Never Mind The Bar Charts

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.
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
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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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* This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

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.
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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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* This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

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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How are Labour and the Liberal Democrats doing?

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.
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The march of electoral reform in Wales

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.
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