What do you think of the Government EU leaflet?

I thought it might have been a good idea, was afraid you may only get say around 10-20 votes so getting 3,402 votes is a good result in itself ( at least you know people are reading your waffle) ..... My take on it is, is that from general chit chat and reading different newspapers, people in the UK want a change of direction from where we are now and where we are heading if we remain in. But most of the other polls are calling the current vote as being a close run thing with only a couple of percentages either way. With many of these polls based on around 2000 or less votes. So as you are publishing genuine results / votes I'm not sure whether the other pollsters are publishing true results or have a political agenda themselves, makes you wonder.... As a side issue personally I think 16 year olds should be able to vote on this, as it will effect them far more than it will effect, say the likes of pensioners..... Are you still sitting on the fence? 

Originally Posted by Barney

“But most of the other polls are calling the current vote as being a close run thing with only a couple of percentages either way. With many of these polls based on around 2000 or less votes. So as you are publishing genuine results / votes I'm not sure whether the other pollsters are publishing true results or have a political agenda themselves, makes you wonder.... As a side issue personally I think 16 year olds should be able to vote on this, as it will effect them far more than it will effect, say the likes of pensioners..... Are you still sitting on the fence? ”

It's very interesting, I'm genuinely surprised at the overwhelmingly leave response, and like you say compared to other polls I've seen in the media. Ours has just topped 3,900 votes, but I have cheated as the poll is also on the home page of the site, search pages as well as the blog.

So visitors are a good cross section, and general internet users. I've seen a few facebook comments from pro supporters, but it is very much a leave sentiment. Although a lot of the comments form little serious opinion and come across as sheep mentality, which is a little worrying if they are all voting age.

Sat through a very good presentation from GK Strategy last Thursday that painted an impartial picture, bit laid out the facts from a business perspective.

One interesting assessment was that a lot of administrative burden is actually outsourced to the EU, meaning any exit would see a huge spike in legislative admin, with government resources prioritised on trade deal and essential businesses such as replacing the CAP, farmers subsidies etc. This would mean any legislative reform for particular industries (I was with the Glass and Glazing Federation, so there were genuine examples cited, but there would no doubt be similar ones for other industries), would go to the back of the queue and take years.

The political analysis was in reality no one knows what will happen as it has never happened before! So it's all conjecture. The only certainty is financial instability from money markets. But polls aside, the feeling if the vote to leave wins, it will be down to a majority of voters who traditionally don't vote, but feel very strongly about key issues, migration, sovereignty etc and see exit as the only way to resolve it. Versus the stay campaign where there has been a lack of voter passion, as the arguments are less polarised. 

As for me, my gut says we need to stay in. The figures on both sides are all fairy stories, but I think from tariffs and money markets, we probably get more out than we put in. But remain as a trading block, not a super state, and continue to wrestle back more control and red tape. Although after the briefing the other day, it looks like the Cameron deal was even worse than I thought it was. Two legs now on one side, but bum still on the fence.

Looking at our own poll, it would suggest I'm fast becoming a minority!

And funny enough, here's the Farmers Weekly poll 58% to leave, 31% to stay and the remaining 11% unsure. The problem for the farmers is that for many, without the Common Agriculture Policy subsidies they have no business... Only one full of debt, surprisingly or maybe not 1 farmer a week commits suicide in the UK, without the subsidy I would imagine the suicide rate will spiral unless the Government came up with some sort of alternative. Personally I would like to see the farming industry out of the grips or both the EU and the supermarkets and for them to set their own prices. And should we leave the EU after the referendum, should the supermarkets decide to buy abroad because it is cheaper, then the UK should be entitled to slap an import levy on the supermarkets, with a caveat saying that the levy cannot be passed onto the consumer......

Now the Grimsby Telegraph poll may well be getting manipulated from those on Twitter as over 10,000 votes have been cast out of a poulation of around 90,000. I'm not convinced the paper would have that amount of online readers.......

In your email today, you said you had just under 6000 votes, if you were dumbfounded at 3402 votes, what are you now with 6000? Personally I think I should get a quid per vote for suggesting a poll.... Seriously though, can people vote more than once, just how accurate is it?

Originally Posted by Barney

“In your email today, you said you had just under 6000 votes, if you were dumbfounded at 3402 votes, what are you now with 6000? Personally I think I should get a quid per vote for suggesting a poll.... Seriously though, can people vote more than once, just how accurate is it?”

lol a quid a vote! Accuracy wise, it's far from bombproof, it just tracks your session using a cookie, which is why you should only see the results if you have voted.

But if you use a different browser, use a proxy or anonymous mode, then you can easily spoof it if you really want to and have lots of time on your hands, so it's far from scientific. We don't ask for email addresses or any other information, as this just deters people from voting.

The poll is running across the site, including the directory homepage, not just on the blog, so if we can get the right topic, then make it simple enough to cast a vote for browsing visitors, then bingo.

We've only actually ever run 3 polls, the idea was to pick emotive subjects and then use the results to generate some marketing, which is what we did with the Scottish Referendum. But the EU subject seems to have got people going. Have been tweeting the results to see if we can get it picked up. No invitation for BBC breakfast news yet  But I'll wear a Barney the plumber teeshirt if I do get asked.