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AIBU?

Canvassing on school run.

52 replies

LovelyBath · 05/05/2015 17:32

The labour party were out in force at the school gates today, one on either side so no escape! Can we not even escape it on the school run.?

OP posts:

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Malenky · 05/05/2015 17:33

YANBU, shocking that they think it's an acceptable place to do that. As if the children won't hear enough election crap when they're older!

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WhetherOrNot · 05/05/2015 17:41

I would have used it as a lesson for my child to learn about democracy and voting. Why didn't you, instead of moaning about it?

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Sallystyle · 05/05/2015 17:42

They were at my kids school two weeks ago.

A lot of people were pissed off. I stopped and had a chat with them though as I am a labour supporter. I hate not being able to walk down the road without someone trying to sell me something or get me to sign some petition or whatever, but I was in a good mood that day.

Not really appropriate especially as it is mayhem trying to walk down that road as it is as it is so narrow and full of prams, people and scooters.

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emms1981 · 05/05/2015 18:18

there is a labour poster up in my sons school

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KindergartenKop · 05/05/2015 18:30

I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You don't have to talk to them.

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NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 05/05/2015 18:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Taz1212 · 05/05/2015 18:42

Oh yes, I just posted about this on a thread in Chat! The SNP were out the other day canvassing outside the school playground. I was completely ignored while leaflets were handed to the other three mums. I must give off an anti-SNP vibe.

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lunalelle · 05/05/2015 18:45

Not sure the Tories would have the brass neck to stand at school gates, so I'm fine with it.

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juliascurr · 05/05/2015 18:48

morning not good because of time pressure, but why not home time? I've done it quite often without objection; some people decline a leaflet - fine

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SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/05/2015 18:48

Presumably they thought it would be a good way to reach a large number of parents at one go.

Unless they were behaving inappropriately or saying age-inappropriate things in front of the children, or if they were being pushy and refusing to accept it if someone didn't want to talk to them, I think YABU to object.

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 05/05/2015 18:56

I think it's good plan. Don't engage if you're not interested but it's a good place to grab them and address concerns and pin canvassers down on policies that affect you.

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Neme · 05/05/2015 19:02

I wouldn't mind this. At least they're engaging with voters rather than just shoving leaflets through doors

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Andrewofgg · 05/05/2015 19:12

emms1981 If that had happened when my DS was at school - whichever party it was including the one I intended to vote for - I would have been jumping up and down until it was gone and I am astonished that no parent has complained at your son's school. There's a time and a place and a school is neither.

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Pensionerpeep · 05/05/2015 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OneNight · 05/05/2015 19:18

I don't think that there's anything that a school can do if they were on the public highway and not on school premises as such. If you're aggrieved, this would probably be a matter to take up with the local campaign manager although I wish you well in receiving any substantive response before the election date.

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TwinkieTwinkle · 05/05/2015 19:40

Local SNP candidate came into a closed community meeting, where there were a lot of elderly folk. My father asked what she was doing and pointed out no other candidates were there. She tried to make a joke out of it and said she was trying to go above and beyond what the other candidates were doing. My father then pointed out that perhaps the other candidates didn't have the audacity and sheer rudeness to barge into a private community meeting to do some canvassing. She left soon after.

OP, I would be really annoyed if there were people canvassing at my sons school. A close friend does a lot of canvassing for the SNP, she would never dare try and do that.

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OneNight · 05/05/2015 19:58

Passions are high in some places and judgement is clouded by tension. I think you'll also find that many candidates are new and a fair number of canvassers are new volunteers. People make mistakes in those circumstances.

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TwinkieTwinkle · 05/05/2015 20:00

Surely it's common sense though that you don't pester parents on the school run and you don't go into private meetings, completely uninvited?

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OneNight · 05/05/2015 20:03

I'm not sure that common sense and politics always go hand in hand TwinkieTwinkle. As I said, people make mistakes.

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SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/05/2015 20:06

Whatever government we have after this election will be making decisions that will affect our children's education and future - eg. will there still be a lot of national debt and a big deficit for them to fund when they are working! Will the NHS be properly funded for their health care needs? What will happen in their schools, and in universities?

Surely the school gate is a vital place to be considering these issues?

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TracyBarlow · 05/05/2015 20:11

emms1981 your school is not legally allowed to display any party political posters during purdah if the teachers are employed by the local authority. (Obv not the case if it's an academy)

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kavv0809 · 05/05/2015 20:11

We had the Conservative candidate who is a standing MP of some years service at our school gate the other day. Seemed a bit odd to me, apparently he is doing the rounds.

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Bodyinpyjamas10 · 05/05/2015 20:14

Gosh I think it's absolutely vital that our kids understand and engage with our democratic political system ASAP.

My kids were interested from x very young age. School gates are a great way of accessing public mood and as long as not pushy or shouty that's fine.

Surely we don't want our youngsters educated by extremists from any side,or end up thick like Joey Essex or complete and utter self promoting twatty immature bore fests like Russell brand.

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TwinkieTwinkle · 05/05/2015 20:17

Surely we don't want our youngsters educated by extremists from any side,or end up thick like Joey Essex or complete and utter self promoting twatty immature bore fests like Russell brand.

Bit extreme. We are being bombarded with politics left,right and centre at the moment. I don't really think it is going to make our children thick as shit if people leave the canvassing to more appropriate places than the school gate.

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Bodyinpyjamas10 · 05/05/2015 20:47

Why is the school gate inappropriate? Don't get it. The sooner children engage and understand how a democratic society works the better.

Politics is fundamental to life.

We always explained politics to our kids. All 4 of them are very engaged now as adults and teens.

You are right though about Russell brand! Not extreme enough. As my teenage dds say how in earth can someone of his age be so utterly daft.