As the UK’s political parties enter the final countdown to week’s General Election, it has been revealed that Brexit Party voters are the saddest; Labour supporters say they are the least attractive; Conservative voters are the biggest drinkers; and LibDems feel fittest.
So says a study by data consultancy Marketing Metrix, designed to turn the tables on the daily polls by focusing on what makes voters, not party leaders, tick.
The survey was conducted among 900 UK residents in mid-November. The results cover the main four parties that are standing across the whole of the UK (but not the Green Party as the sample size is not big enough to analyse).
LibDem voters say they are the fittest in every sense, rating themselves the highest for both physical activity and attractiveness. Conversely, Labour voters are most likely to feel unattractive.
Meanwhile, supporters of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party rate themselves the unfittest and unhappiest in the land, in contrast to cock-a-hoop Conservatives who feel happiest, although they do drink the most.
Despite their declared attention to fitness, LibDem voters admitted they are the most likely to regularly drink alcohol. However, Tories are the booziest – Labour the least.
LibDems
• They’re the fittest by far, with 61% saying they usually or always feel energetic
• They also feel the most attractive, with 32% suggesting their appearance is above average
• These voters also top the physical activity standings, with 50% saying they are very/extremely active
• They also believe they are healthy eaters, with 61% giving their diet a score of 7 out of 10 or above; and they are the least likely to eat meat (68% – with associated positive environmental outcomes) but the likeliest to east chicken and fish (25%)
• However, they’re the most likely to drink alcohol: 82% do so, but only 1 in 10 say they smoke
Conservative Party
• Conservative supporters are the happiest, with 68% claiming they feel mostly or very happy
• They are the thirstiest, too; 56% drink alcohol twice a week or more and 6% drink every day
• Some 86% of Tory voters are self-confessed carnivores (with associated effects on the environment)
• However, they are not far behind the LibDems in terms of believing they have the healthiest diet, with an average score of more than 7 out of 10
• One in five counts themselves as a rugby fan
Labour Party
• These voters are the least likely to drink alcohol (69%)
• They label themselves as having the worst diet out of voters – only producing an average score of 6.5 out of 10
• Around two thirds – 66% – have takeaways delivered at least once a month
• Overall, they think they are the most unattractive, with 30% believing they are unattractive or not very attractive
Brexit Party
• They are the least happy (although only just beating Labour voters to this dubious accolade) with only 51% saying they are mostly or very happy and 22% claiming they are sad
• They are also the least energetic, with only 42% saying they usually/always feel energetic
• Only a third give themselves a score of 7 out of 10 or higher for their level of physical activity
• Almost a quarter (24%) say they smoke
• They are the likeliest to take a chance on the National Lottery (24%)
Marketing Metrix founder and chief executive Bill Portlock said: “All of the current analysis out there is looking at the main candidates, in some cases in minute detail. So we wanted to see how ordinary people differ and how they feel about themselves, alongside their voting intentions. The results give a fascinating – and at times unexpected – view of the UK public’s attitudes that sit alongside shifting traditional voter allegiances.”
Marketing Metrix’s boffins have already correctly predicted the outcome of various events, such as Nadiya Hussain’s Great British Bake Off victory. Portlock added: “We’ve had success with this type of analysis before so – based on our own data – we’re prepared to stick our necks out for a victory for Boris Johnson of 20 or more seats.”
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