Spread of polls varies wildly – but media major on only one
The range of the latest polls from each of the main polling companies varies wildly – showing Labour six points ahead of any other party, six points behind the Tories, or most points between:
• Labour lead by 2% (Survation)
• Labour lead by 6% (Opinium)
• Labour lead by 4% (ComRes)
• Labour lead by 6% (Delta)
• Labour lead by 1% (BMG)
• Tories lead by 2% (Ipsos)
• Tories lead by 6% (YouGov)
Of course, only one poll has received significant mention from either the mainstream media – no prizes for guessing which, even though it is by a company with a well-known track record of understating the Labour vote.
In fact, three times as many polls show Labour leading – including two with a six percent lead – including Survation, by far the most accurate in 2017 – versus the single outlier showing the Tories ahead by the same amount. Again, no prizes for guessing which receives the media attention.
And of course, the fact that polls showed Labour a country mile behind shortly before Corbyn’s party destroyed Theresa May’s parliamentary majority and came within a whisker of government is conspicuous by its absence from ‘mainstream’ analysis and commentary. Instead, it seems to have disappeared into some dusty, rarely-glimpsed alcove of the media groupthink-consciousness.
No surprise there, either.
Labour’s supporters, on the other hand, know better – and the few left commentators who are panicking because of a narrative by hostile voices should know better, too.
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