Thread 5 Burnham: Be More Dolly (Title edited by MNHQ at the request of the OP)

[DuncinToffee]

Welcome to our long running thread for political discussion, general chit chat, a friendly hug and taxes in kind.

💐 for anyone who needs them.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5567240-thread-4-burnham-be-alert-the-world-needs-more-lerts?page=40&reply=154472439

Me too!

The answer to the first of those questions is clearly ‘yes, YABU’.
Edit: I’ve looked at it now and it’s being ironic which complicates matters! Says something about MN that I was entirely happy to believe it was not…

British Polling Council have referred JLP to Market Research Standards Board.

Statement from the British Polling Council https://www.britishpollingcouncil.org/channel-4-news-investigation-3rd-september-2026-re-reform-uk-involving-bpc-member-jl-partners/

Excellent news!

Indeed it is.

Unfortunately, the Market Research Society has very little power here. All they can do - if they find that the company has breached the professional code of conduct - is to expel them from the MRS. Which isn't really that much of a hardship. It could be an issue for media outlets that want to quote their research - but given that it seems that this poll was quoted without any company attribution, apparently not! (And PR companies/agencies IMO don't seem to care if the research they commission has been carried out by a MRS member).

Can they force JLP to reveal who commissioned the poll? That would be key.

TBH I don't know. But I don't think the moral stance of 'protecting my source' would apply.

It's also worth pointing out that anyone can conduct market research. You don't have to be a personal member, nor does a company have to have corporate membership. Mumsnet, for example, isn't a member, despite the amount of research they conduct on behalf of external clients as well as themselves.

So being expelled from the MRS really doesn't matter that much. (It could matter for some clients I suppose - or at least those with any integrity)

We certainly do, Nads.

So that poll just appeared from thin air, did it?!

I was going to quote you a piece about the poll company, but see you also quoted it on another thread - but here it is, anyway

‘Weaknesses in procedures’

JL Partners said it held itself to high standards. A spokesman said: “Despite there being no concern about the accuracy of our work, the report did reveal weaknesses in our procedures.

“For that reason JL Partners is reviewing those procedures in order to eliminate possible grey areas and ambiguities and strengthen our safeguards for the future.”

The British Polling Council (BPC) said its members must declare publicly who had commissioned their polls. A spokesman said: “From the information provided to us by Channel 4 News, it appears there may have been deliberate breaches of this rule. We will be seeking further information from the BPC member concerned.”

I have no idea if the poll itself was dodgy - but I suspect not, seeing as any paper that was publishing it would have had sight of/access to the questions being asked. The main issue seems to be not disclosing that it was commissioned by Reform. (Quite what Nads thinks is another matter)

As someone who vaguely recalls Fourier analysis in the last millennium, I often ponder on whether peoples, countries, nations ... even ideas have some sort of weird intrinsic rhythm that combines in the same way waves do, to form harmonics and interference.

Is this why sometimes we can see countries in lockstep and then only one or two generations on poles apart ?

For all my coolness on the "AI" hype, when it comes to winkling out patterns from enormous data sets, it has no rival.

Which then makes me wonder what will happen when "AI" starts telling it's owners unpleasant truths. Like "Did you know you could be even richer if you made societies more equal ?"

Obviously that can't happen. Much like the Christian message of being nice to one another and helping each other it will need to be explained by the priest class to divine the true meaning. Which - weirdly - will be what it's owners were doing anyway.

But I do wonder if the UK and US are not quite the major third they once were.

TFI Friday, eh ?

.

Aw - I missed mad nads -mainly like a hole in the head but sometimes she’s got comedy value!

I’d forgotten she’s Reform though - I am very unsure of some folk and whether they’re Tory or Reform - should I try harder? Maybe or maybe and hopefully I won’t have to soon as Reform will implode!

Farage is supposed to be giving a speech at the Reform conference, but due to "unforseen circumstances" there is some sort of delay/problem...

They've been running late all day - or is this something different?

I think these are the unforeseen circumstances..it popped up on a timer at the end of Tices speech.

Her bar is set low, positively subterranean. Chin, chin.

I was going to post a picture but it won't let me. It was a banner of the monopoly man with a bag of cash with Farages head superimposed. Shocking security considering.

I know we shouldn't criticise SPaG but is that how Dorries, best selling novelist and ex culture secretary, thinks naive is spelled???

Isn't it naïve ? With a diaeresis ?

For a bunch of clowns cosplaying patriots, Reform are a disgrace to the English language.

I’m not sure if it might be the gin writing though - remember those I love Boris interviews? I’m sure mother’s ruin had been consumed- even at some early doors ones!

Oh it’s fine to point out mistakes of an author - just proofreading for them I reckon!

.

Context is all with SPaG.

For a throwaway post om social media - as long as comprehension isn't compromised - then it's no big deal. Especially with spellcheckers and AI deciding they know better.

However when it's a formal presentation - like a cv - then a SPaG error will see me bin. Which I have done, and will do again if needed. Personally I couldn't really care less if you can spell or not. But I do care that you are incapable of using a basic tool on the most important document of your career and think it doesn't matter.

Either is acceptable. Her spelling, not so much!