Never Mind The Bar Charts

Culture wars, Brexit and electoral reform, with Rob Ford

What caused Brexit? Was it inevitable? Why do the right love fighting culture wars even though each culture war gets fought on more liberal territory? Those were just some of the questions covered in a wonderfully wide-ranging discussion with Rob Ford. 
Not Rob Ford, the scandal-prone Mayor of Toronto, or Rob Ford, the man who killed Jesse James, or even Rob Ford, the Dundee FC footballer. But Rob Ford, Politics Professor at Manchester University and co-author of the new book, Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics by Rob Ford and Maria Sobolewska: Waterstones / Amazon.
Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn by Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire: Waterstones / Amazon.
The New Minority: White Working Class Politics in an Age of Immigration and Inequality by Justin Gest: Waterstones / Amazon. 
Why the first black British prime minister is likely to be a Conservative - Stephen Bush.
The political lessons of tuition fees discussed with Chris Butler.
Professor Rob Ford on Twitter.
Professor Maria Sobolewska on Twitter.
Music by Hugo Lee.
Photo by Anthony Beck from Pexels.
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.

Who is going to win the US Presidency?

I headed across the Atlantic in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts to talk about the US elections. For that I was joined by US politics podcaster Karin Robinson of the Democratically: 2020 show. We talked about Biden's chances, nerded out over the US postal service, discussed how the TV debates may go and more.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
5 Myths About the Postal Crisis - Politico.
Vote from Abroad.
Kevin Rudd's winning 2007 election strategy.
Five Thirty Eight - a website and a podcast.
Talking Points Memo.
The New York Times's Nate Cohn.
Marc Elias / Democracy Docket.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Democratically: 2020 podcast.
Karin Robinson on Twitter.
My appearance on Karin's podcast to discuss Bad News.
Music by Hugo Lee.
Photo of Joe Biden courtesy of janeb13 / 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.

Lib Dem European policy, how the leadership election went and more

The Lib Dem Podcast joined up again with Never Mind The Bar Charts for a special show looking at the latest issues facing the Liberal Democrats. John Potter and Tom Morrison joined me to review the leadership contest as well as to discuss the debate about when the Lib Dems should be campaigning to rejoin the EU.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
The Lib Dem Podcast.
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.

The future for liberalism, with David Howarth

China's changing foreign policy, tackling populism, the role for the Liberal Democrats: my guest David Howarth and I ranged widely over the political landscape 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
The core vote strategy pamphlet David Howarth and I wrote in 2015.
My take on the role for liberalism in a post-coronavirus world.
The positive pay-offs from Angela Merkel's decision to welcome many more immigrants to Germany.
How Paddy Ashdown's strategy worked in the 1990s.
The risks of hung Parliaments.
New research into the Liberal Democrats and tuition fees: podcast episode with Chris Butler.
Listening to party members: how you can tell me your views.
Licence to be Bad: How Economics Corrupted Us by Jonathan Aldred: Amazon / Waterstones.
Island Stories: Britain and Its History in the Age of Brexit by David Reynolds: Amazon / Waterstones.
The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalrymple: Amazon / Waterstones.
The Will of the People: A Modern Myth by Albert Weale: Amazon / Waterstones.
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.

That tuition fees promise: what new research shows about the lessons to learn

There was a weird role reversal at the heart of the Liberal Democrat decisions over tuition fees in 2010, as Chris Butler's academic research reveals. So I invited him on Never Mind The Bar Charts to discuss what he has found, the lessons for the Liberal Democrats and the implications more generally about what makes for successful political parties.
Show notes
Chris Butler's research: When are governing parties more likely to respond to public opinion? The strange case of the Liberal Democrats and tuition fees.
David Laws's book on the coalition negotiations.
The front page of the 2010 general election manifesto.
Ryan Coetzee's controversial take on the 2015 general election, and my take on his take along with my second take on his take.
How to get right thinking about who might vote for you: a core vote strategy.
Nick Clegg's tuition fees apology - including the musical remix.
Chris Butler 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.

Giving the Liberals direction, purpose and ambition: lessons from David Steel's leadership

After the popularity of the previous discussion with Duncan Brack about lessons for the Liberal Democrats from Jo Grimond’s time as party leader, Duncan returns to discuss another former leader. This time, it’s David Steel.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
British Liberal Leaders edited by Duncan Brack, Robert Ingham and Tony Little: Amazon / Waterstones.
David Steel: Rising Hope to Elder Statesman by David Torrance: Amazon / Waterstones.
The Pact: The Inside Story of the Lib–Lab Government, 1977-1978 by Alistair Michie and Simon Hoggart: Amazon / Waterstones.
A House Divided: The Lib-Lab Pact and the Future of British Politics by David Steel: Amazon.
Against Goliath by David Steel: Amazon.
Peace, Reform and Liberation: A History of Liberal Politics in Britain 1679-2011, compiled by Robert Ingham and Duncan Brack.
Our previous podcast episode looking at Jo Grimond.
The Liberal Democrat History Group.
Follow Duncan Brack on Twitter.
Music by Hugo Lee.
The photo with this episode is of David Steel opening the Washington Liberal Club in the 1970s. Photo courtesy of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.
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.

Compulsory voting: how it happened in Australia, and could it happen in the UK?

Time for an international turn on Never Mind The Bar Charts, with Professor Judith Brett, author of From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia got compulsory voting.
It's a great book about how democracy developed in Australia. Not only how voting ended up mandatory but also why so many people eat sausages when voting, the flirtation with round ballot papers and the way British politicians accidentally gave the Australians more democracy than they realised.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
Which places use compulsory voting (including those who have it but don't enforce it).
Talk of using weekend voting in the UK.
Optimising names at the start of the London telephone book.
From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia got compulsory voting by Judith Brett: Waterstones / Amazon (though watch out that Amazon's paperback prices seem very messed up and Waterstones will almost certainly be a much better deal).
I'll take any excuse to shoehorn in another link to the epic Bill Shorten interview, from before he became leader of the Labor Party and lost a general election.
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.

Where next for the Liberal Democrats? What the data says, with Tim Bale

Following the publication of the research report Where next for the Liberal Democrats?, I invited one of its co-authors, Professor Tim Bale, back on the show to talk about what the report found and the lessons for future Lib Dem strategy.
Show notes
Where next for the Liberal Democrats? - the report we discuss on the show.
Creating a core vote for the Liberal Democrats: my original pamphlet with David Howarth.
The previous interview with Cllr Anton Georgiou, by-election winner in Brent.
Follow Tim Bale 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.

Will British politics become less volatile, and how important is ideology? Interview with Professor Jane Green

I was delighted to be joined for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts by one of the most important political scientists in Britain, Professor Jane Green.
Amongst her many achievements, she’s co-director of the British Election Study, which is to British elections what Wisden is to cricket or Oxford is to dictionaries: that is, an absolutely essential source for anyone wanting to understand what has happened in our elections and why.
Among the many topics we covered were whether British politics is going to become less volatile and how important competence (as opposed to ideology) is in determining who wins elections.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
The British Election Study website is full of news and data.
Electoral Shocks: The Volatile Voter in a Turbulent World: Amazon / Waterstones.
The Politics of Competence: Parties, Public Opinion and Voters: Amazon / Waterstones.
The report on Lib Dem prospects from The UK in a Changing Europe.
Follow Jane Green 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.

If the Liberal Democrats were to have an anthem, the song I'd pick is...

What makes someone a Liberal Democrat? What should the party's anthem be? Can you order cheese toasties via the internet? And can I avoid embarrassing myself in a quiz about chocolate?
Find out the answers to all these and more in my recent appearance on the excellent Politics of Sound podcast with Iain Carnegie.
Show notes
The Beautiful South music video with the elephant.
Subscribe to the Politics of Sound podcast.
Follow Iain Carnegie on Twitter.
Never Mind The Bar Charts 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.