Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail
11:02 am - May 31st 2011
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Lord Ashcroft did some polling on public attitudes on various subjects as part of his “Project Blueprint” research for the Tories. Some of the results deserve a wider audience, as every single one of the following is the exact opposite of what many opinion formers in the Westminster Bubble claim that “the people” think:
When asked whether they regarded various things as “positive or negative aspects of Britain today”, the Daily Mail came out bottom, viewed less positively than “membership of the European Union”, “the TUC”, “ethnic and religious diversity”, “civil partnerships for gay couples” and “the BBC”. The NHS was viewed most positively, then the BBC, then the Royal Family.
43% felt that Labour had the best approach to welfare, compared to only 30% who backed the Tories.
Fewer people supported the general aims of the Taxpayer’s Alliance than supported Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Fathers for Justice, the Electoral Reform Society, Liberty or the Stop the War coalition. More than half of people didn’t even know what the aims of the Taxpayer’s Alliance were.
Ed Miliband is viewed more positively than Tony Blair.
82% think that “Britain is becoming too much like America”.
54% think that “the gap between rich and poor should not be allowed to get too wide, even if that means holding back the richest”.
64% think that “people are entitled to expect more from government”.
17% think that they will inherit enough to pay Inheritance Tax, 33% think that they will have to pay for the long term care of an elderly relative.
People think that the top priorities for the Tories are “the rich”, “traditional married families” and “big business”. They think that the Tories’ lowest priorities are “ordinary working people” and “the working poor”.
People think that the top priorities for Labour are “ordinary working people”, “people on state benefits” and “trade unionists”. They think that Labour’s lowest priorities are “the rich”, “big business” and “traditional families”.
You can read the full results here.
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Don Paskini is deputy-editor of LC. He also blogs at donpaskini. He is on twitter as @donpaskini
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Reader comments
Miliband being more popular than Blair is hardly significant. It’d be more worthwhile comparing him with Blair’s polling pre-1997. Miliband hasn’t actually done anything yet.
You neglect to mention that this was an online poll, so its not based on random sampling, and doesnt seem to have had any demographic weighting adjustments that i can see, so its essentially just the opinion of people who enjoy filling out online polls. That being said, i dont think theres too much of a suprise in the results.
And re the headline: The Mail still manages to sell more copies than every left-of-centre paper combined!
Just because its online doesn’t mean it isn’t scientific. The poll is weighted, like all of YouGov’s output is (who also do polling online).
Well Dirk, we can’t help the fact that lots of people are cunts now can we.
” The NHS was viewed most positively, then the BBC, then the Royal Family.”
Yay, yay, boo.
@ 3 Dirk
“The Mail still manages to sell more copies than every left-of-centre paper combined!”
Couple of things here. Firstly, part of the reason that the Mail sells so well is due to benefits that have little or nothing to do with its politics: all those free DVDs, for example, and the popular lifestyle sections.
Secondly, judging how people see a paper purely based on its sales has the pretty major problem that you’re effectively only recording positive feedback. The Mail seems to be in a position where a sizeable minority love it but nearly everyone else hates it – along with the Express, it’s a byword for a certain type of reactionary thinking. While leftwing papers, and other rightwing papers like the Telegraph, have plenty of detractors, I don’t think they’re hated in the same way as the Mail.
4. Didnt realise it was Yougov, but still no replacement for telephone polling, for example: http://www6.politicalbetting.com/index.php/the-pb-2010-polling-league-table/
6. Agree totally, was just getting the fact out there before the leftie jerk-circle started.
Fewer people supported the general aims of the Taxpayer’s Alliance than supported Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Fathers for Justice, the Electoral Reform Society, Liberty or the Stop the War coalition. More than half of people didn’t even know what the aims of the Taxpayer’s Alliance were.
Erm. So lets actually look and see what those who knew what they were talking about said for a couple of these examples:
Right, so of those who knew what the aims of the Taxpayers’ Alliance were 81.6% (((11+29)/(100-51))*100) were supportive or very supportive.
Of those who knew what the aims of Greenpeace were 81.2% (((19+50)/(100-15))*100) were supportive or very supportive.
Of those who knew what the aims of the Stop the War Coalition were 69.1% (((16+31)/(100-32))*100) were supportive or very supportive.
Conclusion – the Taxpayers’ Alliance is not very well known, but those who know of it generally are as supportive of its aims as those who know of Greenpeace, and far more so than those who know of the Stop the War Coalition. Now this might be because those who are likely to support the Taxpayers’ Alliance already know of it (although I have my doubts – they do not particularly advertise, seeking an insider role almost). But the raw figures show that those who know of the organisation accord it a similiar level of support to Greenpeace (which is worrying from at least one point of view – some posters may be doubley disturbed by this…).
@ 8 Watchman
” Now this might be because those who are likely to support the Taxpayers’ Alliance already know of it (although I have my doubts – they do not particularly advertise, seeking an insider role almost).”
They might not advertise directly, but they seem to be quoted in roughly half of all news stories that relate to taxation. They’re hardly quiet.
Also, knowing the TPA’s aims and knowing the TPA’s methods are two different things. Whether you agree with the former is up to you, but the latter tend to be somewhat dodgy. So people who FULLY understand the TPA might feel differently.
Finally, there’s a difference between an organisation’s stated aims, its casually perceived aims and its actual aims. The TPA’s website is admittedly quite honest about its goals. However, most people probably encounter the TPA being quoted in newspaper articles about specific uses of public money. So people may think of them as being an organisation that just opposes wasteful spending, whereas in fact it’s an organisation that seeks to minimise spending altogether.
Temporarily, I will have to associate myself with Dirk.
All online polls are shit. If you think that they work, ask yourself why it costs so much to interview a respondent on the street. A street interview is conducted face to face; the interviewer can drop it if the respondent has lost interest. If the interview requires more than ten minutes, the respondent will be rewarded with a shop voucher.
Online polls don’t work like street interviews. Online respondents are offered the chance of winning a prize; they get put into a raffle; for thirty minutes of their life, respondents answer questions for the opportunity to enter a raffle for an Xbox 360.
What is the value of half an hour of your time? Would you pay that much for a raffle ticket?
Online polls are shit and nasty, and the people who conduct them do not respect respondents. Consequently, poll results are shit and nasty.
The aggregate of an online poll is the aggregate of people who are willing to piss away thirty minutes of life.
@ 10 Charlieman
I can’t access the poll itself, but Sunny claims that it’s weighted. If so, that would remove the self-selection problem associated with more casual online (and real-world) polls.
@11. Chaise Guevara: “I can’t access the poll itself, but Sunny claims that it’s weighted. If so, that would remove the self-selection problem associated with more casual online (and real-world) polls.”
It is possible to remove some self-selection biases: age, race, creed, social class, home occupancy et al. Current online pollsters do not remove the one that stares them in the face: online pollsters only interview people who have nothing better in life than to fill in tiresome online surveys.
@ 12 Charlieman
How does that differ from other types of polling? If you poll people in the street, by phone, or door to door, you only end up polling people with the time and inclination to spend X minutes answering questions in the street, over the phone, or with a stranger who knocked on their door.
Obviously all polls should be taken with a pinch of salt, but I’m not sure what the specific problem is with online ones. Online polling has a history of providing garbage results, but that’s due to self-selection, which this poll hopefully corrected for. An online poll that allows self-selection is only slightly better than a phone-in or write-in poll that makes the same error. But if they correct for self-selection then all seem roughly equal to me.
(Entering into the debate at this point should not be interpreted that I have much faith in the survey results.)
“82% think that “Britain is becoming too much like America”.” That is an interesting number. The economy of the UK is quite different from other north European countries and is becoming more different from southern Europe. So perhaps the UK is more like the USA in economic terms.
But is the UK like the USA when it comes to health care, social services, social liberalism?
@13. Chaise Guevara: “How does that differ from other types of polling? If you poll people in the street, by phone, or door to door, you only end up polling people with the time and inclination to spend X minutes answering questions in the street, over the phone, or with a stranger who knocked on their door.”
In a face to face interview or a phone interview, the interviewer is conscious of the respondent’s behaviour. Part of the interviewers’s job is to ensure that the respondent is on board, a happy participant.
Online surveys do not work like that. You mentioned “X minutes answering questions in the street”; substitute X for ten, and that is how a street interview works. If it takes longer, the respondent is rewarded for the time.
Perhaps the most evident difference is whether the respondent is paid for the interview: online respondents get a raffle ticket; face to face respondents get something close to cash.
Or perhaps it is about time. Thirty minutes of your life for an online interview.
@ 15 Charlieman
If it comes down to time and compensation, then you’re talking about trends rather than anything inherent to different polling setups. There’s no reason in principle that you couldn’t give someone cash or, say, an Amazon voucher, for a ten-minute online survey.
And I think online surveys have advantages too: the interviewer can’t influence the responses (even subconsciously, such as by describing some things with more enthusiam than others), and people are probably more likely to lie about their beliefs to a person than a machine (say, for example, that you feel that non-whites should be kicked out of Britain, but don’t want to tell a stranger that).
@16. Chaise Guevara: “If it comes down to time and compensation, then you’re talking about trends rather than anything inherent to different polling setups. There’s no reason in principle that you couldn’t give someone cash or, say, an Amazon voucher, for a ten-minute online survey.”
Chaise, thanks. As I said earlier, it is about online interviewers treating people with respect.
@10
The online survey sites that I have experience of (including an Ipsos one) do actually offer real rewards beyond entry in a raffle. Vouchers (Tesco, Amazon etc) and cash that can be withdrawn to a Paypal account.
You know, YouGov and other online survey sites do pay cash for a lot of their surveys…
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Liam Hammock
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Susan
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- David M Gibson
http://bit.ly/lV0B6F Govt poll shows public wrong about everything except hatred of Blair and Daily Mail.TaxPayer's Alliance need better PR.
- Sam Liu
Gosh, some quite astonishing results from Lord Ashcroft's polling: http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Xara
Fabulous RT @libcon: Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Carl Baker
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Sarah Lake
Completely brilliant. One story The Fail probly won't run … Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://t.co/kNGhrdJ
- Harry Bentley
RT @libcon: Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F I LOVE statistics sometimes
Of this I approve! - Jennie Kermode
This really is very cheering! It paints a portrait of a country I recognise better than the one I'm usually told about http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Zoe O'Connell
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/7qJ4uzt via @libcon
- Henry Wrinch
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Ian McCulloch
RT @libcon: Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://t.co/EC0KWqH
- Daniel B
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Kate Joester
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Adrian Trett
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/7qJ4uzt via @libcon
- Declan Burns
People think that the top priorities for the Tories are “the rich”, “traditional married families” and “big business”. http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Alasdair Thompson
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- malcolm
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Ellie Mae O'Hagan
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Aaron Kiely
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Patrick Harvie
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Jennie Cole
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Chitra Ramaswamy
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- AdamRamsay
RT @libcon: Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://t.co/EC0KWqH <<some great poll stats. no big surprises, but nice.
- Gary
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/7qJ4uzt via @libcon
- Alice
RT @libcon via @rebelraising (thanks!): Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F <- LOOOOOOOOOOL
- Anna Robertson
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/BQ4L53Q via @libcon
- Pascal Terjan
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Steve A
HAHA! …the Daily Mail is the "most negative" aspect of Britain today http://bit.ly/lqKOVL
- Fraser Jamieson
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Heather Beaton
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Joanna McKenzie
This really is very cheering! It paints a portrait of a country I recognise better than the one I'm usually told about http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Kelvin Holdsworth
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Zandy
This really is very cheering! It paints a portrait of a country I recognise better than the one I'm usually told about http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Anna-Lujz Gilbert
RT @libcon: Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://t.co/EC0KWqH <<some great poll stats. no big surprises, but nice.
- bazzalisk
This really is very cheering! It paints a portrait of a country I recognise better than the one I'm usually told about http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Samuel Cleveland
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Emily Davis
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- O.W.J. Burnham
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Innes MacLeod
http://bit.ly/kAPBsw faith in humannity restored people think civil partnerships have a more positive influence than the daily mail
- Sean Duffy
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- LemonBella
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- The Daily Quail
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Eilidh
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Sean Stanley
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Chain Bear
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Wendy
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- irena giraffina
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Jacqui Broadhead
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Tom Chivers
Ha. RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- MarinaS
Shock horror: British public not as mean spirited and stupid as Tories hoped >> http://t.co/TLkH3YG
- Nick Harkaway
Ha. RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- James Ball
RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw <- ACE.
- Naomi Mc
Ha. RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Ellie Cumbo
Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F (good spot @donpaskini)
- Tom Gill
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Judith Flanders
Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F (good spot @donpaskini)
- barry leary
Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F (good spot @donpaskini)
- Rich
Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F (good spot @donpaskini)
- neilrfoster
Ashcroft's focus groups show that Ed Miliband is viewed more positively than Tony Blair http://tinyurl.com/3p4k9sl Interesting.
- wanda mcbee
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Simon Francis
Daily Mail is the worst thing about Britain, according to private Tory polls http://j.mp/kUf28Q (via @neilrfoster)
- Bethan Ackerley
http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/05/31/poll-civil-partnerships-more-popular-than-daily-mail/
- Dannichu Rundle
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- John Jameson
RT @sunny_hundal: Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F – interesting stuff!
- Michael Dodd
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- yorkierosie
Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F (good spot @donpaskini)
- Helen Parker
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Tony Braisby
Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/YU2bEoj via @libcon
- Andrew Cuthbert Jnr
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Stephanie Davies
Ha. RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Abi O
Ashcroft's polling finds almost everything is more popular than the Daily Mail! http://bit.ly/lV0B6F (good spot @donpaskini)
- Juliet
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Blitz Academy
RT @PollyWaddilove: How extremely interesting…http://bit.ly/kAPBsw (via @iskandarv ) @PsychoticLynx
- Griffin Boyce
RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw <- ACE.
- Symon Hill
Poll shows NHS, civil partnerships, ethinic diversity and the EU are all more popular than the Daily Mail – http://tinyurl.com/3p4k9sl
- Symon Hill
Poll shows NHS, TUC, civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU are all more popular than the Daily Mail – http://tinyurl.com/3p4k9sl.
- Tom Pengelly
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Nick Weekes
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Kim Blake
RT @PollyWaddilove: How extremely interesting…http://bit.ly/kAPBsw (via @iskandarv )
- Tabloid Watch
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Democratic Society
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Abi Nielsen
Poll shows NHS, TUC, civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU are all more popular than the Daily Mail – http://tinyurl.com/3p4k9sl.
- gerard blair
RT @tabloidwatch RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Daily Mail Watch
Poll: everthing more popular than the Daily Mail http://bit.ly/ltdk8Z (by @libcon) #mail #media
- Chris Horner
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Paul McGlynn
Poll: civil partnerships more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- Andy Scott
Britons in not-as-unreasonable-as-the-Daily-Mail-would-have-you-believe shocker! http://bit.ly/kAPBsw (via @DailyQuail)
- Hannah Claydon
Ha. RT @DailyQuail Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Victoria
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Catherine Sheppard
RT @libcon: Poll shows what we always knew: EVERYTHING is more popular than Daily Mail! http://t.co/DHLUx1B
- Pamela Heywood
Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail http://dlvr.it/TcNbL
- Mark A. Oxley
Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/xPnYA3I via @libcon
- IpswichCAB
Project blueprint poll: Daily Mail viewed less positively than membership of the European Union ~ http://tinyurl.com/3nx79u6
- NJO
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- michael burke
Yet NHS is most popular institution in Britain. Who says so? Tory Michael Ashcroft's research http://bit.ly/lV0B6F
- N Roberts
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Greenie Green
Civil partnerships, ethnic diversity and the EU more popular than Daily Mail, finds poll http://bit.ly/kAPBsw
- Matt Tancock
Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail http://bit.ly/jelyX4 Love it! (wish people would stop buying it though)
- Phil McDuff
Link: Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail http://j.mp/lUXeWw
- Trans Media Watch
Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/WUkAvWF via @libcon
- Rose Ville
Poll: everything more popular than Daily Mail | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/WUkAvWF via @libcon
- Dean Sas
Lord Ashcrofts polls revealed that the EU, ethnic diversity and civil partnerships all more popular than the daily mail. http://is.gd/aWyGQW
- Jennie Kermode
@MediocreDave http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/05/31/poll-civil-partnerships-more-popular-than-daily-mail/
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