NOP and Mori joint exit poll vindicated after Labour victory

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 09-May-05

LONDON - BBC and ITV News' decision to commission NOP World and Mori to do a joint exit poll for the General Election paid off, with the survey predicting a Labour majority of 66 seats, just one seat off the official 67 majority.

It marks the first time NOP and Mori have teamed for a joint exit poll. The decision to go for a joint poll was made in an effort to minimise the risk of calling the wrong result.

Previously, NOP had partnered the BBC since the 1992 General Election and Mori has worked with ITV News for the last two General Elections.

The 2005 66-seat Labour majority prediction will pave the way for future TV election polls to be conducted in the same way.

Ben Page, director of Mori's Social Research Institute, said: "The Mori/NOP exit poll is as good as you're going to get. It shows that the British are so much better at doing these than the Americans."

The exit poll fieldwork, which polled more than 16,000 voters, took place on election day at a number of carefully selected polling stations throughout the country, where voters were asked how they had voted.

The data was analysed by a joint BBC and ITV team of political specialists to produce an estimate of the election result.

The 2005 General Election on May 5, saw Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair re-elected with a 67-seat majority, marking an historic third term for Labour.

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