2010 British General Election leader evaluations: findings from focus group research

1. 2010 British General Election leader evaluations: findings from focus group research Kristi Winters (Birkbeck) and EdziaCarvalho (Essex)

2. Qualitative Election Study of Britain (QES Britain) • Aim: • Record and analyze the views and concerns of British citizens in their own words before and after the 2010 General Election. • Generate thick, rich qualitative data that could be used to provide insights into the opinions of citizens on (inter alia) • politicians • party leaders • political issues • perceptions of civic duty and political alienation, • The campaigns both before and after the general election.

3. Qualitative Election Study of Britain (QES Britain) • Aim: • Generate qualitative data to facilitate analysis of the language used and meanings conveyed when participants articulated their assessments. • Uncover sources of normative values • Make explicit the tacit assumptions participants use to reach their judgements • Identify new research themes. • This research was generously funded by the British Academy, grant number SG090860.

4. QES Britain • Fourteen focus groups were conducted in the weeks before and after the 2010 General Election • Total of 76 participants • Pre-election: • 3 in Essex (Leaders Debates) • 2 in London • 2 in Wales • 2 in Scotland • Post-election: • 2 groups in Essex • 1 each in London, Wales, and Scotland

5. QES Britain: Leaders’ Debates • Participants were recruited using e-mails and snowballing techniques • Participants were screened by age and sex in order to obtain an equal number of men and women as well as a range of ages. • In Essex group of 17 post election participants, 16 reported they voted. • 8 voted Liberal Democrat • 5 voted Conservative • 3 voted Labour

6. The BES and the QES Britain – Triangulating data • 2010 British Election Study (Clarke et al, 2010) pre-election questionnaire asked participants to rate the three main leaders on aspects of • likeability • competence • truthfulness

7. BES: Leader Evaluation Means (Std)

8. BES: Leader Evaluations

9. BES: Leader Evaluations Source: 2010 British Election Study Pre-election dataset. All data weighted with variable w8.

10. The BES and the QES Britain – Triangulating data • Numbers do not reveal the basis upon which people made these assessments. • Do not provide an insight in the positive, negative, or neutral associations; or • How those assessments may have been connected or inter-related within or between the three leadership categories. • Thus this research aimed to generate data in the form of language to provide greater insight.

11. Leaders’ Brainstorming Session • Photos of the party leaders were taken from the parties’ own websites • Participants were given written and oral instructions to brainstorm words or phrases • Participants would then a note as to whether an association was • positive • negative • neutral • Discussion followed to further contextualise the evaluation by a respondent.

12. Brown tag cloud - all acting afraid always ambitious arrogant aspergers assured autocrat better blair bluff blunt boring boy calculating caring chancellor charismatic cheerful christian claims class clever clumsy confident constructed cowardly cuddly deceitful didn’t difficult do dour dull economy elected ex experience experienced façade failure fake false family feel glossy good grumpy hard hardworker him human hungry ideas image insincere intelligent jaded just lack leader liar liked little lonely long loveable managed minded minister morose most nice non old older other others out outside patronising people personality photo picture play pm pompous poor posh power pressure prime scottish smarmy smile too trying uncomfortable working

13. Brown – coded responses (excerpt)

14. Brown - analysis • Participants considered Brown to have empathy and especially to be trying hard but lacking communication skills • ‘Hard working’ or ‘trying’; however participants did not use terms such as ‘successful’ or ‘effective’. • ‘Experienced’, were mentioned by only two participantsversus several mentions such as ‘tired’, ‘failure’, ‘out of ideas’ and ‘under pressure’. • Brown is associated (or perhaps contrasted?) with his previous role as Chancellor. • The general feel of the terms used indicates that these participants thought of Gordon Brown as hardworking, had but not successful in leading the country.

15. Cameron tag cloud - all 2 age approachable arrogant backed behind better blair bland bullingdon bully calm change charismatic cheerful cheesey class clever club confident conservative creates devious duplicitous dynamic education energetic excitable face facebook faced family father feel fresh god godly’ good hairy hard he healthy help himself his honest ill intentions knows labour last leader like’ man measured mid naïve needs new nice novice one opportunistic oriented over people personality picture pleasey politics pompous poor popular positive pr prepared privileged public pull realisation school schoolboy shining sleazy slick sly smarmy smart smooth smug strong substance sun team tony too trying untrustworthy us young

16. Clegg tag cloud - all 3rd amateur ambitious asleep attitude bland calm cameron can centre chancer change common confident credible dark demeanor different dirty does down dull earth empathises end europhile excitable genuine good granted greener gung half has he his ho honest honeymoon horse idealist impressions inexperienced leader left liberal like looks members middle minded much name never new nobody normal nothing open peaceful personality pleading politics presentable quality realistic remember repetitive road sense sensible serious sincere slightly smiling spanish speaker strong support take talks team thoughtful trust trustworthy underdog unknown untested unwelcoming vague very washy weak who wife wishy yellow young