Labour to tap into Obama campaign technology to target swing voters

Labour in Scotland will today launch its biggest ever telephone blitz with up to 200,000 swing voters in marginal seats being contacted.

Labour are to use technology which helped propel Barack Obama to the US presidency. Pic: Steffi Loos/Getty Images

The party will roll out advanced campaign software – which helped propel Barack Obama to power in the US – over the weekend, targeting seats where it believes it can beat the SNP.

Labour campaign chief James Kelly said: “These are areas where it is a two-horse race between Labour and the SNP, and voting Tory in these areas will just let the Nationalists back in.

“With postal ballots landing on doormats across Scotland, and polling day less than a fortnight away, voters are turning their minds to the election and they are increasingly fed up with Nicola Sturgeon’s record in office.”

The cutting-edge technology, inspired by successful electioneering from progressive parties in Europe and the Obama presidential campaign, uses socio-demographic modelling and polling to identify the key swing voters in each constituency.

Edinburgh South, East Lothian and East Renfrewshire are among the seats being targeted.