Refugee crisis: please take our survey to let us know where you stand

[SarahMumsnet]

Good afternoon, everyone.

Many of you will have seen the thread started by Theremustbesomething suggesting that Mumsnet consider campaigning for the government to change its policy towards asylum seekers fleeing from war zones.

Justine posted this morning to say that "we think that the best way forward is to poll all users to gauge support for this. While it's clear from this thread that many feel extremely passionately about the need to do more, we've had a look at other threads on the subject, and there are a range of views. As a rule we don't campaign for political change unless we're clear that it's something that a substantial majority of Mumsnetters support, so we'd need to be sure of that before committing to an 'official' campaign."

We've now set up the poll; you can fill it in here. We'd be grateful if as many of you as possible could take it, to let us know your views. We'll make sure this thread is prominently displayed across the site.

Thanks very much,
MNHQ

So essentially, the 9-13% opposing have "won"?

Can i ask, rowan (sorry to be a pain!) is there any way for you to know who voted/if they are posters here? I'm asking as there do seem to be a lot of unfamiliar names on the syria/refugee threads, though i know a lot of people have reregged since jeff. I was wondering whether there is a chance that certain groups had hijacked the poll.

I guess it seemed weird to me that there was no section for your posting name that there would normally be, which could (?) lead to the results being skewed? Maybe?

Sorry, that is supposed to be two separate points, not one continuous blurb

1. do we have an invasion of sorts and
2. could people have potentially shared the link in certain groups and wangled the results as it didnt ask for any details from us

"Events have overtaken us. David Cameron is expected to make a statement..."

I am really shocked at this. Cameron has not yet made the statement, measures trailed in the press do not address refugees in Europe nor search and rescue in the Med. You got thousands of people to fill in your survey, 82 percent backed campaigning for search and rescue in the Med and you are not going to do it. You are implying that whatever Camerin says will be adequate to address the concerns of those who have joined these discussions. That seems to me a very political stance to take, are we all closet Conservatives at Mumsnet?

It seems fairly apparent that Mumsnet never wanted to run a proper campaign on this is the first place and you are looking for any excuse not to do it. 79-82 percent of respondents said yes. What exactly was the point of them filling in the survey.

I share iamaboveandbeyond's concerns.

82% support the search & rescue campaign, 9% are against.

That is a real landslide result - can you explain why you aren't going for it?

Are you operating on the same voting system as the British electorate now, MNHQ, where the minority "win"?

That seems a really weird decision.

"It seems fairly apparent that Mumsnet never wanted to run a proper campaign on this in the first place"

I'm tempted to agree with this. Especially as you said the poll would be closed friday at midnight and then took til monday afternoon to post the results. Looks like its very low on priority then :(

I'm not quite sure what to say to this. I'm not sure what else the Mumsnet user group could have done to demonstrate that - in the words of MNHQ - "it's something that a substantial majority of Mumsnetters support". 82% is a pretty overwhelming mandate. I don't think that there can be any question that it is "a substantial majority".

Don't forget this bit......."We're also mindful that while only 9-13% of survey respondents actively oppose making a political call on the government, that opposition is very strong and heartfelt "

Democracy at it's very best.

RowanMumsnet Please could you tell us what your threshold for saying yes to a campaign was. You got 79-82 percent saying yes and that wasn't enough. So what were you looking for? Would 90 percent have been enough? I think you need to be straight with us about this because the poll just seems like a sham from your response so far.

Presumably the views of the 82% were not strong or heartfelt, then...?

Was this a commercial decision? Because it doesn't seem to be a very democratic one?

I have a strong and heartfelt opposition to the tories, presumably i can opt out of them governing me?

Those of us against perhaps just have the better argument so we won MN over on the facts, not the emotions?

Also it is a deeply political issue. The UK provides more help than just about anyone where it's needed, not in helping young fit men who break the law to get to Hungary etc and abandon their womenfolk.

If i wrote a long and delete-worthy list of personal insults at certain goady fuckers, would that demonstrate my strong and heartfelt opinion, or just get me deleted?

This thread isnt even stickied.

I suspect the answer is that it IS political, even though we wouldn't want it to be. And that MNHQ don't want to be seen to be that political.

Nowt to do with emotional or coldblooded arguments.

Yes, I agree that there is a limit to how political Mumsnet is prepared to be. That's their prerogative.

Should have thought about that before getting people to fill in the poll, though . . .

Yy.

" And that MNHQ don't want to be seen to be that political."

So why ask the question in the first place, then?

My support is very strong and heartfelt, why is that less important than the 9%?

Hi all,
So clearly government has responded to the call to let more asylum seekers into UK in David Cameron's speech, but as far as we can see nothing has been said about the second question of increasing resources towards search and rescue operations in the Med. Given the pretty clear majority backing this in our survey we're happy to officially call for action this. We'll put our heads together overnight on the best way of going about it - do add any thoughts here.

Thank you Justine. I would particularly like to see the UK re-introducing the Mediterranean search & rescue support. I feel it was withdrawn for unfounded and inhumane reasons.

New Statesman: Why does the UK now oppose funding search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean?

Justine I am pleased you are prepared to take on the issue of search and rescue in the Med.

But you do realise that Cameron is only proposing to allow in 4000 refugees a year (averaged). And nobody currently in Europe. It is no exactly problem solved.