In a ‘Panel of Experts’ in the Independent on Sunday, April 18, Graham Dumper, Research Director of Marketing Means, was one of only two pollsters who said that there would be a Hung Parliament, saying the Conservatives would be short of an overall majority by 25. All other pollsters at the time were confidently predicting a Conservative majority of up to 40 seats. Marketing Means conducted polls for the Liberal Democrats.
In 2005, Marketing Means were only 0.6% out on their prediction of share of the vote in the South West, accurately predicting the result in every single seat. This was more accurate than any of the other pollsters at the time.
Graham Dumper said: “Once again this proves our methodology of having much more localised weighting systems that accurately reflect the way people vote in their local areas. The other polling companies concentrate on weighting to national share of the vote. But we believe this skews the figures in a country that has become less uniform in the way it votes regionally.”
For more information about the services that Marketing Means can provide, please contact Graham Dumper on 01364 654485 or email graham@marketingmeans.co.uk