'Persuasion audience' Tory strategy leaflet shows target voters are all white
The Guardian|June 17, 2024
Meet Harold, Denise, Alison and Mark: the four key target audiences identified by Conservative strategists as the right people to win them seats in the general election.
Henry Dyer
'Persuasion audience' Tory strategy leaflet shows target voters are all white

The four theoretical voters are defined as the "persuasion audience", very likely to head to the polls and open to considering backing the Tories.

The internal document from Conservative campaign headquarters' voter insight team, which the Guardian has seen, reveals the characteristics of those that local campaigners are being urged to focus on.

The cover of the guide, titled Targeting the Right Voters to Win Your Seat, shows a cross-section of Britain, spanning ages and ethnic backgrounds. It has arrows showing the right voters to be targeted, pointing at illustrations of Harold, Denise, Alison and Mark, all of whom are white.

Party strategists may want to reconsider the guide's first message to campaigners. The document opens with a quote attributed to Lynton Crosby, the Australian political strategist: "Go duck hunting where the ducks are."

Harold

This story is from the June 17, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the June 17, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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