What’s the point of asking people which animal the Tory leadership candidates most remind them of – apart from trivialising their opinions?
“What animal does this politician remind you of?” “Which of these future prime ministers would you go for a drink with?” “What item of clothing is this person?” The questions posed to focus groups would really tell voters, if they cared to listen, what the so-called metropolitan elite thinks of them. That they’re idiots.
This isn’t to say that there is no point talking politics to regular people. You can learn really useful things when you actually listen, especially when multiple voices spontaneously make the same point. But the process generally lacks the trust and patience. Why wait for people to have their own ideas, when you could get to your weird destination much faster by asking which candidate’s nose looks more leaderly?
Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist
