INTELLIGENCE-LED ANALYSIS FOR POLITICAL INFLUENCE
The IQ Methodology
The IQ applies the intelligence cycle — the structured six-stage process used in UK Military Intelligence — to score political influence across eight dimensions. No editorial judgement. No opinion polling. Just method, data, and the network map.
Most political coverage conflates visibility with influence. A politician trending on social media is not necessarily gaining power. Our Influence Score separates the two — updated every Sunday and Thursday across eight scored dimensions.
THE INTELLIGENCE CYCLE
A Structured Approach to Political Analysis
Six stages. Same structured process used in UK Military Intelligence — applied to political analysis.
Requirements
We identify the questions that matter: which politicians are accumulating power, which are losing it, and what structural forces — financial, relational, positional — are driving the change.
Planning and Direction
Collection priorities are set based on the current political landscape. Key events — reshuffles, rebellions, scandals, spending disclosures — trigger targeted data gathering across OSINT sources.
Collection
Data drawn from parliamentary votes, Electoral Commission filings, 150,000+ news sources, sentiment analysis, committee and APPG memberships, registered interests, and election results.
Processing and Exploitation
Raw data is filtered, structured, and cross-referenced. AI assists with classification and entity extraction. Human analysts verify edge cases and flag anomalies.
Analysis and Production
Processed data feeds into the eight-dimensional Influence Score algorithm. Graph-theoretic network metrics — PageRank, betweenness centrality, eigenvector centrality — are computed for every politician.
Dissemination
The Influence Score publishes every Sunday and Thursday. The Political Tide, Movers & Shakers, and TVRA assessments are updated simultaneously across The IQ Hub and Network.
DATA COLLECTION
Comprehensive Intelligence Gathering
Five categories of OSINT data, cross-referenced and updated continuously.
Voting Records: Parliamentary divisions, rebellion rates, party loyalty scores — tracking how politicians actually vote, not what they say.
Financial Disclosures: Electoral Commission donations, registered interests, and financial networks — following the money that funds political power.
News & Sentiment: 150,000+ sources monitored continuously. Sentiment scoring distinguishes positive coverage from negative — volume alone means nothing.
Network Relationships: Committee co-memberships, APPG links, shared donors, shared interests, and media co-mentions — six relationship types building the network graph.
Electoral & Positional Data: Seat majorities, government roles, shadow cabinet positions, years served — the structural foundations of political power.
THE INFLUENCE SCORE
Our Algorithm: Data Meets Game Theory
Eight scored dimensions fed by OSINT data, weighted by role and domain, refined by game-theoretic modelling.
Algorithm Variables
Positional & Scrutiny Scores: Government role weight, parliamentary questions, committee activity, and legislative contributions.
Financial & Electoral Scores: Donation networks, registered interests, seat majority, and voting record analysis.
Media & Attention Scores: News sentiment volume and tone, social and search attention metrics — adjusted for relevance, not popularity.
Network & Experience Scores: Graph centrality measures (PageRank, betweenness, eigenvector) plus years served and roles held.
Game Theory Integration
The algorithm incorporates game-theoretic modelling to simulate strategic decision-making among political actors. When a reshuffle occurs, a rebellion breaks out, or a major donor shifts allegiance, the model recalculates equilibrium positions — identifying who benefits and who loses.
This is not prediction. It is structured scenario analysis: given the current network of relationships and incentives, which politicians are positioned to gain influence and which face structural risk?
REAL-WORLD IMPACT
Applications of Our Analysis
Three audiences. One methodology. Different applications.
For Political Analysts and Journalists
Data-backed intelligence on who holds real power — not who's making noise. Influence Scores, network maps, and rebellion tracking provide stories that start with evidence.
For Businesses and Investors
TVRA risk assessments and network centrality scores for every UK politician. Know the political risk landscape before it shows up in the Financial Times.
For Advocacy Groups and NGOs
Network centrality identifies the highest-leverage entry points into the political network. Stop lobbying by visibility. Start lobbying by influence.
Staying Two Steps Ahead
The IQ exists because political analysis should be built on method, not instinct. Eight scored dimensions. Six relationship types. Graph-theoretic network metrics. Military intelligence methodology. Updated every Sunday and Thursday.
Influence is not popularity. The Influence Score measures real power — and the network that sustains it.