by Don Paskini

Lord Ashcroft did some polling on public attitudes on various subjects as part of his “Project Blueprint” research for the Tories. Some of the results deserve a wider audience, as every single one of the following is the exact opposite of what many opinion formers in the Westminster Bubble claim that “the people” think:

When asked whether they regarded various things as “positive or negative aspects of Britain today”, the Daily Mail came out bottom, viewed less positively than “membership of the European Union”, “the TUC”, “ethnic and religious diversity”, “civil partnerships for gay couples” and “the BBC”. The NHS was viewed most positively, then the BBC, then the Royal Family.

43% felt that Labour had the best approach to welfare, compared to only 30% who backed the Tories.

Fewer people supported the general aims of the Taxpayer’s Alliance than supported Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Fathers for Justice, the Electoral Reform Society, Liberty or the Stop the War coalition. More than half of people didn’t even know what the aims of the Taxpayer’s Alliance were.

Ed Miliband is viewed more positively than Tony Blair.

82% think that “Britain is becoming too much like America”.

54% think that “the gap between rich and poor should not be allowed to get too wide, even if that means holding back the richest”.

64% think that “people are entitled to expect more from government”.

17% think that they will inherit enough to pay Inheritance Tax, 33% think that they will have to pay for the long term care of an elderly relative.

People think that the top priorities for the Tories are “the rich”, “traditional married families” and “big business”. They think that the Tories’ lowest priorities are “ordinary working people” and “the working poor”.

People think that the top priorities for Labour are “ordinary working people”, “people on state benefits” and “trade unionists”. They think that Labour’s lowest priorities are “the rich”, “big business” and “traditional families”.

You can read the full results here.