Len Metson
@lenmetson.com
420 followers 730 following 33 posts
PhD candidate @LSEGovernment 📚 Interested in campaigns, applied data science and field experiments 💻 he/him 🌐 lenmetson.com
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lenmetson.com
On my way to @psaepop.bsky.social to present this paper at the PhD pre-conference today at 1pm and the Campaigns panel on Friday at 4pm -

Looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing about lots of exciting research!

#EPOP2025
Paper abstract: "Political campaigns are adopting increasingly sophisticated software to automate highly tailored communication with supporters and potential supporters. This allows campaigns to adapt messages using a wider range of individual-level information, such as individuals’ preferences, previous communications, or issue priorities. Despite a growing literature on micro-targeting by campaigns, previous literature mostly focuses on messages tailored to demographic characteristics. Less is known about the effects of tailoring using individual-level information, which is an increasingly viable option for campaigns. Furthermore, existing literature is reliant upon survey experiments, meaning there is limited understanding of the behavioural effects of targeted political communication in real-world settings. This paper presents the results of a large-scale field experiment (N=11,743) conducted collaboratively with a British pressure group during a real petition campaign. The campaign organisation’s mailing list was randomly assigned to a pure control group or to one of three emails: (1) untailored; (2) tailored; and (3) tailored with explicit reference to the tailoring. The findings reveal that whilst both tailored emails mobilise petition signatures, the effect is substantially larger when emails are explicitly tailored. Notably, no significant difference was observed between plain tailored and untailored conditions. These results provide two theoretical contributions. Firstly, despite theoretical fears of backlash to over-tailored communication in previous literature, individuals respond positively when they are explicitly told that content is individually tailored to them. Additionally, in line with organisational theories of activism, the results provide evidence that tailoring at the individual level acts as a signal of a campaign organisation’s responsiveness."
Reposted by Len Metson
poalab.bsky.social
ESRC-funded PhD @lsegovernment.bsky.social × Campaign Lab: New Ways to Think Political Persuasion (start Sep 2026, 3.5 yrs)

Methods-heavy (experiments/computation)

Topics: multi-stage persuasion, interpersonal mechanisms, AI–voter interactions

📅Apply by 10 Dec 2025: www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
www.lse.ac.uk
lenmetson.com
Aesthetic validity > internal validity
Reposted by Len Metson
sarahobolt.bsky.social
Great opportunity if you’re interested in pursuing a PhD in political science at @lsegovernment.bsky.social - with a particular interest in elections and campaigning ⬇️
florianfoos.bsky.social
🚨 We have a cool new ESRC PhD studentship opportunity on the topic of political persuasion for someone interested in campaigning, field experiments and/or computational methods @lsegovernment.bsky.social, in collaboration with
@campaign-lab.bsky.social. All info 👇
www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
www.lse.ac.uk
lenmetson.com
Could not recommend this highly enough - LSE is a great place to be doing a PhD, and Campaign Lab are a fantastic organisation to collaborate with -

More than happy to talk to anyone thinking of applying!
florianfoos.bsky.social
🚨 We have a cool new ESRC PhD studentship opportunity on the topic of political persuasion for someone interested in campaigning, field experiments and/or computational methods @lsegovernment.bsky.social, in collaboration with
@campaign-lab.bsky.social. All info 👇
www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
www.lse.ac.uk
Reposted by Len Metson
florianfoos.bsky.social
🚨 We have a cool new ESRC PhD studentship opportunity on the topic of political persuasion for someone interested in campaigning, field experiments and/or computational methods @lsegovernment.bsky.social, in collaboration with
@campaign-lab.bsky.social. All info 👇
www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse...
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
LSE Collaborative Studentship with Campaign Lab
www.lse.ac.uk
Reposted by Len Metson
florianfoos.bsky.social
Anyone remembers the panic in 2023 because Labour lost a by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip over ULEZ expansion, and the pressure Khan was under to axe his climate/air quality policies? Feels like a decade ago now.
josiah.writes.news
Some good news.

London is meeting legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s "world leading air pollution policies," City Hall announces.

The Ultra Low Emissions Zone - and similar policies - really do work.
Reposted by Len Metson
samfr.bsky.social
Can someone ask Farage or Zia Yusuf why, if they're so concerned about incitement to violence, they had Lucy Connolly as a guest star at their conference?
lenmetson.com
Some more recent polling: headline figures on 'Reform are racist' seem similar since July 2024

bsky.app/profile/youg...
yougov.co.uk
Labour have been on the attack, branding Reform UK policies "racist" . A new YouGov poll for @itvpeston.bsky.social examines what Britons think

% saying Reform UK...

policies are generally racist: 46% (net +10)
party is generally racist: 47% (net +11)
voters are generally racist: 43% (net +8)
Reposted by Len Metson
yougov.co.uk
Labour have been on the attack, branding Reform UK policies "racist" . A new YouGov poll for @itvpeston.bsky.social examines what Britons think

% saying Reform UK...

policies are generally racist: 46% (net +10)
party is generally racist: 47% (net +11)
voters are generally racist: 43% (net +8)
Reposted by Len Metson
pavisuri.bsky.social
I hope Starmer doesn’t retreat from the tone he struck yesterday. Lesson from the U.S.: the far right will accuse you of everything they already do. The shamelessness IS a tactic. Biden simply retreated from engaging. But people need to keep hearing a version of what starmer said. Every Single Day.
iandunt.bsky.social
People often claim it's a mistake to call far-right figures racist. But it's extremely telling how much they hate being called racist. Farage doesn't welcome it. He is afraid of it. And he has benefited from people's reticence about using it to describe his policies.
twlldun.bsky.social
Harry Cole here, suggesting that because someone in Utah shot Charlie Kirk 3 weeks ago, Keir Starmer shouldn’t be nasty about Nigel Farage in the U.K.
Reposted by Len Metson
iandunt.bsky.social
People often claim it's a mistake to call far-right figures racist. But it's extremely telling how much they hate being called racist. Farage doesn't welcome it. He is afraid of it. And he has benefited from people's reticence about using it to describe his policies.
twlldun.bsky.social
Harry Cole here, suggesting that because someone in Utah shot Charlie Kirk 3 weeks ago, Keir Starmer shouldn’t be nasty about Nigel Farage in the U.K.
lenmetson.com
I wonder how large the gap between people's perceptions of these descriptive norms and reality is, given the huge amount of attention Reform has got from the media and other party leaders
sundersays.bsky.social
Public views of Reform,July 2024

Need to do more to keep out candidates with racist views:
64% to 9% (+55)

Risk bringing prejudice to immigration debate
51% to 20% (+31)

Say things they shouldn't say
45% to 24% (+21)

Mainly dangerous + divisive
43% to 28% (+15)

Racist
41% to 30%
29% on fence
lenmetson.com
Not sure that's a problem with the survey design - if the group is big, they are a larger part of society, so the issue sort of takes care of itself, no?
Reposted by Len Metson
sundersays.bsky.social
Public views of Reform,July 2024

Need to do more to keep out candidates with racist views:
64% to 9% (+55)

Risk bringing prejudice to immigration debate
51% to 20% (+31)

Say things they shouldn't say
45% to 24% (+21)

Mainly dangerous + divisive
43% to 28% (+15)

Racist
41% to 30%
29% on fence
lenmetson.com
At the Campaign Fringe by @campaign-lab.bsky.social today -

If you're in Liverpool today, make sure to drop by to meet some amazing campaigners and chat about what works in campaigning!

It's at Camp & Furnace (outside the main conference area) so you do not need a pass to come

luma.com/rpu1av03
Stand with posters Panel discussion Sign reading Expo
lenmetson.com
Congratulations 🎉
Reposted by Len Metson
campaign-lab.bsky.social
Check out the full programme of the Campaign Fringe at #Lab25 to plan the best way to spend the day

🔗 mailchi.mp/fc4c936052a8...

Dont forget to sign up today

📍 Camp and Furnace: L1 0BY
🕛 29th September: 11:00 - 19:00
🔗 luma.com/rpu1av03
Reposted by Len Metson
labour4transrights.bsky.social
Thank you to those who joined us for our Labour for Trans Rights campaign day with one of our top allies in Parliament, @alexsobel.co.uk 🏳️‍⚧️
LfTR Campaign Day with Alex Sobel MP
Reposted by Len Metson
owenwntr.bsky.social
We estimate that Donald Trump's approval rating is negative among 2024 voters in eight states that voted for him in November:

Texas -1
Arizona -3
Pennsylvania -6
Nevada -6
North Carolina -7
Georgia -10
Wisconsin -11
Michigan -11
Reposted by Len Metson
dylandifford.bsky.social
Imagine you're in a weird romcom where Paul Hollywood is your rival. Do you go "let's have a bread baking competition" or do you emphasise your own relative strengths?

Because that in short has been the central problem with the traditional two's approach to anti-immigration voters and Reform UK.
Reposted by Len Metson
adambienkov.bsky.social
Shame on Downing Street for going along with this. So much for being committed to a free press