Election Year or Fear!

[swaledale]

Ha, ha…well you should certainly know…but, back on topic, it seems you’re in a minority. According to ‘Policy Exchange’ it would appear that the two joint most important issues in the forthcoming General Election will be ‘Bring down inflation to stop the price of household goods rising’ and ‘Reduce NHS waiting lists’. Next comes ‘Build a more self sufficient energy infrastructure’, all long before ‘Stop small boats crossing the Channel’ which has significant support amongst Conservative and Leave voters, especially those over 65 apparently, but little from elsewhere. In 5th place was ‘Reduce taxes to help with the cost of living.’

I'm just amazed that there are actually any Conservative voters, I mean how much more evidence do you need to understand this they are incompetent wazzocks?

[Geoff Parkstone]

Ha, ha…well you should certainly know…but, back on topic, it seems you’re in a minority. According to ‘Policy Exchange’ it would appear that the two joint most important issues in the forthcoming General Election will be ‘Bring down inflation to stop the price of household goods rising’ and ‘Reduce NHS waiting lists’. Next comes ‘Build a more self sufficient energy infrastructure’, all long before ‘Stop small boats crossing the Channel’ which has significant support amongst Conservative and Leave voters, especially those over 65 apparently, but little from elsewhere. In 5th place was ‘Reduce taxes to help with the cost of living.’

What's your source for this rA - I've just looked at their 2023 analysis for the issues people would want a government to prioritise - https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-con...Priorities.pdf - and its not quite as you portray

1. Inflation (26%)
2. NHS Waiting lists / Self sufficient energy (15% each)
4. Immigration - small boats / Reduce Taxes (12% each)

then 8 other issues earning between 1% and 3% as well as "don't want to say"

So looking at the numbers (sorry, not your favourite) the small boats issue is NOT trailing long behind the other issues, but rather is one of the top 5 key issues (out of 13) identified and, to all practical effect ranks pretty much alongside all the other top 5 other than runaway leader "reducing inflation". In footballing terms its a Barnsley like policy (somewhat ironically, Gunter) lying joint 4th and in a playoff place.

This as of course 2023 survey, so maybe you've seen a 2024 update which supports your perspective on it. Let me know

Stopping small boats is 6 times as popular as "making the streets safe" and 12 times as popular as "improving trains and buses" or "reviving town centers".

When cherry picking statistics to support your own beliefs please be aware that they can be fact checked

[ramAnag]

‘The People’s Priorities’ - policy exchange.org.uk
Pages 8-9/23 bar graphs on ‘one most important issue’
Inflation 26%
NHS and Energy self sufficiency both 15%
Small boats and tax reduction both 12%

When extended to three issues on page 10…
Inflation 48%
Energy self sufficiency 38%
Small boats 28%, but while popular amongst right wingers aged over 65 only appealing to 7% of Labour voters and 8% of younger (18-24 year old) voters.
Reduce taxes 26-27%

Author, Iain Mansfield. Okay, I didn’t include all the ‘peripherals’ but no ‘cherry picking’ and they’re not my ‘beliefs’…just the more basic findings of an article I read and to extend your football analogy…if small boats are Barnsley they’re a long way behind Inflation (Portsmouth) and the NHS/Energy self sufficiency (Derby).

[ramAnag]

P.S. Sorry…when extended to three issues should have included the NHS also on 48%.

[swaledale]

What's your source for this rA - I've just looked at their 2023 analysis for the issues people would want a government to prioritise - https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-con...Priorities.pdf - and its not quite as you portray

1. Inflation (26%)
2. NHS Waiting lists / Self sufficient energy (15% each)
4. Immigration - small boats / Reduce Taxes (12% each)

then 8 other issues earning between 1% and 3% as well as "don't want to say"

So looking at the numbers (sorry, not your favourite) the small boats issue is NOT trailing long behind the other issues, but rather is one of the top 5 key issues (out of 13) identified and, to all practical effect ranks pretty much alongside all the other top 5 other than runaway leader "reducing inflation". In footballing terms its a Barnsley like policy (somewhat ironically, Gunter) lying joint 4th and in a playoff place.

This as of course 2023 survey, so maybe you've seen a 2024 update which supports your perspective on it. Let me know

Stopping small boats is 6 times as popular as "making the streets safe" and 12 times as popular as "improving trains and buses" or "reviving town centers".

When cherry picking statistics to support your own beliefs please be aware that they can be fact checked

Mind you quoting a right wing so called "Think tank" is perhaps the equivalent almost of quoting Putin when he says 88% voting for him is proof of the Russian publics confidence and approval of his leadership!!

In short, as with all these polls, it comes down to, the questions that are asked, how those questions are framed and of course the nature of the sample of people who are actually asked.

[Andy_Faber]

When cherry picking statistics to support your own beliefs please be aware that they can be fact checked

Although at least when rA is found out he restrains himself from ‘losing his ****’ so we should be thankful for that

[swaledale]

Although at least when rA is found out he restrains himself from ‘losing his ****’ so we should be thankful for that

Where would be the fun in that?

[ramAnag]

Although at least when rA is found out he restrains himself from ‘losing his ****’ so we should be thankful for that

Found out? How have I been found out? I’ll agree a right wing think tank isn’t one of my usual sources, but GP asked me to clarify and I did. Fact (checked!) would appear to be…even according to right wing statisticians…that small boats crossing the Channel is way down the pecking order of perceived electoral issues and is actually only important to Conservative and Leave voters of pensionable age…i.e. and as I originally suggested, it isn’t going to be a significant vote winner compared with the cost of living, the NHS and our future energy provision.

[MadAmster]

It appears that Labour is now lauding Maggie T as a shining light to follow... having said that, the "quotes" they used from Labour politicians were on a Scots Nat page. Blue Tory = Red Tory?

[MadAmster]

Sums up my thoughts...