Perception Panel: Dec 14th, 2005

PERCEPTION PANEL How does it work? Which buttons do I press? Latest Panel

The Perception Panel is a new facility that measures how you the viewers are reacting to speeches, conferences and parliamentary business. We're the first TV programme in the world to do this, and we want you to get involved: call 0800 027 3036 for more details, or read on!

Thanks to all of you who've joined in with the Perception Panels so far. We're using it now to look at Prime Minister's Questions, Tony Blair's weekly grilling before the Commons.

Whether you're loved-up over Labour, keen on the Conservatives, or la-la about the Lib Dems, we want to know about it.

From the comfort of your armchair you can tell us whether you're loving or hating what the MPs are saying -- as they're saying it.

How does it work?

About ten minutes before PMQs, we'll ask you to use your landline telephone to ring the freephone number 0800 027 3036. Then Andrew will ask you a few questions - but he'll go easier on you than he does on our guests!

Which buttons do I press? If you like what's said: 4 If you really like it: 1 If you dislike what's said: 6 If you really dislike it: 3

You tell us a little bit about yourself and then stay on the line. While you watch the debate in the Commons, you push numbers on your telephone keypad to tell us if you're feeling negative or positive about what is being said.

We then frantically crunch the numbers and before the end of the programme, our snazzy graphs show what you made of the exchange.

Latest Panel: Dec 14th, 2005

You jammed the phone lines again this week, seemingly as curious as us to see whether David Cameron could maintain - or even build on - the momentum of his debut PMQs last week.

Tony Blair, meanwhile, was keen to show he could handle the new "no-Punch-and-Judy" style of politics, and Charles Kennedy was even more keen to show that he's still the man to lead his party. So, with Christmas just around the corner, how full of goodwill were you?

The select few

The first exchange we analysed was that where the Prime Minister said that selection on basis of academic ability was the dividing line between himself and David Cameron.

Interestingly, Mr Cameron does well with the 18-34 year olds - an age group, of course, that the Tories are interested in targeting. Then, among that age group, there are more negatives as soon as the PM stands up to talk, but when he portrays himself as being against selection, his approval rating too goes up.

Pulling up his socks

After speculation that Mr Kennedy has been told to pull up his socks or resign his party's leadership, the Lib Dems' top man came back fighting, taking up the cause of terror suspects allegedly being transported arounf the world by the United States on rendition flights.

This is clearly a subject that exercises voters, and you can see a huge surge in support for Kennedy among Labour supporters as the Lib Dem leader speaks; even when Tony Blair justifies the government's position, the Labour supporters' approval drops below the line. With Conservative and Lib Dem supporters, the picture is much the same, except with almost no support at all for Mr Blair.

Well, the last PMQs of 2005 were very far from petering out, and next year should be an interesting and eventful one in the political world. So if you want to register your approval or otherwise of the protagonists, you know where to come, folks!

Get in touch

Tune in on Wednesdays with your fingers poised over the freephone number: 0800 027 3036.

If you have anything to tell us about the Perception Panel, or any other aspect of The Daily Politics, please do email us at [e-mail] or send a text message on 82237 while we're on air.