Never Mind The Bar Charts

  It was great to welcome back Professor Rob Ford for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts and to discuss with him both the long-term trends shaping British politics and how they may or may not be seen off by short term factors, such as a birthday cake.   Which means we also got into how grim, or not, the future looks for the Conservative Party. Take a listen to find out what we concluded...     Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Rob Ford's previous appearance on the podcast to talk about his book, Brexitland. His co-author Maria Sobolewska also talking about the book. How Australia got compulsory voting. Ipsos-MORI leader ratings. The Daily Express front page being cited by Boris Johnson loyalists. How I was partly right but also massively wrong about Boris Johnson in 2019. Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics by Rob Ford and Maria Sobolewska: Bookshop.org (independent bookshops) / Waterstones / Amazon.* The British General Election of 2019 by Rob Ford, Tim Bale, Will Jennings and Paula Surridge: Bookshop.org (independent bookshop) /  Amazon / Waterstones.* Professor Rob Ford on Twitter. Cake photo by jgojtan from Pixabay. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.  

The most excellent Lib Dem Pod team have just done a show on what 2022 holds for the Liberal Democrats with myself, Lib Dem chief executive Mike Dixon and party leader Ed Davey. So here it is for Never Mind The Bar Charts listeners too, including my biggest mistake since being elected President and what baffles me most about the party... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Our plan for 2022 - my January report to party members. The Lib Dem Pod podcast. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

To discuss Helen Morgan's stunning victory in the North Shropshire by-election, I welcomed Professor Tim Bale back to Never Mind The Bar Charts. We discussed what happened, its causes and the likely consequences. Here's what we made of it all. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Helen Morgan wins. Alan Wager on tactical voting. Caitlin Milazzo on political leaflets. Sam Coates interview of Boris Johnson. Tim Bale on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

It was lovely to welcome Paula Surridge back to Never Mind The Bar Charts. She is one of Britain’s experts on how people’s values influence their political and voting choices. She’s also one of the authors of a new book about the 2019 general election so one of the topics we discussed was why Boris Johnson won, before going on to why the Liberal Democrats, er..., didn't. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Previous episode with Paula Surridge: What Chesham and Amersham tells us about the future for the Liberal Democrats. Previous episode with Rob Ford: Culture wars, Brexit and electoral reform. Previous episode with Maria Sobolewska: Brexitland - The long-term factors shaping our politics, and what they mean for the future. The curious story of compulsory voting in Australia. Polling UnPacked Previous episode with Alan Wager: Unleash the bar charts! Tactical voting and the next general election. John Curtice on the impact of Revoke. Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics by Maria Sobolewska and Rob Ford: Waterstones / Amazon / Bookshop (independent bookshops).* Paula Surridge on Twitter. Photo by Pippa Fowles / No 10 Downing Street (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

Tactical voting took centre stage in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts as I discussed the thought-provoking pamphlet Breaching the Blue Wall: could tactical voting help England's 'progressive' parties defeat the Conservatives? with one of its authors, Dr. Alan Wager. We focus on politics in England, but much of what we discuss is also applicable more widely too. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Breaching the Blue Wall - the pamphlet discussed in the show. Tactical voting research #1 - many voters don't know the tactical situation in their seat. Tactical voting research #2 - the impact of tactical voting websites. Paula Surridge's words of wisdom on understanding British politics. That top-rating previous podcast with Tim Bale. Alan Wager on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

It's back to more serious matters in this episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts after last time's board game review - the role of money in British politics. I was delighted to have on the show Professor Justin Fisher, one of the country's leading experts on the topic and someone whose research into grassroots politics makes him a better informed expert than many on what really goes inside political parties. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Jeremy Thorpe's role in unlocking the beast of national political spending. The independent who got elected as an MP by campaigning to protect a hospital. The Elections Bill. Justin Fisher's blog post mentioning John O'Farrell and karaoke. Justin Fisher's work on non-members helping in election campaigns. Tim Bale on the upsides of getting non-members involved formally in parties. Justin Fisher on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

Something a little different from the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts: a board game review with Jim Williams. A political board game, of course. It'd be great to hear what you think of this game review. Should Jim and I play more games and talk about them in future episodes? Show notes Get your own copy of 1960: The Making of the President. Eugene Burdick. My cunning advantage over Jim. Canadian Check Shirt Guy (aka Rodney Smith) reviews 1960: The Making of the President on YouTube. How Nixon's poor shaving helped lose him the 1960 election. The famous Nixon/Khrushchev photo. Make Votes Matter - campaigning for electoral reform in the UK. If Then: How One Data Company Invented the Future by Jill Lepore: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon.* Codenames and 13 Days.* Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com. * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

  There’s a new book of political alternative histories out called Prime Minister Priti: And other things that never happened. One of its editors is a Liberal Democrat. So who better to have back on Never Mind The Bar Charts than that editor… Duncan Brack.   Listen to us discuss how Eric Joyce having one drink too many caused Brexit (perhaps), what the appeal is of political counter-factuals, our favourite chapters from this book and how one change in the events of 1923 could have led to a very different political history for the Liberal Party.       Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Our earlier episodes talking about Lord John Russell, Jo Grimond and David Steel. My contributions to previous volumes: what if the 1832 Great Reform Act had never happened (full chapter) and what if Chris Huhne had beaten Nick Clegg in the 2007 Lib Dem leadership contest? Prime Minister Priti: And other things that never happened edited by Duncan Brack and Iain Dale: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* Prime Minister Corbyn: And Other Things That Never Happened edited by Duncan Brack and Iain Dale: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* The Prime Ministers We Never Had: Success and Failure from Butler to Corbyn by Steve Richards: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* The Prime Ministers Who Never Were: A collection of counterfactuals edited by Francis Beckett: Amazon / Waterstones.* Duncan Brack on Twitter. Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.  

What happens at Lib Dem party conference? What's it like attending one? What are likely to be the big debates at this September's federal conference? What are the hidden gems to look out for? With the 2021 Liberal Democrat Federal Conference coming up and a special registration offer of just £1 for first time conference attendees, I joined Cllr John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod team for a special live show previewing conference. Whether you've never come to conference before, or have been going for many decades, the show will have something for you.   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes It's only £1 to register for conference if you've not come to one before. That photo of a young colleague. The most excellent Lib Dem Pod. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

It was great to have Survation's Damian Lyons Lowe on Never Mind The Bar Charts, fresh off the back of his firm's success in polling the Hartlepool by-election. As well as talking about how he got into political polling and what to watch out for when a surprising poll appears, we discussed whether everyone is just paying too much attention to political polls. Does it really matter what they are currently saying? Listen to find out... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Yes, it is fun watching people do Sudoku: Cracking The Cryptic's YouTube channel. Damian Lyons Lowe gets grilled by Andrew Neil. The ever-wise Martin Boon. Survation's successful Hartlepool polling. Get your latest polling fixes with Britain Elections and Elections Map UK on Twitter. Anthony Wells disagrees with agree/disagree questions. Keiran Pedley on Twitter and his podcast. John Curtice on what the polls say. Damian Lyons Lowe on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

With the a new edition of 101 Ways To Win An Election out, I chatted with co-author Ed Maxfield for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. Roaming across Black Lives Matter, William Wilberforce, Matt Hancock, how the music industry is changing and one of the worst answers given in a political debate, we talked about political campaigning, our favourite chapters from our own book and other books we'd recommend. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Get the new edition of 101 Ways To Win An Election. How public opinion has shifted over taking the knee. How experience can lead to doctors making more mistakes. The different impact of the internet on the music and phone industries. Michael Dukakis gets it wrong on the death penalty. William Wilberforce by William Hague: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* Putting Voters in Their Place by Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* Theme tune by Hugo Lee. Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.  

  Lib Dems love by-elections. Lib Dems love winning by-elections. And Lib Dems love getting excited after by-elections.   So to help us all calibrate our levels of excitement after Sarah Green’s victory in Chesham and Amersham, it’s great to welcome back to Never Mind The Bar Charts, Paula Surridge, senior lecturer at Bristol University and an expert in how values are driving political choices in modern Britain.   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Lib Dem Newswire edition looking at the lessons from Chesham and Amersham. Brexit, British politics and values: Paula's article looking at how Brexit is still shaping British politics. The British General Election of 2019 by Rob Ford, Tim Bale, Will Jennings and Paula Surridge: Amazon / Waterstones.* Paula's previous appearance on the show, looking at what the data from 2019 general election says about the future for the Lib Dems. Paula Surridge on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.     * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.  

  The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another special live show with the Lib Dem Pod team. This time we looked at proportional representation with Lib Dem Parliamentarians Wendy Chamberlain and Paul Tyler.   Why is proportional representation (PR) a good thing? Does it matter which version of PR is used? What's the route to securing it for more elections in the UK? How much should the party talk about it? Find out the answers to all these and more in the show.   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Liberal Democrat Newswire #148 also looked at the route to securing more electoral reform. Lib Dem Pod - a great podcast you should listen to. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

We all know about the love Liberal Democrats have of delivering leaflets. So our dream professor of politics would be one who specialises in studying leaflets. Which is why I’m delighted to say that is just who I was speaking to for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, Professor Caitlin Milazzo of Nottingham University. We talked about how political leaflets are changing, the impact they have, how political campaigning isn't getting more negative and the evidence that female candidates are more likely than male candidates to make an important mistake with their election literature. Listen on to find out more, including how to avoid that mistake yourself... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes The Open Elections project. Upload a leaflet to the Open Elections project or help code those already uploaded here (currently after leaflets for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections). Other research into political leaflets: Mark Shephard and Justin Fisher. Evidence from Rosie Campbell, Phil Cowley, Nick Vivyan and Markus Wagner on how voters prefer local candidates. Follow Caitlin Milazzo on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

Never Mind The Bar Charts and the most excellent Lib Dem Pod teamed up for another joint show, taking a look this time at lessons in coalitions and cross-party cooperation. We have an excellent panel to discuss it all: Kirsty Williams the brilliant Liberal Democrat Minister of Education in the Welsh Government and member of the Senedd since 1999 Duncan Brack from the Liberal Democrat History Group Polly Mackenzie, Chief Exec of the think tank Demos and special advisor to Nick Clegg during the Westminster coalition This was our first attempt at a joint live show, so feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Duncan Brack's book chapter on cross-party cooperation. My previous podcast on cross-party cooperation with Duncan Brack. Follow the most excellent Lib Dem Pod on Twitter. Get the most excellent Lib Dem Pod on YouTube. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

One of the most popular episodes last year was with Rob Ford, discussing Brexitland, the book he’s co-written that takes a look and the long-term social and demographic changes driving British politics. So I’m delighted this time to welcome to the show his co-author, Professor Maria Sobolewska, to discuss further their book and its implications for British politics. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Last year's popular episode with Maria's co-author, Rob Ford: Culture wars, Brexit and electoral reform. How predictions after the 1992 general election didn't work out. Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics by Maria Sobolewska and Rob Ford: Waterstones / Amazon / Bookshop (independent bookshops).* Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain by Sathnam Sanghera: Waterstones / Amazon / Bookshop (independent bookshops).* Professor Maria Sobolewska on Twitter. Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

Welcome to the first episode in 2021 of Never Mind The Bar Charts. As regular listeners may have guessed given the timing, for this year I’m going to revert to monthly shows after last year’s near-weekly shows. Let’s call this then season three, and for the season opener I’m so pleased to have an absolute A-lister when it comes to how politics works in the UK, Professor Meg Russell of the Constitution Unit. A special adviser to Robin Cook when he was Leader of the House of Commons, Meg played a key role in the Wright Committee which led to a wave of Parliamentary procedural reform. We talked about a new report she has co-authored, taking a look at how to improve the way Parliament works. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Taking Back Control: Why the House of Commons Should Govern its Own Time. The Wright Committee. House of Commons Standing Order 14: its history and impact. Legislation at Westminster: Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law by Meg Russell and Daniel Gover: Bookshop / Amazon.* The Constitution Unit on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. Photo by Andy Reed from Pixabay. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

In this episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, I talk with the Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Munira Wilson, about what it's like being an MP, how over-centralisation may be hindering the struggle against coronavirus and how best to communicate with the public. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Interview with Dr Ben Johnson from Nature. How local government could and should have been used to make track and trace work. How Germany is approaching protecting civil liberties while tackling coronavirus. Listen also to my interview with Jim Killock. Help for (would-be) Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidates: the Campaign for Gender Balance, the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality and the Parliamentary Candidates Association. The Lib Dem campaign for frontline care works. Munira Wilson on Twitter. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook.

I was joined again by Professor Tim Bale for the last episode in 2020 of Never Mind The Bar Charts. We took a look back at Tim's five lessons for opposition parties and discussed how both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are doing on each of them. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Tim Bale's five lessons for opposition parties. The Liberal Democrat record in coalition. Alistair Darling promising bigger cuts than Margaret Thatcher. The Thornhill Report into what went wrong for the Lib Dems in 2019. What are the possible Lib Dem target seats like? The Politics of Competence by Will Jennings and Jane Green: Bookshop / Amazon.* Photo courtesy of Tom Jeffs / Parrot of Doom, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Tim Bale on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

With the very welcome recent progress on electoral reform in Wales, I invited Jess Blair from the Electoral Reform Society Cymru to join me on Never Mind The Bar Charts. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes How electoral reform makes government better. The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill. STV explained (words). STV explained (animals). Public support for electoral reform. Join the Electoral Reform Society. Jess Blair on Twitter. Music by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on Facebook. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.