Behind the Debate: UK General Election Social Data

At a glance Explore UK's General Election 2015 through the lens of social media data. Discover which parties and leaders are sparking discussions and influencing voters.

[buzzradar id="BPN3JZ"] [divider line_type="No Line" custom_height="20"] With the second debate behind us, the UK General Election 2015 is heating up. We know that social media will be integral in influencing voters throughout the campaigning for the election. So, we partnered with our friends at new publication, The Memo, to really explore the conversations taking place ahead of the big vote. You can view the dashboard above, where we'll be examining:

Share of voice between the political parties
The people and issues most talked about
Today’s most used words about the election
Key stats from the last 24 hours

So, what happened last Thursday during the debate? Parties: Labour was the most talked about party with 84% negative and 16% positive sentiment. Conservatives followed up in second with 66% negative and 32% positive sentiment. While the Liberal Democrats came in third in this category, their sentiment was much better at 52% positive and 48% negative. Leaders: Miliband was the most talked about leader with sentiment at 58% negative and 42% positive. Cameron came in second with 67% negative and 33% positive sentiment. Clegg rounded out at third with equal sentiment scores at 50%. Social data isn't enough to fully call the UK election but it does provide some insight into how voters are responding to their debate performances. Follow along with us and The Memo as we continue to analyze the data ahead of all the votes.

Nicky Yates Published on May 3, 2015 9:00 pm

Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQs

Which political party had the most social media mentions during the 2015 UK election debate?

Labour was the most talked about party on social media during the debate. However, they received predominantly negative sentiment at 84% negative compared to 16% positive.

How did David Cameron perform on social media during the election debate?

Cameron was the second most discussed leader on social media during the debate. His sentiment was 67% negative and 33% positive, indicating a largely unfavorable response from social media users.

Which party leader had the best social media sentiment in the 2015 election debate?

Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats had the most balanced sentiment with equal 50% positive and 50% negative responses. This was significantly better than both Miliband and Cameron who received predominantly negative sentiment.

Can social media data predict UK election results?

Social media data alone isn't enough to fully predict UK election outcomes. However, it does provide valuable insight into how voters are responding to debate performances and campaign messaging in real-time.