The appeal of constituency campaigning


TECHNOLOGY MAY NEVER replace traditional political campaigning, suggests recent research. Despite a sharp rise in modern approaches such as e-campaigning, there is a near constant – the electoral effectiveness of traditional modes of campaigning. “This approach delivers


Burglary risk highest for least advantaged groups


HOUSEHOLDS IN BRITAIN are three times less likely to be burgled today than in 1993. Yet the relative risk of burglary is now much higher for some groups in society than others, says recent research. “The distribution of burglary in our


society has become much more unjust,” says researcher Professor Andromachi Tseloni. “Today, social renters are three times more at risk of being burgled than homeowners. The relative risk of burglary is also greater for groups such as lone parents, ethnic minority households, low-income households and those living in deprived areas.” Increased security, researchers


believe, has played a major role in the fall in burglary rates over the past 25 years. Research led by Professor Tseloni finds that a combination of just four specific burglary devices offers 49 times more protection than having no security at all. Fitting window locks, interior lights and timer, double or deadlocks and external lights (WIDE) is the most effective security combination. Adding any more security measures


on top of WIDE does not afford any further protection and, interestingly, a burglar alarm on its own appears to increase burglary risk and, added onto other measures, reduces their combined protection. Fitting external lights on a sensor appears to provide


the greatest protection against burglary if only one device can be afforded. The study finds that groups such as


social renters who are most vulnerable to burglary also have lower levels of security protection for their homes than others. The level of reported burglary has remained constant at some 700,000 cases a year for the past 12 years. Further reductions in burglary crime would, researchers believe, only be achievable if resources were now focused on those groups at higher risk of burglary. “In our view, local authorities


and social landlords should upgrade their properties with the WIDE security combination recommended by our research,” says Professor Tseloni. “Raising awareness of WIDE, introducing neighbourhood watch type initiatives and replacing poor windows and doors for home owners who cannot afford that expense are some of the other measures that could help ensure that certain groups in society do not suffer unduly from criminal activity.” n


i Contact Professor Andromachi Tseloni,


Nottingham Trent University Email andromachi.tseloni@ntu.ac.uk Web www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groups-and- centres/projects/burglary-security Telephone 0115 8484704 ESRC Grant Number ES/K003771/1


positive payoffs more often than not,” researcher Professor Justin Fisher points out. “Approaches such as e-campaigning may not be alternatives to traditionalism. Rather, they will always play a supporting role to the enduring positive impact of campaign approaches that have far longer roots.” Findings show that the


constituency campaigns of all three main Great Britain political parties as well as UKIP delivered electoral benefits in the 2015 General Election despite the increased level of multi-party competition. In terms of successful campaigning, research reveals that 2015 was the election when Conservative constituency campaigns ‘clicked’, when previously the party had struggled to target resources effectively. Labour and Liberal Democrat campaigns also delivered positive electoral gains, suggesting, if nothing else, that their results could have been even worse had their campaigns not been so well-managed.


“What is clear for all parties is that face-to-face campaigning delivers positive electoral benefits,” explains Professor Fisher. “Regardless of technological developments, the human touch still matters and seemingly has more impact on voters.” n


i


Contact Professor Justin Fisher, Brunel University London Email justin.fisher@brunel.ac.uk Telephone 01895 266309 ESRC Grant Number ES/M007251/1


SUMMER 2017 SOCIETY NOW 7


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