The Production of Opinion

The author Richard Seymour wrote in The Guardian about the polling industry, claiming that research companies do not ‘measure’ public opinion.

This article examines Seymour’s various claims.

“A 2% lead”?

Seymour’s screed begins with noting the differences in recent polls:

One gives the Tories a 10-point lead, another gives Labour a 2% lead.

Looking at the BBC’s poll tracker, the last time a poll estimated a 2-point Labour lead was by Opinium, at the start of July. What…