Early yesterday morning, everyone’s favourite urbane tech-fiend urged his followers to sign up to a petition headed by TalkTalk head honcho Andrew Heaney. Within 24 hours, the number of supporters had swollen to 8,000.

According to the good burghers at TalkTalk, this is more than the number of fair-minded folk who signed up for the Gurkhas to be granted residency in the UK.

From TalkTalk’s perspective it’s a positive sign that Fry is onboard. For sure, from a PR point of view, it’s nothing short of a coup. And in an ideal world, the fact that our Steven and the figurehead for the proposed three-strikes-and-out legislation, one Peter Mandelson, have some sort of cordial relationship would augur well for stymeing the bill, too.

But, while we wish TalkTalk every success and would dearly like to think that the Mandy might yet be for turning, we can’t see it happening. Alas, given Petey’s blinkered attitude to entreaties sent his way thus far, it’s more likely that until the mooted rules have been exposed as unworkable that we’ll see any change of heart.