To think MN is a Hard Left echo chamber

[DowntownAbby]

And that's why so, so many MNers are baffled that the Conservatives are going to achieve a landslide victory over Labour.

Out there is the real world, there was far less support for Corbyn but most MNers couldn't see what was coming.

Trewser,

I am in favour of private schools and went to one myself.

I am just in favour of them fulfilling the philanthropic mission that they all spout and allocate sufficient funds to bursaries to be a real engine of social mobility.

And, yes, of course you can spend your money how you like, but not expect to get tax breaks so to do.

And, I suspect you may be surprised where the Conservatives end up on this one.

And, I suspect you may be surprised where the Conservatives end up on this one almost certainly not in the next 4 years, which is all I need.

I voted Labour as agree with a lot of the views here, my old uni friends, international friends, work friends voted Labour. But in the little village I live most people I know voted Tory. Mix of working class people and people on benefits, age 30-70, anti immigrant, they want Brexit.

Since left leaning people are more empathetic they may be more likely to be interested in hearing other viewpoints and sharing what has worked for them so more likely to use a site like mumsnet?

Also younger people and women tend to be more likely to be left wing and young mums is probably one of the biggest chunks of mn users

Or perhaps right wing voters are just slightly ashamed so keep mum?

And perhaps they get fed up of being polite f2f and use mn to let of steam ( me today)

MN has always had a left leaning demographic. That isn't new...

Trewser,

You do realise that the music centre was built using £800,000 of public money! That is what charitable status means.

I've found recently with votes that the ones who shout the loudest usually have the least to say and the least support. The majority vote tends to be more reserved and discrete.

It seems particularly so when that loud voice spends its time trying to put down other parties and those that vote for them, rather than actually promoting what they themselves might be good for. There was an awful lot of that on this site in recent days. The result isn't actually much of a surprise to many at all.

Yes, MN is probably on average left of centre, but not hard left. But sweeping statements like that are silly. Let's face it, the majority of MNers have probably never ever posted on a political thread, so you only ever see the views of those MNers who feel really strongly either way. Hence the vitriol (from both sides).

People's social media accounts are an echo chamber, because they surround themselves with people like them. MN is not like that, which is one of the great things about it- you see other views from people totally unlike you.

Or perhaps right wing voters are just slightly ashamed so keep mum?

No I'd say they are comfortable with their choice and don't feel the need to constantly bang on about it and criticise anyone who doesn't have the same political views. They respect each person's right to a confidential, democratic vote.

No I'd say they are comfortable with their choice and don't feel the need to constantly bang on about it and criticise anyone who doesn't have the same political views. They respect each person's right to a confidential, democratic vote.

Yes. You very rarely meet a laid-back Corbynista or remainer these days, do you? They're a pretty hard-core bunch.

"You do realise that the music centre was built using £800,000 of public money! That is what charitable status means"

?? If the taxpayer (local or central) gave that sum, then yes it is public money.

If the charity used its own funds, which it (the charity) owns as a legal entity in its own right, then it is not public money.

@echt it's not about altruism. If someone has the money to pay their taxes and then on top extra money to send their child to a private school and reduce the burden on the state system - how is that a negative to you and your children?

The only way abolishing private schools will work to resolve social inequality is to become a fully socialist state, tax almost every penny earned above a certain level and have the state decide everything. That is probably what Corbyn and hard left Labour supporters want, but it's not what Britain as a whole wants.

In the US private school rates of attendance are far far lower than in the UK, and yet the children of the wealthy still attend better state schools than children of the poor, and have better economic outcomes as well. It's not about private schools.

@echt it's not about altruism. Yes. I know. Irony difficency much?

Fuck. Deficiency.

No I'd say they are comfortable with their choice and don't feel the need to constantly bang on about it and criticise anyone who doesn't have the same political views. They respect each person's right to a confidential, democratic vote.

Are these people unicorns? Because I’ve never met anyone fitting this description.

If the charity used its own funds, which it (the charity) owns as a legal entity in its own right, then it is not public money

Yes if a charity raises money for a specific cause then it has to be spent on that cause including any gift aid it receives from those donations

MN on average is on the middling to higher level of education and tend to be slightly younger than the average voter and there is therefore a leaning towards labour but not more than those demographics in the general population and it's certainly not hard left. If there was a chat room with mainly people educated to GCSE or lower level it would similarly reflect that and be more supportive of Tory/Leave

That's the funniest post I've read in a while. I did think of critiquing it but it's so brainless it speaks for itself.

You clearly have no idea what hard left means - it sure as hell is not Corbyn and Momentum - they are slightly left of centre and the typical politician in most European countries.

I think quite a lot of the people who post politically on MN live in London or other little bubbles. London generally voted remain and is where the labour vote held up. It is easy to believe your bubble is normal - I live somewhere where the vote was remain and labour held also although not in London FWIW and it didn't feel as extreme here. Although Corbyn didn't help I think this is more about Brexit if you look at where the swings were.

London is a different world to the rest of the country - there are opportunities for all of you want them, decent well funded schools. I think it is easy to underestimate how different life is in some places and how this fuels anger and a proportion of the Brexit vote. Interestingly this leads to an assumption from some that all the opportunities are in London which again is terribly out of touch with the reality and can be really frustrating/ damaging.

I thought the conservatives would win, but some of the places where the conservatives have got in are frankly staggering and I thought I would never see. But it's happened - everyone has a vote for a reason.

There's not much point in handwringing, I just hope now BJ successfully delivers what he is promising this morning. It's what democracy has delivered.

There are quite a few left wing people on here who do approach life in an echo chamber. They refuse to have discussions with anyone who is not in agreement with them, to have friends who do not agree with them and to consider partners who do not agree with their politics. They are encouraged in this by others on the forum, but by no means all. I honestly find this astounding. It is the behaviour that feeds extremism and sectarianism.

The upshot is that they don’t have any understanding of other views or political leanings. From what I can gather they do have tendency to be reliant on state services and benefits or work in public services. I understand their reasons for being left wing. But the level of debate they engage in is not much better than that in the tabloids particularly on issues like the NHS, tax and brexit. Sadly this level of debate is the standard our politicians aspire to.

The big issues are nuanced and complex. There are no easy solutions. But people just want to hear it’s easy and to have their own views reinforced. On the left and on the right.

Oh and I do see the right wing nasties on here. But they do indulge in dog whistle tactics, particularly on benefits, immigration and race.

The donations to the charity are tax exempt and, as such, the donor will be refunded their tax at their highest marginal rate (40% for virtually all donors).

Thus £800,000 which would have been public money has now gone towards a music suite at an expensive private school.

Surely people in here understand the tax treatment of charitable donations...

Thus £800,000 which would have been public money has now gone towards a music suite at an expensive private school.

Well it's actually gone towards businesses who provided the materials and labour to design and build it, and the teachers and staff who will operate it. It hasn't vanished into thin air.

MN on average is on the middling to higher level of education and tend to be slightly younger than the average voter and there is therefore a leaning towards labour but not more than those demographics in the general population and it's certainly not hard left. If there was a chat room with mainly people educated to GCSE or lower level it would similarly reflect that and be more supportive of Tory/Leave

This is hilarious, the self delusion is astounding.

Miss you,

True...but...I doubt anyone would suggest tax breaks for buying luxury cars or staying in 5 star hotels, although the same argument applies.

That's the funniest post I've read in a while. I did think of critiquing it but it's so brainless it speaks for itself.

An apt distillation of the left's crashing superiority complex. Amusing.