For all its faults, our political process is a good one, and the means by which much meaningful change is made. That is not a very fashionable view to hold, but as someone who has operated at senior levels in journalism and politics, around a decade in each, it is my respect for the media [...]
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Tags:Democracy·journalism·Labour·New Labour·Politics·The Media·UK
The politics of grievance can be harsh and it is never easy moderating a group where the sole focus is immigration. But immigration, like crime, like welfare abuse, is not an issue we can avoid; we must deal with it head on. Not just because of the sense of unfairness that people hold but also [...]
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Tags:Democracy·Focus Groups·Immigration·Labour·policy·Politics·Refugees
Despite the small numbers sampled, and the obvious lack of empirical rigour they entail, focus groups are the form of polling that I prefer. Although their scientific validity is less than that of an opinion poll, they are in a sense truer because you can talk to people as they really are, not as abstractions [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Democracy·Electoralism·Focus Groups·Labour·progressive politics
David Marquand calls this the progressive dilemma: ‘How to transcend Labourism without betraying the labour interest; how to bridge the gap between the old Labour fortresses and the potentially anti-Conservative but non-Labour hinterland; how to construct a broad-based and enduring social coalition capable of not just giving it a temporary majority in the House of [...]
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Tags:Democracy·Electoralism·extremism·Ideology·Labour·policy·Politics·progressive politics
Greenberg says of the use of modern polling techniques in political campaigning: “It doesn’t need defending. It is part of the democratisation of modern elections. Just as governments have changed, just as parties have changed, campaigns have changed. Democracy has changed. The institutions that used to be effective in mediating popular sentiment have atrophied, and [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Democracy·Electoralism·Focus Groups·Labour·Politics·UK
With the exception of ‘spin-doctors’, no campaigning phrase has been imbued with a greater air of nonsensical mystique than ‘focus groups’. Why focus groups should have gained this elevated position I cannot tell. Old-fashioned qualitative research, another name for the same thing, has not taken off in people’s imaginations in the same way, nor has [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Electoralism·Focus Groups·Labour·Politics
The world of politics is littered with assertions that are untrue, but are believed to be true because they were not effectively answered. An unrebutted lie becomes accepted as the truth. You must always rebut a political attack if leaving it unanswered will harm you. And you must do it instantly, within minutes at best, [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Labour·progressive politics·UK
Campaigning is about message. People think message just means a few words, often repeated, but message is much more: it is the rationale that underpins your campaign. It is your central argument, the reason you believe that the electorate should vote for you and not your opponents. This rationale is the most important thing to [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Electoralism·Labour·progressive politics·UK
I believe in the ascendancy of progressive ideas and progressive values. I believe in political parties that serve the people and advance their hopes. And I believe that it is the responsibility of all of us involved in progressive politics to advance our case with the greatest skill and professionalism. The people we seek to [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Electoralism·Labour·progressive politics·UK
For as long as I can remember I have believed that there is a continuing battle between progressive and conservative forces. For most of this century conservative forces have won in Britain, and for much of the 1980s they were winning across the world – winning (in part) because the right could campaign well, and [...]
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Tags:Campaigning·Democracy·Electoralism·Labour·progressive politics·UK
