Never Mind The Bar Charts

Does it really matter what the political polls currently say?

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.
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Lessons from football for political campaigning

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.
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What Chesham and Amersham tells us about the future for the Liberal Democrats

 
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.
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Why electoral reform matters and how to get more of it

 
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.
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How are political leaflets changing (and do they work)?

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.
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How good a political leader was Lord John Russell?

After the special joint edition with the Lib Dem Pod looking at cross-party cooperation, it’s back to the normal format this time – and welcome back to Duncan Brack for one of our historical dives into a former party leader.
After having discussed Jo Grimond and David Steel, this time we’re headed into the 19th century with Lord John Russell. He served in government for at least part of every decade from the 1830s through to the 1860s, with two spells as Prime Minister, 13 years apart. 
What should we make of his political career?
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
Lord John Russell biography on the gov.uk website.
My 'what if' about the 1832 Great Reform Act.
The Prime Ministers, edited by Iain Dale: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon.*
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
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How should the Liberal Democrats approach cross-party cooperation?

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.
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Brexitland: The long-term factors shaping our politics, and what they mean for the future

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.
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Is over-centralisation hindering the struggle against coronavirus? With Munira Wilson

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.
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How to make Parliament work better, with Professor Meg Russell

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.
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