Boris Island Poll

Sometimes the local media surprises even this blogger in the lack of research undertaken before publishing a story.

This week a poll commissioned by Medway Council, but dubbed independent, has revealed that of 1,000 people surveyed (on the back of another undefined piece of work), the overwhelming majority of people do not support the idea of Boris Island in Kent.

Welcome news indeed it would seem and especially given the whole thing cost less than £500. You wont here me complaining if this is truly reflective.

However, dont expect London policy-makers to be that concerned.

Any one with a basic science degree will ignore a poll like this. Not only have the Council failed, and they do this time and time again, to publish the full statistical breakdown and methodology but they have also not revealed the question.

In any poll; the question needs to be unbias and given with the full facts including the questions asked before. Was this a poll for instance added to a wider one on transport, use of tax payers money, future priorities for UK? Was this a poll on the competence of Boris Johnson or merits of rail v air travel.

Clearly the context of the preceeding questions will impact the outcome of the Boris Island question. My suspicion is that this poll was neither independent nor weighted correctly; therefore will be totally ignored by Tories in London.

If we want to get credibility on this issue widen the poll; focus on Kent; print the statistics and metholodology and open it up to scrutiny. Like most Council polls; this is rarely done...

The local media has some good journalists but instead of printing ad-verbatim Council press statements they should ask the serious questions.

If we are to see a media monopoly in the Medway Towns it is more important then ever that someone does ask the serious questions.

I agree with the outcome of this poll but am suspicious that it was commissioned with an outcome in mind and that is how it will be perceived.

Update

Council has now published full statistical breakdown here