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

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Would you like to be involved in three pre-election Mumsnet focus groups we're co-organising?

We're working with the Times and a polling organisation to find out what issues are important to you, which politicians you like / loathe and how likely you are to actually cast your vote.

We're planning on running three focus groups (one at MNHQ and the other two online) and you would need to be able to take part in all three.

If you're selected and take part in all three groups you will receive £100. Travel expenses will be paid for the London group, (up to £15 for those in London and up to £100 for second-class rail travel for those coming to join in from outside London).

1. The first focus group would involve coming to Mumsnet Towers in Kentish Town, London on Tuesday 23 March between 12.15pm and 2pm. We'll provide a light lunch, but we're really sorry we can't accommodate babies/children as we simply don't have the space or facilities.

2. The second focus group is online - so you would just be logging in from home (we'll send you a link) and will take place on Tues 20 April from 11.30am-1pm.

3. The third focus group is also online and will be on Tues 4 May from 11.30am-1pm.

We're looking for a good cross-section of Mumsnetters. The polling organisation has devised the questions.

The comments made during the focus groups will be used by the Times for articles in the lead-up to the general election - please note your real first name may be used and they will want to use a picture of you.

All data from this survey is confidential - participants will be screened by responses to the questions and your MN or real name will not be linked to your responses.

Sorry, but this project is only open to UK residents who are eligible to vote in the upcoming general election.

So if you're interested, and you can make all three focus groups, please click here.

Thanks,
MNHQ

LOL ruddy too true!

It can't be representative, that is my point! Regardless of whether it is London, Cornwall, Wales or Timbuktu it is not going to be representative so from MN/Times/Poll company perspective I guess they just do it where is easy for them.

Most political polls are online, I guess they don't want to just do an online poll otherwise they would - it's less time, money etc. Maybe that is what they will come back with?

Anyone else wondering how they are going to get a representative response to the question about how likely MN-ers are to 'actually cast' their vote (in the OP) when MN have promoted this to people who are 'passionate about politics'?

Call me crazy but I reckon there's a reasonable chance that MN-ers who are passionate about politics are more-than-averagely-likely to vote, while those who are less likely to vote probably don't think of themselves as passionate about politics, never clicked on the link, haven't had the delight of reading this thread and have excluded themselves from the get-go.

They probably have more interesting lives than us lot as well come to think about it.......

FWIW I'm in the would-love-to-but-breastfeeding-a-small-baby-and-wouldn't-want-my-picture-in-the-Times-in-a-million- years camp

no it can't be perfectly representative - but decisions on timing and location can increase the chances of it being more representative. or they can increase the chances of it being less representative. and in this case it's clearly the latter.

quite, hatwoman...

RTL Agree. After all they posted it in 'politics' not 'chat'!!

I've signed up.

A little outing to London to sit around voicing my opinions, sounds like a rather lovely day out.

Obviously the focus group will be self limiting to those who can physically get there. Any group which requires people to physically attend is.

Online focus groups do get around that element of selection but of course self select in another way entirley. e.g people with cpmputers, people with braodband, people who are likely to use discussion forums, and to be honest I know more mothers who are likely to be free on a tuesday afternoon than fall into these categories.(I know no one else who is a MNer).

So none of us are 'representative'.

So stop yer whinging.

Are the concerns that this focus group will not be representative of women, mothers or mumsnetters??

Beacuse most mothers are not mumsnetters.

using MN as a source for opinions of mothers is hugely unreprensentative in itself, but it's an easily avialble source to tap so they'll use it.

That's how these groups work, they try to get as broad spectrum as they can but in the ned they can only target those they can reach somehow.

they've made some concesions eg train fares but they won't be able to meet everyones needs and conditiond to take part.

Pointless whingeing is allowed, nay even encouraged on Mumsnet.

On this thread, though, and on this particular matter, I do think the whingers have perfectly valid points.

Still, a lot of people who have signed up don't seem to fully grasp that they are just providing fodder for journalists.

Yes, what Brideshead said, she put what I was clumsily trying to say far more eloquently!

hang on no subterfuge here is made clear for times so no one is being mislead by big journalists sniffing around

this is a request for adults,who are presumed to have capacity to consent,to participate in media event

Pointless whinging is so tedious though.

Every focus group that ever took place could have groups of poeple whingning about how and why it wasn't representative cos they couldn't attend.

eg. -'it took place in Edinburgh, it would take me 8hours on the train to get to edinburgh'
'it was in the evening I'm a single mum and can't afford babysitters'
'you had to have one leg and a moustache, it's not fair'
etc etc in relentless tedium.

It's not so much not knwoing you are journo fodder, it's not not minding too much.

I have a dear journo friend who frequnetly uses me as fodder (triuals of face creams/stories of my ailments/family storoes type things) I find it a distracting and amusing pastime.

I work in the media industry so fully understand and I don't really mind being journalist fodder for £100, I've done worse for less

I am sure everyone who has read the OP gets it.

quite frankly id be media cannon fodder if i met the criteria

As I SAID, I don't think the whinging is pointless in this case.

well, i work, just not tuesdays, and am a cheeky enough sod to put my kids down for their lunchtime nap an hour early purely for my own convenience.

i will have to refrain from picking my spots if there are to be pictures though.

i don't really mind being fodder for journalists tbh. i regularly give my opinion on things and get paid for it.

i very much enjoyed being fodder for ford

'you had to have one leg and a moustache, it's not fair'

lolol

Please let me be canon fodder and let me escape Dorset for the day.

So WHY is the the online focus groups ONLY available to those that have turned up in person?

Because it is NOT actually a focus group, but like you say, a PR campaign. There is no story if faceless strangers sit at home and answer questions and discuss things.

Surely without a photo op, and Justine and the Gang, it is not interesting.

So the point is not really mumsnet but MNHQ.

The bottom line for me is that anything held in London is not representative. London has its own culture and values that are not representative of anywhere else in the UK. If the politicians want to get the views of real people, the first thing they should do is get as far away from London as possible. IMHO (and as one who used to live there).

But surely it is in MN's interests to have the stereotype of the yummy mummy perpetuated for when they sell up and retire to Mauritius?