'At the end of the day you can do as many surveys as you like but what's the point of them, if you don't then try to change things based on the results...'
The problem with our politics is that most of the surveys and focus groups are not really representative of what the public really think and making changes (which incidentally coincide exactly with the wishes of our modernising political class) on the basis of these limited surveys changes our political system in a way that can make it easier for our political class and metropolitan class (who have all the money and media means available to them, and often our public money too) to drive through changes that suit them and may not benefit the people.
I am all for the call for "direct democracy" as Farage recently spelt out, which would involve referenda and proportional representation, because that would reflect the true wishes of the public in a way that limited surveys or focus groups cannot.
The Guardian commentator in the following article spells out exactly why policy making based on surveys and focus groups is not a true reflection of people's wishes. In a "modernising" media coordinated campaign to swing public mood, people often reply how they think they should but not how they really feel.
"We should be careful not to put too much store by the views of focus groups, where wanting to say the right thing can influence results."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/27/three-cheers-pmqs-ugly-prime-ministers-questions
If MN ran a survey on whether MNers think Ed Miliband is a geek and not suitable to be Labour leader, then I think we all know what the result would be. But you can't make decisions on the basis of surveys like that because they do not represent the true feelings of the majority of the public and are often ill-considered judgements.
Only today we have poor Jon Cruddas being criticised for telling the truth about the "dead hand" that prevents really innovative policy emerging in order to fit in with focus group findings, which may not be representative of real public opinion and may not be what is right to do.
"Labour's pledge to deny unemployment benefits to jobless youths is a “cynical” move designed to “chime with focus groups,” the party’s policy chief has said."
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/10933853/Our-welfare-policy-is-a-cynical-pitch-to-focus-groups-Labour-policy-chief-says.html
It is this easy emphasis on surveys and focus groups that is preventing brave politicians from coming up with policies that people really want and believe in but often do not articulate.
Surveys and focus groups can often act as an easy fix where the political class can say "we are listening", "we have heard you", but which really ask the wrong questions and sometimes serve the interests of the political class themselves rather than the people.
They run the danger of preventing Jon Cruddas coming up with policies that are right for the people in an attempt to "play safe" and only ask questions and frame debates that the political class feel are safe and suit their interests.