Never Mind The Bar Charts

Does proportional representation produce weak governments?

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.
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Do those "Winning Here" posters and bar charts actually work?

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).
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Failed State: why our government is broken and how to fix it

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.
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The importance of geography to British electoral politics

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.
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Election 2024 debrief: podcast with Tim Bale

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.
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One last podcast before polling day

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.
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The best Lib Dem general election campaign since...?

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.
The election timetable.
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.
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A Dalek, The Avengers and other reasons to canvass with Victoria Collins

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.
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What do candidates get up to in their leaflets?

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.
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The general election is on: how's it going?

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.
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