We're recruiting for Mumsnet pre-election focus groups: would you like to take part?

Agree hatwoman.

MNHQ - I know that MNers must come across as demanding and high maintenance toddlers sometimes, but surely you must see that you are excluding a lot of people with these plans. I know that you cannot please everybody but I do think that these arrangements are restrictive.

And I don't moan a lot. I let it go when you didn't give me my requested Twat emoticon. But please rethink this one.

sorry mn, I tried (quite hard - because I was feeling a bit sorry for you!) to see this from your pov, and kept thinking how impossible it would be to do this perfectly but I really think the proposal is flawed.

capping rail fares at £100 is ludicrous.

having the on-line ones in the middle of the day, the same week-day, is also ludicrous. people who do work can't do it (would need to take three days leave); people who don't work can't do it - they'll be giving their kids lunch. (unless they are sahp of school age kids, or are willing and able to get childcare or sit on a computer with hungry children crawling over them.)

if they really want a face-to-face one then don't cap railfares and/or have it in Manchester/Birmingham/Leeds/Sheffield/Liverpool/Newcastle/Cardiff (there are quite a lot of cities outside London...).

I don't think the timing of the face-to-face one is so bad, probably the least-bad option but only if you combine it with something that means the on-line ones can be done without taking leave and/or without getting childcare in. Given the numbers of people on mn and the high level of interest in politics I think you could get a reasonable response/cross section if people only had to sort out work/childcare once. but three times? I just can't see how you'll get the cross-section you want

Right, now I've just read the thread!

I agree that the times are a bit pants. But I thought £100 was quite good for half a day! I've been to some focus groups that don't pay nuttin'!

I'm out of work atm, doing some website writing from home for nothing and desperately seeking work, which means I am free. But if I have to fork out childcare for the kids, well that'll eat into the £100 you're offering and I was going to use that on booze things for the children.

Shame because I'm only an hour and a half away from London Paddington, but I guess you'd have to add another half hour from Paddington to Kentish Town, wherever that is. So nah, I'd rather spout my drivel views on the alternate thread.

I would love to be involved too, but not sure how I would manage the childcare for the children on the London date.

The few times I've tried to book them into the after school club it's been full.

Mind you, £100 could come in very handy.

I have filled the application in ,but do not expect to be considered .

I would participate but can't make the London focus group as I have to be at work at 4pm in Somerset.

thanks justine

Lol Justine, if they change it I might not be able to do it!!!

What about my valid points Justine, hey?!

Mustrun stop it now, you are making far too much sense

Yeah, I agree to an extent, but I guess if they're all online, they cant see that you're a real person etc?! And do their publicity shots!

Oh allright then I am just a grumpy old caaa because I can't come and I want to.

Still think they should have the online groups in the evening. And have them all as online groups anyway so it would give more people who really can't be arsed to traipse to London to join in.

I'm the most pikey mother around, and I can manage it! Only because one lovely friend has agrreed to have ds2 one day and get him to nursery, one online day is during easter hols so I dont need to do the nursery run, and the other one, another friend will drop him, for some reciprocal babysitting. I guess I'm very lucky that I'm not back to work yet.

Yes Ewe - but I imagine there would be a higher proportion of Boden wearing yummy mummies who are available in the middle of the day and have readily available childcare.

It is a tad ridiculous to assume that you only get Boden wearing middle class yummy mummies in London. Given that it is probably one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world and all.

Well I'm not a yummy mummy, and I've applied. (Happen to have a close friend who lives near Kentish town who I think I could kip over with and could have the DC for me for a few hours). It'd be a bit of an adventure.

Oh BOLLOCKS

I filled in the survey without reading properly and thought that could do just one focus group of the three.

I certainly can't do the London one (am not traipsing up there for a couple of hours), and can only really do one of the online groups in the middle of the day.

Some of us WORK you know. Why can the online ones not be in the evening.

So, the upshot of this will be that the focus group will consist of SAHMs with childcare, who live in and around North London.

So will UPHOLD the view that all of us on mumsnet are middle class yummy mummies. It will NOT be a cross section of the actual MN populace.

Of course, this suits the Times very well as that is what they think of MN anyway so it will confirm all their opinions.

We have a very good expression in Norwegian.

PR-H orny

I think a debate about what mumsnet IS, Should be, or is Trying to be, would be quite interesting.

I would love to do this but the daytime thing is impossible for me with 2 preschool age children at home (have used up all my emergency childcare/begging favours options lately with various medical things).
If you do rethink and do an online only thing I'd relish the chance to be involved.

Oh sod it, I've applied anyway. Kids will have to sort themselves out

I can get a train for £41 each way [impressed]or £270 for a return (from Cumbria)

But can't get 23rd off I could have worked around the others too but I needed more notice.

Argh, ordinarily I could do it, but my friend is away so couldnt have ds2 on that mnhq date.I'm going to see if I can beg anyone else.

Having said that, i'm soo out of tiouch with anything, i doubt I'd be any use

And I think 20th April is still easter hols. no? So 2 kids to get rid of.

i appreciate that serenity.. but the whole thing just smacks of a PR stunt, rather than a serious agenda

and using the meeja like this is a double edged sword

how about 3 online focus groups, at different times of the day.. or via webcam/skype.. ?

this is exclusive, not inclusive and will only perpetuate all the crap about MN that has been in the papers..

are MNHQ going to respond??