To wonder why MN is so left wing/liberal?

[cdvegan2023]

MN hates Brexit, the tories, pink toys, violent video games... you get the idea. But in real life most women don't mind buying gender specific toys/clothes and the election/brexit female vote was about 50/50. So what makes this place 90% lefty/lib when general society is either split or completely reversed?

[reindeercrossing]

Elton and mother are correct

[noblegiraffe]

Oh bore off with "education levels".

No, because there’s actually evidence behind it correlating higher levels of education with the values given in the OP.
I went to a speech by Sam Freedman (former policy advisor to Michael Gove) and he had done a huge analysis of things like values and voting intentions and found this correlation. He found that higher education levels correlated with more liberal values and lower levels with more conservative (small c) values leading to certain political outlooks. Michael Gove tapped into this with his ‘people have had enough of experts’ comment.

[thecatfromjapan]

Having received a tertiary education does correlate with socially liberal views, however. Not necessarily with progressive economic views but definitely with social liberalism.

It also correlates with a facility with written communication.

So I guess that suggests the posts that stick in the memory may well be more socially liberal than those that are less mnemonic - leading to a perception that MN is 'left wing'.

It's way more right wing - in terms of social attitude and economic beliefs than when I joined.

Also, the idea of the 'shy mumsnetter' is true. I think MN carried out a survey of MNers attitudes a good while ago and the demographic is far more mixed, socially and politically.

[thecatfromjapan]

[High fives noblegiraffe]

[reetgood]

It’s really not liberal from where I stand! Socially conservative, slightly left leaning politically. Classic middle class values.

[noblegiraffe]

Hi cat

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/why-educational-divide-voting-presents-a-real-danger Here's Sam Freedman discussing the education level -> voting behaviour data. It's the same the US and France's recent elections.

[Thesqueezermustghost]

Rationlsozialist, scary name. Yeah, I find it rather right wing myself. Certainly not Ifull of left wingers, sadly.

[Rufustherenegadereindeer1]

Some people struggle with the idea that someone can be right of centre, vote tory AND be unhappy with the current government

Bitch about some facet about the government even though you agree with most of their policies and that make you a left wing corbyn lover

Its weird

[MycatsaPirate]

rational Really? So all degrees are just by parroting things and being 'lefty'?

I'm sure the Doctors, nurses, midwives etc who need a degree to do their jobs will be thrilled to know they don't need to do anything else other than be 'lefty'.

What a stupid comment. But having seen your thread which is on the deletion list I'm not surprised you are acting so goady here too.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

I find MN to be very London/South-centric and to me that plays out as very small c conservative. But I also agree with the pp who said one probably doesn't notice moderate views that chime with one's own.

I don't ascribe not wanting pink toys to the left or right however, that's feminism 101 to me which I don't 'read' as being right or left (after having my arse handed to me on a plate by a feminist tory once!)

[GoingIn]

Game is right, if you're a leftie you will feel mn is very right wing. If you're a brexiter you will feel it's full of remainers etc. I'm leftist remainer, but not that liberal in many areas and I always feel like all the threads are full of people with opposite views. I think the problem is that online it's easier to voice extreme opinions either way and that of course only aggravates the feelings.

[Lindy2]

"Education level at a guess."
Unfortunately, there is also quite a vocal element on MN who will automatically state that anyone who disagrees with their views is obviously uneducated or stupid.
You would think with their supposed level of education that they could come up with a better argument to defend their views.

[thecatfromjapan]

Is there a deleted thread list now?

And, yes, I'm find the 'R---' name is offensive, too.

[Kursk]

I find MN to be very left, and/or Socialust depending on which board I am on.

Personally My views are more libertarian.

I do find using MN is an accurate barometer for public opinion.

[PerkingFaintly]

I'm sorry you're repeating things like a child at your university, Rationalsozialist, and not thinking for yourself. That would have got you a fail at mine.

Are you a mature student, btw?

[Kursk]

MN is very right wing. In real life I don't know anyone who is hardcore anti-trans, but it's religion on MN.

In real life people don’t actively talk about what they really believe because they will be branded as racist. MN allows people to voice their real opinions in safety.

[fidgettt]

Because it is London centric

Because the poorly educated DM / Sun reader demographic are not present

Because of "shy Tories"

Because those who seek out opinions from others online are less likely to have a conservative mindset

[SilverySurfer]

It's incredibly left wing and I think that there are posters on here who are paid to periodically start threads bigging up all things left wing and vilifying the Tories, Brexit etc.

[Believeitornot]

YABU

For many reasons. One: MN is not a “single” collective. Two: I suspect you pick out or notice the opinions which you disagree with and those stand out in your mind. I’ve seen plenty of “right wing”, whatever that means. Three, why do you care?

[piglover]

Confirmation bias, probably.

[Eltonjohnssyrup]

I find it really weird that lefties sneer at the 'uneducated' and dismiss the working classes as 'Sun readers'. The whole point of Labour is that they are supposed to look after the interests of that demographic, particularly against the bourgeois elite. But instead they've become the party of the sneering bourgeois elite. And the Conservatives are only marginally better.

It's extremely sad that Labour in it's current form has effectively disenfranchised such a large portion of the electorate.

[Goldenbug]

Because one of the founders was left wing? She is married to a former editor of the Grauniad. Her stance re 'trans' might match The Mail/Richard Littlejohn/Trump, but she's still mostly lefty.

[Believeitornot]

I find it really weird that lefties sneer at the 'uneducated

Who are these so called lefties?

[thecatfromjapan]

Fucking hell.

Is it possible to quote a researched fact - that socially liberal attitudes correlate with tertiary education - and another researched fact - that the Labour demographic now includes many 'middle class', tertiary educated people - and not have that misinterpreted as

• Labour 'abandoning' their 'true' demographic (what the fuck does that 'true' mean anyway? Are you trying to say only poor people can vote Labour? only people without a tertiary education? only the socially illiberal? We would have no politics if voting patterns mapped neatly, at birth, onto social position).
  

• People are 'sneering' at the 'uneducated'.
  

• That Labour have disenfranchised masses of people (how did Labour do that? By investing in education? the NHS? redistributing wealth? WTF!!!)
  

I AM SO BORED OF FAKE FACTS, NONSENSICAL DISTORTIONS, PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE WITH STATISTICS.

IT HAS TO STOP!

LOOK AT WHERE IT HAS GOT US: STERLING DOWN; INVESTORS RUNNING AWAY; PEOPLE WEEPING TO THERAPISTS ABOUT BREXIT ANXIETY.

STOP WITH THE UNDER-READING ADN OVER-READING.

FACTS ARE FRIENDS - NOT WIBBLY WOBBLY THINGS YOU CAN MAKE UP AND MESS ABOUT WITH.