Smell the Coffee

Smell the Coffee

A wake-up call for the Conservative Party
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Smell the Coffee

Smell the Coffee

A wake-up call for the Conservative Party

During the run-up to the May 2005 general election, Lord Ashcroft became interested in political opinion polls. Using two respected polling companies, he decided to commission some research of his own. Once his polls had been analysed, they produced some fascinating findings – and some valuable lessons for the Conservative Party.

He began to become interested in political polling in the autumn of 2004 at a time when he was already working to help Conservative candidates win – and hold on to – some of the most marginal seats up and down the country.
Initially, he concentrated his research in these key marginal seats but then, as his fascination with polling grew, he decided to conduct a vast poll of 10,000 voters (the usual size is 1,500 people) in order to produce the biggest ever poll in the UK on political attitudes. Initially, he did this out of self-interest but in July 2005 he published the findings for all to see.

Between mid January 2005 and the eve of polling day in May 2005, he also conducted a daily American style “tracker poll” which he hoped would show how voters were responding to key Tory policies in the run-up to the general election.

He hoped the various polls would provide such valuable information as who voted, who did not and why; what mattered to voters and what did not; what messages moved voters, and which did not; where was the battleground and how was it different from the past; and how did the party campaigns and messages chime – or clash – with the attitude of voters.

The results were fascinating but, at the same time, alarming. The findings caused concern because they showed that the Conservative Party was not as in touch with the electorate as it should have been. The Conservative Party needs to learn lessons from these findings and ensure that they do not make the same istakes at the next general election.

He has now published the results of this research in a report, “A study of public opinion and the Conservative Party’s Campaign for the 2005 general election”.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded from this website.

Paperback
Print Length: 128 Pages
ISBN: 1904734103
Publication Date: 7 July 2005
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Micheal Ashcroft
The man behind the book

LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. He is a former deputy chairman and former treasurer of the Conservative Party and is founder and chairman of the board of trustees at Crimestoppers. He is chairman of the trustees of Ashcroft Technology Academy and a former trustee of the Imperial War Museum. Lord Ashcroft has a lifelong interest in bravery and has built up the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses, currently standing at more than 200 decorations. His many charitable donations linked to gallantry and the Armed Forces include more than £5 million for a new gallery bearing his name at the Imperial War Museum, London. The gallery is home to the author’s Victoria Cross and George Cross collection as well as those decorations in the care of the IWM. Lord Ashcroft is also a political biographer who has written books on David Cameron, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.