What's with the Labour party adverts on MN?

[NorkyButNice]

I don't know why but it makes me very uncomfortable - it feels a bit like MN ought to be impartial like the BBC when it comes to party politics (even if the people who frequent it are in the majority Labour voters).

I presume they are paying for their ads? Will the Tories and Liberals get the same opportunities?

[Wolfmother]

Well, the Guardian is cravenly pro-Labour, so what do you expect?

[NorkyButNice]

I don't know, but do we have to be so blatantly in bed with Labour?

[said]

Not sure it has to be impartial and I've not noticed the ads yet. There's an interview with David Willetts on the right hand side hear (not watched it)

[Anguis]

In fairness to MN there are plenty of Tory party ads on site here

I've not seen these ads, but I'm sure MN wd take adverts from all main parties on the same terms. Whether the tories would want to advertise here is open question, though. I suppose they will wait and see what the MN voting intention polls show.

[NorkyButNice]

On the Mumsnet Talk page you get a Labour party advert that links through to Labour webpages.

There aren't any similar links to other party website that I can see on MN - like I said I'd be interested to know if they paid for the advertising space?

[Anguis]

BNP wd be out of the running in the same way that Nestle is.

[NorkyButNice]

I think that's what makes me uncomfortable too - assuming that Labour did pay, then how is it decided who can and can't advertise?

If there are BNP votes on MN then should their party be allowed to advertise along with everyone else?

[said]

I imagine it's down to mn who can and can't advertise. If they don't like the product, it won't got in. Or rather, if they find the product offensive, they won't take their money. I assume it's as simple as that.

[PollyTroll]

I would be a substantial sum that Labour paid the going rate for the ad space, and that MNHQ would happily take money off the LibDems and the Tories (and the Greens) for the same service.

As for the policy - I think the policy is: will accepting this ad cause MNers to rise up en masse? To which the answer, in case of both Nestle and the BNP, would be 'yes'.

[PollyTroll]

Here's the ad policy:

Mumsnet is akin to a social enterprise. Though the site is a business and we hope to be a profitable one, our overarching aim is not the pursuit of profits. We manage Mumsnet with the aim of serving our community as much as serving our shareholders and we endeavour to conduct business in an ethical manner.

With this in mind, Mumsnet supports the WHO/UNICEF International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and we do not accept advertising from a number of companies including Nestle and McDonald's, and for a number of products, such as formula milk and cosmetic surgery, that we believe do not sit well with our philosophy - namely to make parents' lives easier.

[memoo]

I guess mumsnet has to make money through adevertising space or this wonderful website wouldn't be available for free for us all

[PollyTroll]

Norky, can I ask what it is that makes you say that MNHQ is 'blatantly in bed with Labour'?

According to last year's survey, Labour voters are in nothing like a majority on here. Labour polled 17 per cent to the Tories' and LibDems' 16 per cent (each).

[NorkyButNice]

I'm sure the Tories won't be far behind then, so we can expect to see their ads in the next few days or weeks.

I still find it strange to think that someone may come to MN for the first time and be met by propaganda from any particular political party. I think it would put me off using the website if my political leanings were the other way.

[NorkyButNice]

PollyTroll - I think having a Labour party ad on one of the front pages on MN makes us appear to be "in bed with Labour".

As I said in my last post, if I came along as a newbie and saw that, I would assume that Labour was the party of choice for MNers.

[Anguis]

I'm with pollytroll on this one. I don't see anything at all to suggest that MNHQ favours Labour. And I don't have any probs with adverts for political parties in the paid-for spaces. Except for the vile parties, BNP ect. Which the MN advert policy would exclude for sure.

[tartyhighheels]

I have no issue whatsoever being in bed with the Labour Party - It is different to Nestle etc because they are sinister bastards..... It is up to MN who they want on here and not worth getting worked up over.

I think we are all intelligent enough to vote for whom we choose rather than for the party who had a nice ad on MN...

[PollyTroll]

swc, I don't believe for a second that MNHQ would accept Labour advertising but not Tory advertising, and I don't think you have any evidence to support the accusation that they would.

MN isn't a taxpayer-supported site, and doesn't fall under any of the regulations concerning political advertising. It's just the same as billboard advertising - if the parties have the money and want to buy the space, MNHQ is free to take their business.

The Tories have an absolutely farking massive advertising war-chest thanks to Ashcroft and his mysterious taxation arrangements. We'll all be seeing Tory ads until they're coming our of our ears over the next few months.

Similarly, the BNP 'free speech' argument is balls. This isn't the BBC. The BNP doesn't have the right to buy advertising space.

[tartyhighheels]

it feels a bit like MN ought to be impartial like the BBC when it comes to party politics

why? bbc is paid for by all of us through a licence so there is an obligation to impartiality - not so for MN as a private enterprise that requires you to subscribe to it

[PollyTroll]

Norky, fair point about Tory newbs finding it offputting I suppose.

[PollyTroll]

But why on earth would you even entertain the possibility that MNHQ would accept Lab advertising but not Tory? What has MNHQ done to make that a feasible scenario? It's a pretty serious and unpleasant insinuation.

[Kathyjelly]

I noticed it too.

I guess we're going to inundated over the next 12 weeks. I know it helps pay for MN but wish this was one place we could escape from it.