Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 7th September 2023, 7:20 AMHow many of these national polls did you take?
I took none.
400 and I was never asked to partake in any of them.If you are using poll results to prop up your argument then it's a weak argument.
Are the Tories popular then?
Are all the polls fixed to favour Labour? Why?
You've already admitted to not accepting statistical data as proof of anything. Which is crazy.
Here's how it will possibly go.
The Conservatives are shit but Labour are shitter
No Tory is going to vote Labour.
As the SNP's Chris Law so elegantly put it...
Interesting take on opinion polls by Stephen - if he wasn't asked to take part, they're not valid! 😂
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 7th September 2023, 8:19 AMNo Tory is going to vote Labour.
Bit of a sweeping generalisation. People change who they support all the time, that's the hallmark of a democracy. Yes, there are diehards who will only ever vote one way, but it's the undecideds and floating voters that traditionally decide elections.
Polling in red wall seats is currently abysmal for the Tories
All them duped by Let's get brexit Done, will return back to Labour
Of course, as Yes Minister (or was it Prime Minister?) famously taught us, the outcome of any poll rather depends on how the questions are phrased.
Quote: Billy Bunter @ 7th September 2023, 10:53 AMOf course, as Yes Minister (or was it Prime Minister?) famously taught us, the outcome of any poll rather depends on how the questions are phrased.
True, but there's a limit to the amount of ways you can ask somebody how they intend to vote in a general election.
Why would pollsters want to make it look as if Labour were going to win anyway?
I know - bonkers isn't it?
On a brighter note, the UK is back in the Horizon Plan.
🎉
Huge relief from the scientific community and another baby-step in the right direction.
They want us - not us them.
Not really. China and US still haven't enguaged in free traded deals with us and they account for around 11 % of our GDP.
We have 71 trade deals , 68 are roll overs (same as before) and the three new ones are just 0.1 % of our GDP. Also we've lost 15% of trade to the EU (our biggest market) during transition. So ?
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 7th September 2023, 4:49 PMThey want us - not us them.
The UK scientific community are absolutely united in wanting to be a part of Horizon.
It's of great benefit to us and science in general - we were one of leading beneficiaries of Horizon funding.
There's been a long campaign, lead by UK scientists, to get the govt to agree to be part of it again.
Common sense has ruled the day.
Now we need to get back on board with Erasmus.
Quote: Chris Hallam @ 7th September 2023, 2:44 PMWhy would pollsters want to make it look as if Labour were going to win anyway?
Quote: Lazzard @ 7th September 2023, 2:51 PMI know - bonkers isn't it?
I have read, and re-read, the preceding posts and cannot see any that suggested that the pollsters would want to make it look as if Labour were going to win. Correct me if I've missed something.
I think the implication is that the polls are somehow 'rigged' in favour of Labour - or just plain 'made up'.
But if they were just 'inaccurate' or 'a bit random', would there not be some that said the Cons were in the lead etc etc?
Or at least a bit more of a spread?
So if they are, as has been stated, "not to be trusted" - but, they all point one way - then does that not imply chicanery of some sort?
Chicanery in favour of Labour.
That's my reading of it.