1. Key Influencer TrackingKey Influencer Tracking
Prospective Parliamentary
Candidates
April 2015
Carl Phillips
Ben Fowler
Rebecca Writer-Davies
Core charts

2. Key Influencer Tracking
Methodology
Sample
An initial sample of 381
candidates were contacted from
across the political spectrum.
Candidates from the
Conservative, Liberal Democrat,
Labour, UKIP, SNP, Green and
Plaid Cymru parties were
interviewed.
This resulted in 98 interviews in
total:
Fieldwork Dates
Fieldwork dates:
3 February – 13 March 2015
All data was collected through
telephone interviews with
Prospective Parliamentary
Candidates standing in marginal
seats, defined as those needing
less than a 15% swing to displace
an incumbent.
Interpretation
Sometimes the percentage result
for ‘All PPCs’ may be greater
than the sum of Labour,
Conservative and Liberal
Democrat PPCs, as it includes
results from other parties. Where
results do not sum to 100%, this
may be due to computer
rounding, multiple responses, or
the exclusion of ‘don’t know’
categories.
This report presents findings
from the Prospective
Parliamentary Candidates (PPC)
survey, part of Ipsos MORI’s
programme of regular multi-
sponsored studies among key
audiences.
Base 98
26
29
20
11
7
4
1

3. Key Influencer Tracking
Issues facing
Britain
The issues that candidates think are
important

4. Key Influencer Tracking
85
54
31
27
0
15
0
0
4
35
19
62
62
14
14
24
14
21
3
10
0
0
85
65
25
35
10
5
25
5
15
5
5
45
9
18
0
45
0
0
64
0
9
9
Economy
NHS / health
Jobs / employment
Education
Inequality
Immigration / migration
Housing
Austerity / cuts
Environment / climate
Government spending / deficit
International ties / relationships / relationship
with EU
Issues facing Britain - PPCs
% Top mentions
% All PPCs
68
53
20
18
18
13
12
11
11
11
10
Conservative PPCs Labour PPCs
What do you think are the most important issues facing Britain today? (Unprompted)
Liberal Democrat PPCs SNP PPCs
Base: All PPCs (98), Conservative PPCs (26), Labour PPCs (29), Liberal Democrat PPCs (20), SNP PPCs (11) asked, 3 February – 13 March 2015

5. Key Influencer Tracking
Issues facing the
Public Sector
The issues facing the public sector both
now, and in the next parliament

6. Key Influencer Tracking
% All PPCs
36
28
13
11
11
10
10
Issues facing public services - PPCs
% Top mentions
23
8
4
15
19
19
15
41
48
17
24
10
10
17
40
20
5
0
10
10
5
45
55
18
0
9
0
0
Lack of investment
Cuts to funding/credit
Privatisation
Staff morale
Retaining quality of services/value
for money (inlight of budget cuts)
Reforming/reorganising services
Increased demand on services
Conservative PPCs Labour PPCs
What do you think are the most important problems facing our public services today? (Unprompted)
Liberal Democrat PPCs SNP PPCs
Base: All PPCs (98), Conservative PPCs (26), Labour PPCs (29), Liberal Democrat PPCs (20), SNP PPCs (11) asked, 3 February – 13 March 2015

7. Key Influencer Tracking
19
0
0
77
34
14
38
0
65
0
35
0
0
45
55
0
Both equally
Neither
Increasing taxes
Reducing spending on services
Public service cuts vs. increased taxes
% Top mentions
Conservative PPCs Labour PPCs
In your view, should a future government concentrate more on reducing spending on public services or on
increasing taxes?
Liberal Democrat PPCs % All PPCs
29
10
30
26
SNP PPCs
Base: All PPCs (98), Conservative PPCs (26), Labour PPCs (29), Liberal Democrat PPCs (20), SNP PPCs (11) asked, 3 February – 13 March 2015

8. Key Influencer Tracking
8
8
0
0
0
0
15
8
0
0
69
15
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
20
40
30
0
0
4
4
8
8
4
12
20
16
8
72
Wales/Welsh Assembly
Scotland/Scottish Parliament
Policing/crime
EU/Europe
Environmental incentives/subsidies
Education/schools
NHS/hospitals/healthcare
Government bureaucracy/civil
service
Overseas aid
Local government
Defence/weapons/wars
Benefits/social security
Public service cuts – what cuts should be prioritised?
Base: All PPCs who would reduce spending on public services only or would reduce spending on public services and increase taxes equally (53), Conservative PPCs (25), Labour PPCs (10), Liberal Democrat PPCs (13)
asked, 3 February – 13 March 2015
% Top mentions
Conservative PPCs Labour PPCs
Which services, if any, do you think a future Government should prioritise for making cuts to public services? (Unprompted)
Liberal Democrat PPCs % All PPCs
49
28
13
11
11
9
4
4
4
2
2
2

9. Key Influencer Tracking
0
0
8
0
0
0
0
23
0
85
38
0
10
0
0
0
10
0
10
10
80
100
12
0
0
4
4
4
8
0
36
44
56
International development
Housing
Environmental incentives/subsidies
Benefits/social security
Policing/crime
Local government
Transport/roads/public transport
Overseas aid
Defence/weapons/wars
Education/schools
NHS/hospitals/healthcare
Public service cuts – what should be protected?
% Top mentions
Conservative PPCs Labour PPCs
Which services, if any, do you think a future Government should protect from any cuts in public spending? (Unprompted)
Liberal Democrat PPCs
Base: All PPCs who would reduce spending on public services only or would reduce spending on public services and increase taxes equally (53), Conservative PPCs (25), Labour PPCs (10), Liberal Democrat PPCs (13)
asked, 3 February – 13 March 2015
% All PPCs
60
58
25
8
6
4
4
2
2
2
4

10. Key Influencer Tracking
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information please
contact:
Ben Fowler
e: Ben.Fowler@ipsos.com
Ipsos MORI
79-81 Borough Road
London
SE1 1FY
t: +44 (0)20 7347 3041
www.ipsos-mori.com/
The Ipsos MORI Reputation Centre was established
with a simple aim: to help companies build more
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the people who matter most to them. Our approach is
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communications process.
The Key Influencer Tracking programme is a suite of
multi-client studies that examine the attitudes and
opinions of a range of elite, opinion forming stakeholder
audiences. The first of these surveys was set up nearly
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found at www.ipsos-mori.com/kit
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