Building an election strategy has been more accessible in a world full of polls, social media, data collection, surveys and the like. The Tories just don’t seem to have gotten the memo, and it will lead to their biggest defeat ever.
Data, Data and More Data
The political parties have staff who spend their time polling the electorate. It’s their job to ask the public what matters.
Social Media Trends Give Clues
On a given day, you can see the trending topics – the newsworthy bits that mean something to the public.
Hustings and Surgeries
Politicians will attend hustings and host surgeries. They (should) have plenty of touchpoints with their constituents. They’ll be learning every week what matters to the public.
Data Can Be Bought
If you don’t trust your instincts, you can buy national data. Information is professionally collected and organised, giving you the points that matter to the public.
What Matters to the Electorate
In national data from YouGov, the electorate was polled on what mattered to them and what would help sway their vote in the upcoming election.
Few Surprises in the Data
As you’d expect, the cost of living tops the list of concerns for everyday people. In the YouGov data, 45% of people said it was their most important factor.
NHS a Huge Concern
Next up was the NHS. The state of the health system was the most important element for 34% of people.
The Economy Matters
A close third place was the economy, with 32% of people saying it was their most important point.
And Yet, It Has Been Ignored by the Tories
So, despite having access to the data, the Tories have largely ignored the three most important points for the electorate and have made their campaign about immigration and pensions.
Immigration Only Fourth on the List
Whilst there’s an acceptance that we have too many illegal immigrants coming into the country, it isn’t a top-line concern for most people.
Priorities Are Closer to Home
When you’re struggling to pay a mortgage or rent, watching your food bill climb every week, struggling to pay your utility bills and the like, it’s no surprise that a few thousand people on boats aren’t on your agenda.
Headline Policies of Tories Don’t Match Voters Needs
The Tories launched their campaign with three significant announcements: to launch national service for 18-year-olds, promise to protect pensions, and start Rwanda flights.
But Few People Care
The baffling detail here is that except immigration in fourth, none of those points feature in the top 10 issues that matter to the public. Pensions are the 11th highest priority to the electorate.
Tories Trying to Lose
It feels like the Tories are actively trying to alienate the voters. At a time when housing has never been less affordable for young people, there’s nothing in there for them.
Forced Military Service Deeply Unpopular
For parents of young people, they’re unlikely to vote in a party that will see them force military service on their children – when they didn’t have to do it themselves.
Go Your Own Way
The Tory manifesto smacks of arrogance – a ‘we know best’ approach to government. They’ve lacked the humility to ask what matters and build a policy to right the wrongs of the last 14 years.
Labour Getting It Right
For the first time in over ten years, you can at least feel as though Labour are getting it right by listening to the voters.
Plans for Energy and Economy
They want to build a clean energy industry in the UK, which will see investment in UK jobs and technology. It’ll also help provide clean, reliable, and cheaper energy, reducing exposure to global energy price fluctuations.
Wealth Fund Creation
A revolutionary step is the creation of a national wealth fund that would invest in UK businesses, products and services. It’ll help grow the economy by encouraging enterprise.
NHS in Focus
The NHS is another area Labour want to address, and they’re promising to boost recruitment and offer thousands of more appointments per week. The track record of the NHS can be trusted, with record levels of satisfaction with the health service reported under Labour.
If You Want to Win, LISTEN!
Regardless of your political stance, it can’t escape you that one party seems to be making policy up on the fly. In contrast, the other appears to be addressing the points that matter. And it’s showing in the polls.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Fred Duval.