Sunday 19 August 2018

Announcing cult politics

News in the Observer today of a new contender in the struggle:


Fashion boss gives £1m boost to People’s Vote campaign 


What will the money be spent on?

The donation will fund a polling blitz that organisers hope will inject critical momentum into their campaign...Campaigners for a public vote are now planning what is described as one of the “biggest polling operations ever undertaken in UK politics”, examining support for a referendum on the final Brexit deal in different parts of the country and among specific sections of the population.

Then a strange bit on some current problems for People's Vote supporters:

However, serious issues remain over how a second vote could be achieved, whether there is enough time to hold it and what question voters should be asked. Both the Tory and Labour leaderships oppose the idea.

Then back to the donor, after a puff for his kit (Superdry):

“I will be paying for one of the most detailed polling exercises ever undertaken by a campaign so that more and more people have the confidence to demand the democratic right for their voice to be heard – to get a People’s Vote on any Brexit deal or the outcome of these negotiations.”

So how could increased polling help overcome some of these serious issues and increase public confidence in democractic rights? I do hope this is not all leading up to the practice of dark arts again, with targeted ads based on detailed knowledge of the beliefs of particular key groups? Will a People's Vote be marketed in the same way as was Superdry? Will Facebook ads be involved? Ads on the side of a bus? I hope the line between political persuasion and telling lies will be policed carefully.

More likely, it is the result of a successful lobby on the part of polling organisations or advertising/lobby agencies to persuade a millionaire of their power to pursue dark arts  which will etc...

 

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