Vision Critical’s public opinion practice to be polling agency of record for PoliticalBetting.com

London, October 20, 2009 – Britain’s most widely-read political blog, PoliticalBetting.com, now features its own exclusive opinion polls – powered by Vision Critical’s® public opinion practice, Angus Reid Strategies®. The monthly polls will initially track voter intentions, leading up to Britain’s next general election. Further plans include assessing key marginals, as well as gauging the impact of tactical voting. The first poll, published October 20, is now publically available on the political blog.

PoliticalBetting.com has garnered international attention and success as a venue for political discussion. It has received more than a million comments since its debut on the political blogosphere five years ago and was voted “Political Website of the Year” in 2008.

Mike Smithson, the blog’s editor, is excited to be directly involved in the polling process, rather than having to depend on external polls: “When a poll is published, we are reliant on what’s asked and how it is reported by the media organisation that commissioned it,” says Smithson. “Our aim is to make the detailed data available as soon as the poll is published.”

“I am delighted that Politicalbetting.com is able to work with Angus Reid Strategies because of the company’s in-depth experience and international standing,” adds Smithson.

When it comes to calling election outcomes, Angus Reid Strategies has a reputation for accuracy. Since 2006, the public opinion firm has covered eight provincial elections in Canada—more than any other pollster in that country—and the results have accurately predicted the outcome of each. It’s also the only organization to exclusively use online methods to follow the views of the electorate during Canada’s 2008 federal campaign, for which it predicted the most accurate results. Angus Reid Strategies has teamed up with PoliticalBetting.com to expand its international political polling presence into the UK.

“PoliticalBetting.com has quickly established itself as the ‘go to’ site for political news, facts and opinions,” says Andy Morris, UK Research Director for Vision Critical – Angus Reid Strategies’ parent company. “It is the perfect partner to showcase how the internet has changed the nature of debate and research. We’ll be using the techniques that have made us Canada’s most accurate polling organisation to bring a fresh face to opinion polls in Britain.”

About Angus Reid Strategies

Angus Reid Strategies is the global public opinion practice of Vision Critical. Founded by industry veteran Dr. Angus Reid, this practice specializes in the analysis of “citizen markets” and the public commons. Like other Vision Critical practices, it leverages the internet and new media.