Local Data Enters the Political Conversation
With May 1st Elections Looming, Hull Mayoral Candidate Faces First of Suffrago's Data-Backed Interviews
Something refreshingly straightforward just happened. Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate Rowan Halstead sat down for what would normally be a standard political interview. Instead, he encountered questions backed by specific local data about the issues facing Hull residents.
"Hull ranks in the bottom 20% of UK constituencies for median salary at £25,500 pre-tax. Do you think this is a problem, and if so, what would you do to solve it?"
No grand statements. No aggressive confrontation. Just a clear question rooted in measurable local reality.
When Data Grounds the Conversation
Political interviews typically follow familiar patterns. Candidates arrive with prepared statements. Journalists ask broad questions. Everyone sticks to their script.
But Suffrago's approach introduces a simple change: bringing constituency-specific data directly into the conversation.
When told about Hull's placement in the bottom 10% for pension income, Halstead responded with specifics rather than generalities: "Education, absolutely education. I've invested in my pension since I joined the army at 18... But for a lot of people, they either don't know about it or don't have the means to do it – we should be teaching this in schools from Year 7."
This wasn't about catching a candidate off guard. It was about creating a space where actual local conditions became the focus of discussion.
You can watch a clip of the interview on Tiktok
The Value of Consistency
If candidates from smaller parties receive this level of locally-relevant, data-informed questioning, it establishes a baseline for how conversations with candidates from major parties should proceed.
Imagine Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat candidates facing the same level of local specificity in their interviews. The data doesn't change based on party affiliation. The challenges facing Hull residents remain consistent regardless of party or ideology.
This creates a framework where voters can compare responses to identical local conditions rather than trying to decipher competing national narratives.
Numbers with Meaning
For people in Hull, £25,500 is a lived reality. It represents daily financial decisions, limitations, and trade-offs. By centering these realities in political interviews, we connect policy discussions to lived experiences.
When Halstead discussed education and apprenticeships, he was responding directly to the salary data: "We're a world leader when it comes to clean energy, there's the Siemens offshore wind farms for example, so we need to create more high-quality jobs by encouraging businesses already here to expand."
When Jessica asked about Suffrago, Halstead recognised the practical utility: "It's definitely something I want to pursue further. Not only is it helpful to have data sets so we can really localise where these issues are, but also for cutting red tape around administrative issues."
Looking Forward
As Suffrago's network of Local Democracy Reporters expands, this template for data-grounded political conversation will reach more constituencies and candidates. The approach is deliberately simple: bring relevant local facts into political discussions and let voters see how candidates respond.
Will major party candidates engage as directly with local data as Halstead did? Will consistent questioning across party lines reveal meaningful differences in approach to shared local challenges? These questions will be answered as more interviews follow this initial template.
For now, this modest shift in how political interviews are conducted offers a practical path toward more locally relevant political conversations. No revolution required, just better information presented at the right moment.
This article was based on an interview conducted by Jessica Harpin, one of Suffrago's Local Democracy Reporters. To explore your constituency data or submit issues important to your area, visit suffrago.org.