Patrick Sturgis, Professor of Research Methodology in Social Statistics and Demography, has been appointed Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee on Political Polling and Digital Media.
The Committee was appointed on 29 June 2017 to consider the effects of political polling and digital media on politics and will publish a report and provide recommendations by 31 March 2018.
The role will draw on Professor Sturgis’ position as Director of the National Centre for Research Methods which has a strong focus on survey and statistical methods.
Last year, Professor Sturgis chaired the British Polling Council/Market Research Society Inquiry into what went wrong with the 2015 General Election polls.
The Select Committee will build on, and extend the findings and recommendations of, the Sturgis Inquiry to consider issues such as how political polls affect political decision-making and voter behaviour in the digital age and whether a new regulatory framework for polling might be necessary.
Professor Sturgis said he was honoured to take on the position of Specialist Advisor:
“The place of political opinion polls in democracy has long been a contentious issue and their value is increasingly being questioned following a series of recent elections in which the pollsters have not covered themselves in glory.
“Working with the Committee offers a timely opportunity to take a detailed look at how polls are commissioned, conducted, and reported on by the media in the digital age and I am very much looking forward to the work ahead.”
