Never Mind The Bar Charts

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts saw me team up with John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod team to discuss the local elections. How did they go for the Liberal Democrats and what lessons are there for the party? Show notes Some highlights from the local election results. Lib Dem Pod. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

John Potter of the Lib Dem Pod quizzed me about my first experiences of the House of Lords for our latest joint podcast. Show notes Lib Dem Pod. The Government Chief Whip's Ring Binder. Photograph © House of Lords 2024 / photography by Roger Harris. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another in the occasional series looking back at previous party leaders with Duncan Brack. This time we pick over Jeremy Thorpe's career - securing Britain's place in Europe, leading the Liberal Party to national prominence and then mired in scandal. What to make of it all? Show notes Our previous episode about Jo Grimond - www.markpack.org.uk/161656/jo-grimond-podcast/ Our interview of Jeremy Thorpe - www.markpack.org.uk/1486/jeremy-thorpe-interview/ Jeremy Thorpe and Jimi Hendrix - www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/memory-lane-prints/mirror/0100to0199-00163/jeremy-thorpe-jimi-hendrix-concert-jimi-hendrix-21541729.html Other photos of Jeremy Thorpe looking stylish - www.gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/image?family=editorial&phrase=jeremy%20thorpe&sort=oldest&recency=daterange&begindate=1960-01-01&enddate=1980-01-01 Peter Cook satirises the judge's summing up in the trial of Jeremy Thorpe - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyos-M48B8U Duncan Brack on Bluesky - bsky.app/profile/duncanbrack.bsky.social The Lib Dem History Group is at liberalhistory.org.uk Jeremy Thorpe by Michael Bloch is available from Amazon - amzn.to/41QQUf5 - Bookshop.org - uk.bookshop.org/a/588/9780349142203 - and Waterstones - tidd.ly/3DhN31o Theme tune by Hugo Lee: hugoleemusic.com New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts: www.markpack.org.uk/161708/how-to-listen-to-a-podcast Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes: www.markpack.org.uk/168491/most-popular-episodes-never-mind-the-bar-charts

Peter Kellner join sme to discuss a new report on what is going wrong with our politics, and the solutions. No surprise then that our conversation focused on populism, its causes and how liberals can defeat it. Show notes Disruptive Delivery: Meeting the Unmet Demand in Politics, with polling from Deltapoll. The Challenge of Affluence: Self-Control and Well-Being in the United States and Britain since 1950 by Avner Offer (affiliate link). An example from the 1990s of failing to predict the political future. How incumbent governments did badly in elections in 2024. The three humped graph from the report. Liberal Democrat achievements in government. Lib Dem policymaking on AI. Peter Kellner's polling newsletter. The Week in Polls. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts saw Paula Surridge return to the show, talking about the impact of political values and of perceived competence on recent general elections. We got into some surprising similarities between Tony Blair and Nigel Farage, as well as ways in which Boris Johnson and Gordon Brown were the same. Take a listen to find out how on earth we ended up there. Show notes "Values in the Valence Election: Fragmentation and the 2024 General Election" by Paula Surridge. Also in blog form here. Why we made a joke about cease and desist letters. The graph which we mentioned. Paula Surridge on Bluesky and Substack. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts takes a look at a book that has made me rethink several things I thought I knew about the history of the Liberal Democrats and Liberals before them. It also contains some wonderfully acerbic photo captions and some not terribly kind words about David Lloyd George. It is a book from another David - David Laws - and is a history of Labour - Liberal (Democrat) relations over the last century. Show notes Serpents, Goats and Turkeys - a century of Liberal-Labour relations: Amazon, Waterstones, Bookshop.org* Who Killed Kitchener? The Life and Death of Britain's Most Famous War Minister: Amazon, Waterstones, Bookshop.org* How Lib Dems love the 1920s despite the electoral disasters for the Liberal Party. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. * Affiliate links that generate a commission for purchases made. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts takes a look at recent research into the impact of electoral reform on the stability of governments. Does PR mean less stable government? Listen to my discussion with the research's author Dylan Difford to find out. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Strong and Stable: the most politically stable democracies use PR. The wild ride of elections in the 1920s. Dylan Difford on Bluesky. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

Election campaigns often put significant effort into persuading voters that their candidate(s) could win. But does such campaigning really change people's expectations of who might win? And even if it people's views do change, does being seen as a more likely winner really help you win the election? Or in other words, are all those "winning here" posters and bar charts worth it? The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts welcomes back to the show Justin Fisher to discuss just that, courtesy of new research from himself and two colleagues. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes "Innocent Bystanders or the Forgotten Actors? The Role of Parties and Candidates in Building Electoral Campaign Momentum" by Justin Fisher, Ed Fieldhouse and David Cutts. A Logic of Expressive Choice by Alexander A. Schuessler (affiliate link). 101 Ways To Win An Election. The accuracy of MRPs. Justin Fisher on Twitter/X. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. Photo of "Winning Here" poster courtesy of the Lib Dems (CC BY-ND 2.0). New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts sees a return to the show for Sam Freedman. This time he's got a new book out, about how our government is broken – and what to do to fix it. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It by Sam Freedman: Amazon, Waterstones, UK Bookshop (affiliate links). Sam Freedman's Prospect articles. The Mill. Sam Freedman's newsletter. The myth of Budget poll bounces. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts discusses a great new book about the geography of British elections with its two authors, Jamie Furlong and Will Jennings. Why do the Conservatives underperform on Merseyside yet overperform in Lincolnshire, and how much of electoral geography is really about individual campaigners? Take a listen to find out... Show notes Get The Changing Electoral Map of England and Wales by Jamie Furlong and Will Jennings: Amazon, Bookshop, Waterstones. (Affiliate links.) Get Putting Voters in Their Place: Geography and Elections in Great Britain by Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie: Amazon, Bookshop, Waterstones. (Affiliate links.) My two previous podcasts discussing Brexitland: with Rob Ford and with Maria Sobolewska. Jamie Furlong and Will Jennings on X/Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts takes a look back to the five criteria for success that Professor Tim Bale set out for opposition leaders and considers how they played out by the end of the 2024 general election. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Our original discussion of five tests for opposition parties. Our December 2020, March 2022 and December 2022 updates. Some of those Ed Davey stunts. My puzzlement over the lack of concern from Conservatives about losing support in Surrey and London. The size of Lib Dem majorities. Ed Davey's campaign ratings. Survey of Conservative membership on the next party leader. Tim Bale on X/Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another special with John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod, looking at all the latest from the election campaign. Show notes The More in Common polling I mention. Lib Dem Pod. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. For material which promotes the party's candidates or future candidates, the imprint information is that it is promoted by Mike Dixon on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, both 1 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PN. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another special with John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod, looking at all the latest from the election campaign with Lib Dem peer Liz Barker and Lib Dem candidate David Chadwick. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Lib Dem manifesto. David Chadwick's campaign. How we decide where to ask people to campaign. Lib Dem Pod. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. For material which promotes the party's candidates or future candidates, the imprint information is that it is promoted by Mike Dixon on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, both 1 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PN. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another team-up with the Lib Dem podcast, taking a look at the general election, mulling over Nigel Farage's entrance and hearing about how a Dalek got canvassed. Appearing on the show is Victoria Collins. The constituency she is standing in includes the village of Aldbury, often used in TV and films, including for Doctor Who and The Avengers. Show notes Victoria Collins. Aldbury. The time Daleks nearly advertised Hamlet Cigars. Lib Dem Pod. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. For material which promotes the party's candidates or future candidates, the imprint information is that it is promoted by Mike Dixon on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, both 1 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PN. For content related specifically to a candidate, it is published and promoted by S. Oliver on behalf of V. Collins. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts saw a return for the Professor of Political Leafleting, the Lady of the Leaflets, Professor Caitlin Milazzo. She's one of the top experts on what election candidates put in their leaflets and why. So just the person to talk with as even more leaflets are headed to people's letterboxes for the general election. Show notes The Open Elections website. How are political leaflets changing (and do they work)? - previous podcast with Caitlin Milazzo. Negative campaigning in political leaflets: what the evidence says - previous podcast with Caitlin Milazzo. Perceived Negativity in British General Election Communications by Caitlin Milazzo and John Ryan. Personal, policy and partisanship: Understanding voter reactions to campaign negativity by Alan Duggan, Caitlin Milazzo, Harry Applestein and John Ryan. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another team-up with John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod team. This time we were joined by Bill Revans, leader of the largest elected Lib Dem group in the country, to talk about the start of the general election. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Lib Dem Pod. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another joint venture with The Lib Dem Pod, taking a look at the 2024 local elections. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Week in Polls. The Lib Dem Pod. Tribute to Andrew Stunell. Local election results in Preston. The 2024 local election results. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

Never Mind The Bar Charts took an unexpected turn when I was discussing the track record of polls closing in previous Parliaments with Professor Will Jennings. One of the most dramatic such examples was with Jeremy Corbyn in 2017... so perhaps he should be the role model for Rishi Sunak as he looks to rescue the Conservatives? Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Have the polls closed in previous Parliaments? What are MRPs and can we trust them? Voting intention by supermarket. Sign up to the newsletter from Will Jennings. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

Something completely different to the usual fare this time: a little while back I picked my five favourite spy novels for the Spybrary podcast. For a variation from the usual Never Mind The Podcasts fare, take a listen to what I picked, and why those in politics so often like spy stories: Anthony Price features, of course. As does (ssssh! former spy) Paddy Ashdown and US President Lyndon B Johnson, subject of perhaps the best non-fiction book and one with a brilliant narrator too. In coincidental related news, I discovered recently that the author of the standard book on the history of the early years of campaigning for proportional representation was a Communist, and possibly a Russian spy. The author is Jennifer Hart and the book is Proportional Representation: Critics of the British Electoral System 1820-1945. Show notes The Spybrary Podcast. The Spybrary Facebook group. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. Photo by Cottonbro Studio on Pexels.com. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Links to books above are affiliate links. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another by-election special with the Lib Dem Pod team, talking about what to make of the latest set of Parliamentary by-elections. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The by-election results. The Lib Dem pre-manifesto. The Lib Dem Pod team on YouTube. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features Southwark councillor Rachel Bentley on what it's like being a councillor, the difference you can make to improve people's lives, the disappointments of Sadiq Khan, life campaigning against Labour and, of course, her love of pointing. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Bentley Ramp. Rachel Bentley on X/Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

Professor Kate Dommett is one of the UK's absolute top rank experts on political campaigning, data and the internet. So who better to have back on Never Mind The Bar Charts to talk about how parties use data and what the next general election might bring? Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Data-Driven Campaigning and Political Parties: Five Advanced Democracies Compared by Katharine Dommett, Glenn Kefford and Simon Kruschinski: available from Amazon, Waterstones and independent bookshops.* My previous scepticism about the impact of Cambridge Analytica. Using a Personality-Profiling Algorithm to Investigate Political Microtargeting: Assessing the Persuasion Effects of Personality-Tailored Ads on Social Media: an academic study showing how targeting people by personality type could work. The small effects of political advertising are small regardless of context, message, sender, or receiver: Evidence from 59 real-time randomized experiments: the limited impact of online advertising. Podcast with Florian Foos on the effects of different campaign tactics. Eitan Hersh on what data US campaigners really use. Ground Wars – Personalized Communications in Political Campaigns by Rasmus Kleis Nielsen: or what canvassers really do when they are on the doorstep. Ground Wars – Personalized Communications in Political Campaigns by Rasmus Kleis Nielsen Kate Dommett's previous appearance on this podcast: What really happens at the grassroots when political parties push new ways of campaigning? One of my early experiments with using Zoom for politics and how Pokémon GO was used by some Lib Dems. Kate Dommett and John Curtice talks for the Political Studies Association. Kate Dommett on X/Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. * Affiliate links which generate a commission for sales.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts welcomed back Duncan Brack for another of our reviews of previous party leaders. This time, it's Charles Kennedy we took a look at. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Greg Hurst's biography of Charles Kennedy. Charles Kennedy on Have I Got News For You. The 1983 TV report on his first election (second video on the page). My earlier take on lessons from Charles Kennedy's leadership. Nick Clegg's tribute to Charles Kennedy following his death. The Lib Dem History Group. Duncan Brack on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another special with the Lib Dem Pod team. We talked about a year of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister and lessons from the Mid Bedfordshire by-election. Listen carefully also to spot a litter Easter Egg from me... Show notes The Lib Dem Pod Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

I've been honoured to have many great guests on Never Mind The Bar Charts but wow... this time's guest really blew me away with his moving life story and with the thought of just how exciting it would be to see him on the national political stage. Come take a listen and meet Josh Babarinde from Eastbourne. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The sunniest town in the UK. The kayak tipping incident. Follow Josh Babarinde on X/Twitter or Instagram. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features Paula Surridge once again, who since last time has been promoted to Professor - congratulations! We talk about what's driving British politics, whether the Conservatives can win next time - and what lessons she sees in the data for the Liberal Democrats. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Some of Paula's previous appearances: on the role of values, the Lib Dem win in Tiverton & Honiton and how Boris Johnson won the 2019 general election. How the polls can be wrong - but why you should still pay attention to them. The British Social Attitudes Survey. The moderate pitch of Mrs Thatcher in 1979. Jonn Elledge on how Labour winning power would change the terms of British politics. What that reference to seven bins was about. The long-term liberalisation of Britain. The British General Election of 2019 by Rob Ford, Tim Bale, Will Jennings and Paula Surridge: Amazon / Waterstones / Bookshop.org.* Paula Surridge on Twitter/X. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.   * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

  It took decades of campaigning for Prohibition campaigners to win in the US, getting alcohol banned in the early twentieth century. Once they'd won, their victory seemed set to last. Yet in less than a decade and a half their victory had been undone and the the idea killed off politically. So can pro-Europeans take heart from drawing parallels between Prohibition and Brexit?   Find out in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts as I discuss this with Professor Ben Ansell who has just written a great piece comparing Prohibition and Brexit.   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Ben Ansell's piece, Brexit's 21st Amendment: Can the Rejoin campaign learn anything from the End of Prohibition? Abraham Lincoln on the political value of honey. Plastic bags chaos looms ... Supermarkets are braced for chaos and confusion (the Daily Mail, of course). Polling on Europe. Why Politics Fails by Ben Ansell: Amazon / Waterstones / Bookshop.org * Ben Ansell on Twitter and Threads. Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.       * Affiliate links.      

So wrote John Curtice after the latest record-breaking Parliamentary by-election by the Liberal Democrats. Who better therefore to discuss how happy Liberal Democrats should be after Sarah Dyke's victory than Frome-born political scientist and podcast favourite, Professor Tim Bale? Hear what Tim and I made of all three of the recent Parliamentary by-elections in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes There were quite a few Lib Dem leaflets in Somerton and Frome. The Lib Dem alternative on ULEZ. The predictive power of Parliamentary by-elections. The Liberal Democrat Yellow Halo of support. What issues most concern voters? Tim Bale on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

Florian Foos has worked with eight different political parties in five different countries carrying out field experiments to test what does and doesn't work in election campaigning. So I invited him on Never Mind The Bar Charts to talk about what both his research and that of others reveals.   Show notes How Much GOTV Mail is Too Much? Results from a Large-Scale Field Experiment by Adam Zelitzer and Donald P. Green Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout: How to Increase Voter Turnout by Donald P. Green and Alan S. Gerber: Amazon / Bookshop.org / Waterstones* How same-sex marriage campaigners won people over by finding common values. Abraham Lincoln's advice on winning campaigns by befriending rather than demonising people. Reasons to be sceptical of the impact of deep canvassing. Florian Foos on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. Image by Nathan Copley from Pixabay. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * Affiliate links

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features Sam Freedman, talking about his recent excellent article on why apparently obvious policy ideas keep on being talked about, but not getting implemented. What's going on? Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Policy Paradox: The more obvious an idea is the less likely it will happen. David Gauke's proposal for an Office for Spending Evaluation. Lynne Featherstone on the Institute for Government's induction sessions for new ministers. The Shelter report on housing mentioned in the show. How Keith House and colleagues get houses built in Eastleigh. Sam Freedman's email newsletter. Sam Freedman on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts saw a return to the show for Professor Caitlin Milazzo, one of the county's top experts on political leaflets - what goes into them why and with what effect. This time we discussed her new research into negative campaigning in leaflets. Show notes “Going on the offensive: Negative messaging in British general elections” by Alan Duggan and Caitlin Milazzo. The Open Elections website. How are political leaflets changing (and do they work)? Caitlin Milazzo's previous appearance. Caitlin Milazzo on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another tie-up with The Lib Dem Podcast, following the stunning Lib Dem gains in the local elections. I joined councillors John Potter and Richard Kemp, along with new Lib Dem council leader Martin Boffey, to chew over the results. Unfortunately, Lisa Smart was not able to make the show, but she was safely re-elected this month too. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Watch the podcast on YouTube. The Lib Dem Podcast on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

I really enjoyed reading Professor Tim Bale's new book, The Conservative Party After Brexit. So who better to have on the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts to discuss the point of such books, how such an apparently ramshackle party keeps on winning elections, the power of party conference speeches and what Rishi Sunak's politics really are than the man himself? Tim that is, rather than the PM. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation by Tim Bale - Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* I was kindly provided with an advance copy by the publishers. Tim Bale on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com. * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

Find out the answer to that... and speculate on what Tim Harford and Matt Forde would be like as MPs with the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts.   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Public Preferences for Integrity and Accountability in Politics: the research report we discuss. Ipsos trust data. Alan Renwick on Twitter. Image by David Mark from Pixabay. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

  For the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, I'm speaking with Cllr Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Council. The local team has an impressive record of building houses on green fields and (yet also) getting re-elected. How have they managed this combo, and what can other Liberal Democrats learn from it?   Take a listen to find out...   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Howards' Way. How the first Liberal was elected to Eastleigh Council – and how politics didn't have a golden age Cllr Keith House on Twitter. Image by Peter H from Pixabay. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word   Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

Many attempts at reforming the House of Lords have been made. Many attempts have failed. So what can would-be reformers learn from the failures of their predecessors to achieve more? Professor Meg Russell, director of the Constitution Unit at UCL, joined me to share her expertise on this in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. Listeners may wish to enjoy her correcting me on voting systems. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes Meg Russell on the podcast previously, talking about reforming the House of Commons. The Changing Role of the House of Lords: the Constitution Unit's research on the House of Lords. The House of Lords Appointments Commission. The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit by Meg Russell and Lisa James: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* The Constitution Unit on Twitter. Theme tune by Hugo Lee. Photo courtesy of UK Parliament (used under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0). New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts. Check out some of this show's most popular previous episodes.   Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.     * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.  

It was a warm welcome back to Professor Tim Bale for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. We revisited the five tests for opposition parties we've discussed before. How have Labour and the Lib Dems been performing against them? Take a listen to find out... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Our original discussion of five tests for opposition parties. Our December 2020 and March 2022 updates. Jon Mellon's research into how well people know the result last time in their own constituency. The YouGov 0-10 voting propensity tracker. Pre-order Tim Bale's new book, The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation: Amazon.* 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. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.   * This is an affiliate link which generate a commission for each sale made.

I recently appeared on the No Man's Land podcast, which describes itself as a, "pod on politics and centrism, for those stuck between political trenches". But rather than talk about whether or not the Liberal Democrats should aim to be centrist, we talked political polling. Hope you enjoy the conversation, which we recorded before Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes No Man's Land podcast. Host Steve O'Neil on Twitter. My book, Polling UnPacked. 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. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.  

A nice easy question for me and Callum Robertson to chew over in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. Here's what we made of it... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Labour NEC member deselected as a councillor. The core vote argument. Michael Crick's Twitter account tracking Parliamentary selection contests. Callum Robertson on Twitter. For a Fair Deal: the Lib Dem plan for the UK. Sam Seaborn on taxing the rich on The West Wing. Electoral Shocks: The Volatile Voter in a Turbulent World by Edward Fieldhouse and others: Amazon, Bookshop, Waterstones.*  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. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com. * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

I joined John Potter and the Lib Dem Pod team for a special show looking at why the party cancelled its autumn federal conference in Brighton. We talked about the decision with Federal Conference Committee Chair, Cllr Nick da Costa, Cllr Hannah Kitching and PPC Laura Gordon.  Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Why conference was cancelled and the alternatives considered. Latest information on hotel and travel refunds. 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. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.

Podcast favourite Tim Bale has a new book out about how Brexit happened - both why the referendum was called and then why it was lost. Discussing his book on the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts we get into how the real trigger of Brexit was the Blue Wall, not the Red Wall. Take a listen to find out why... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Tim Bale on Twitter. Michael Crick's Twitter account about MP selections. Jonathan Portes's article on what Leave campaigners promised on immigration. Brexit: an accident waiting to happen? Why David Cameron called the 2016 Referendum - and why he lost it by Tim Bale: Amazon.* For the record by David Cameron: Amazon, Bookshop, 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. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com. * Includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

What are Conservative Party members like? Who are they going to pick for party leader? And what does it mean for the Liberal Democrats? Find out in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, where I teamed up again with the Lib Dem Pod and ace expert, Professor Tim Bale. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes The Lib Dem Pod. Tim Bale on Twitter. How do you make someone join a political party? One of the previous top shows with Professor Tim Bale. Footsoldiers: political party membership in the 21st century - one of Tim Bale's great studies of party membership with colleagues: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon.* 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. Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com. * This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

How much more of a spring in our step should Liberal Democrats have after the Tiverton and Honiton win, and what are the lessons for the party? After discussing this last week with the Lib Dem Pod team, for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts I invited back an outside expert, political scientist Paula Surridge. Let's see how much cold water Paula has to pour on Lib Dem hopes... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes One, two, three Liberal Democrat Parliamentary by-election victories. Last year's popular episode with Paula after Chesham & Amersham. Graph from Will Jennings on the predictive power of Parliamentary by-elections.  The similarities between North Shropshire and Tiverton & Honiton: Paula Surridge's two graphs - one and two.  More in Common's polling and focus groups on trans rights. Follow council by-election results. UK in a Changing Europe website. Follow 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.

I joined the Lib Dem Pod team shortly after the amazing win for Richard Foord in Tiverton & Honiton to discuss how it happened and what it means. See what Sam, Richard, John and I made of the result... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Richard Foord's amazing win. The wonderful Frank Doran. The Lib Dem Pod - do go have a listen to their other episodes. 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.

I was really lucky to have Professor Jane Green as my guest for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts as she's co-author of an important new report into British politics: "Red Wall, Red Herring? Economic Insecurity and Voting Intention in Britain". Along the way she politely demolished some of what I've said in the past and provided pointers for what the Liberal Democrats should do in the future. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Red Wall, Red Herring? - full report from Jane Green and Roosmarijn de Geus. One of the key findings from the report. Will British politics become less volatile, and how important is ideology? - previous episode with Jane Green. Professor Jane Green 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.  

Pollster Keiran Pedley joined me on Never Mind The Bar Charts to discuss what we can learn from the 2022 local elections and how Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems really did. Includes how I would have spun the results for Labour if I'd been in their press team and what Keiran thinks of my enthusiasm for the Liberal Democrat results. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes How useful are the local elections for telling us about national trends? Keir Starmer's approval ratings. "Are you better off?" - Keiran's piece for the New Statesman. Ipsos MORI polling archive. Keiran Pedley 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.

I joined John Potter from the Lib Dem Pod podcast, along with Welsh leader Jane Dodds and Scottish campaign maestro Kevin Lang to talk about the 2022 local elections. Here's what we made of the results and what to do next... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes 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.

This month's edition of Never Mind The Bar Charts features my recent appearance on another podcast - the UK in a Changing Europe's Brexit and Beyond podcast, talking about opinion polls and my new book all about them with the ever-excellent Paula Surridge.   Show notes   The Brexit and Beyond podcast, complete with lots of previous excellent episodes to enjoy. Get your own copy of Polling Unpacked: the history, uses and abuses of political opinion polls. 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.  

It was a warm welcome back to Professor Tim Bale in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts as we returned to the five tests for an opposition party that Tim discussed before. Now we're in 2022, how are Labour and the Liberal Democrats doing on those tests? Listen on to find out... Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Previous review of state of Labour and the Liberal Democrats with Tim Bale. Tim Bale's Golden Halo research with colleagues, updated here. Caitlin Milazzo's appearance talking about how political leaflets are changing. What voters do and don't know about how finished first and second in their constituency. Albert Hirschman's Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon.* Small target strategies in Australian politics. 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.

Internet advertising does not have the best of reputations. But when it comes to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ability to slip adverts telling the truth pass the eyes of Russian regulators makes it a way of battling Putin's disinformation campaigns. So for the the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts I spoke with Rob Blackie, the public front for a network of volunteers who are running online adverts to get the truth to ordinary Russians.   Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.   Show notes   Donate to the advertising campaign here. Marina Ovsyannikova protests on Russian TV. TV host blocks one minute silence for Russian war dead. Why internet censorship struggles with some words. Rob's previous appearances on the podcast. Rob Blackie on Twitter. Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Pexels.com. 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 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.