The Despatches Debate- Freedom of Speach?

[admarlow]

Did anyone watch it, what did you think? Did it change your mind about anything?

[dummkopf]

I saw the programme and thought it was quite 'limp'
Mr Khan was well rehearsed unfortunately his opponent was not as articulate. As for the black muslim ranting and raving that just typifies how a lot of muslims react to anyone who dares to say anything against them. He needs to get his blood pressure checked ! So if you didn't see the programme you didn't miss much IMHO.

[*ALFIE*]

will the programme be repeated ?

[45703]

This is from the debate in Italy. Freedom of speech? Not if the Muslims have their way.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/607839 2.stm

[jake-the-peg]

actually admarlow the question was:

Would you support or oppose there being areas of Britain which are pre-dominantly Muslim and in which Sharia Law is introduced?

Support 40%
Oppose 41%
Don't know 19%

They failed to get a majority even by adding the "in predominantly muslim areas" rider.

But of course if you play the old trick of adding the don't knows on you get 60% which is nearly a third isn't it?

I must say I'm a bit surprised it was that close - I imagine the "muslim area" bit was important.

Thing I draw from this most is exactly how fast and loose the media are prepared to play with the figures

[admarlow]

your figures must be from a different survey as the results are different, the channel 4 one had 33% not 40%, I also think (but of course can't be 100% without the actual survey paper) that channel 4 wouldn't bend the information that much and get away with it.

[admarlow]

I have found the survey that C4 commisioned and it was done by GFK who are in the top 5 research companys world wide. The exact questions asked are at the top of each graph and the questions discussed here are mostly on pages 17 & 34.

http://www.imaginate.uk.com/MCC01_SURVEY/Site% 20Download.pdf

[jake-the-peg]

Well ICM research did the Telegraph one and they're not exactly amateurs either!

One of the problems in polling small or isolated groups is in getting a representative sample. Note that both surveys claim to have weighted the results to reflect the 2001 census distribution- a common technique is also to ask one respondant for another contact who they can poll. The danger here is that you can tend to amplify an existing trend as one person tends to recommend a friend who shares their views.

So if I ask you who you're going to vote for and can you give me 3 other people to ask the chances are they'll answer the same way.

May be that neither are all that reliable

[admarlow]

JTP thats an interesting point about how data is captured. In the case of the GFK poll it is not the case though. Page 3 of the report goes it the method and sampling. They used Random Digit Dialing, and followed it up with profiling so it looks prettty robust.