Never Mind The Bar Charts

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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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.
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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 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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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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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 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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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.
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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.
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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.
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Links to books above are affiliate links.
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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.
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Share the show’s website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.