, separation no longer exists in general elections in Wales.

Terror attacks led to election campaigning being suspended twice

To be fair to the parties, not something you'll hear me say too often, they have had to lash manifestos and campaigns together at the last minute. One party organiser at an event last week tapped me on the shoulder and whispered "are the others as disorganised as us?" Despite their differences, they will all feel Herculean shifts have been put in.

It is difficult to get a handle on the impact of security and terrorism on voters. Both leaders have baggage: Theresa May by virtue of being Home Secretary for six years, and the constant questions on Trident and the IRA facing Jeremy Corbyn. In the fullness of time it may emerge both cancelled each other out, or it may prove the decisive factor for one of them.

Of course, for many people the decision will already have been made, courtesy of a postal vote, but party activists will go right to the wire. With an already short campaign cut shorter by events, they will be looking maximise every remaining minute before the close of polls.