YouGov offers candidates constituency-based data

The aim is to help candidates better understand and serve the people within their constituencies.

The profile is designed using statistical tools and draws on the expertise of Stanford professor, and YouGov chief scientist, Doug Rivers in partnership with Professor Andrew Gelman of Colombia University.

On the eve of the campaign proper, YouGov will issue probability projections for which party will win each of the 650 constituencies.

To illustrate the information it has released a cut-down version of ‘Portrait of the Bermondsey and Old Southwark Voter’. It shows political attitudes across 50 issues (contrasted with those of London and with the whole UK), detailed profiles of social and consumer attitudes, likes, and touch-points, and how candidates can reach them by outlining their digital and non-digital media consumption.

Stephan Shakespeare, global CEO at YouGov (pictured), said: “The electorate is not one homogeneous group, and modern communications should not be conducted with a loudhailer. Big data analysis will allow candidates to understand and serve their local voters better.”

London Mayor Boris Johnson, said at the launch of the profiles: “They will be invaluable for all us campaigners.”

YouGov also has a new tracker run in association with the POLIS department at the University of Cambridge that will show which messages and stories put out by the parties are reaching voters. Every day YouGov will ask 400 people: “Have you heard or seen anything about any of the political parties in the past day or two? If so, please use the space below to tell us what it was and what you think of it.”