Never Mind The Bar Charts

Mark Pack and guests talk about the Liberal Democrats, British politics and a few stray digressions. Only a few.

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Episodes

Wednesday Jul 19, 2023

Florian Foos has worked with eight different political parties in five different countries carrying out field experiments to test what does and doesn't work in election campaigning. So I invited him on Never Mind The Bar Charts to talk about what both his research and that of others reveals.
 
Show notes
How Much GOTV Mail is Too Much? Results from a Large-Scale Field Experiment by Adam Zelitzer and Donald P. Green
Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout: How to Increase Voter Turnout by Donald P. Green and Alan S. Gerber: Amazon / Bookshop.org / Waterstones*
How same-sex marriage campaigners won people over by finding common values.
Abraham Lincoln's advice on winning campaigns by befriending rather than demonising people.
Reasons to be sceptical of the impact of deep canvassing.
Florian Foos on Twitter.
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
Image by Nathan Copley from Pixabay.
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* Affiliate links

Tuesday Jun 06, 2023

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts features Sam Freedman, talking about his recent excellent article on why apparently obvious policy ideas keep on being talked about, but not getting implemented. What's going on?
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
The Policy Paradox: The more obvious an idea is the less likely it will happen.
David Gauke's proposal for an Office for Spending Evaluation.
Lynne Featherstone on the Institute for Government's induction sessions for new ministers.
The Shelter report on housing mentioned in the show.
How Keith House and colleagues get houses built in Eastleigh.
Sam Freedman's email newsletter.
Sam Freedman on Twitter.
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
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Thursday May 18, 2023


The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts saw a return to the show for Professor Caitlin Milazzo, one of the county's top experts on political leaflets - what goes into them why and with what effect.
This time we discussed her new research into negative campaigning in leaflets.
Show notes
“Going on the offensive: Negative messaging in British general elections” by Alan Duggan and Caitlin Milazzo.
The Open Elections website.
How are political leaflets changing (and do they work)? Caitlin Milazzo’s previous appearance.
Caitlin Milazzo on Twitter.
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.

Monday May 08, 2023

The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts is another tie-up with The Lib Dem Podcast, following the stunning Lib Dem gains in the local elections.
I joined councillors John Potter and Richard Kemp, along with new Lib Dem council leader Martin Boffey, to chew over the results. Unfortunately, Lisa Smart was not able to make the show, but she was safely re-elected this month too.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
Watch the podcast on YouTube.
The Lib Dem Podcast on Twitter.
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.

Monday Apr 17, 2023


I really enjoyed reading Professor Tim Bale's new book, The Conservative Party After Brexit.
So who better to have on the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts to discuss the point of such books, how such an apparently ramshackle party keeps on winning elections, the power of party conference speeches and what Rishi Sunak's politics really are than the man himself? Tim that is, rather than the PM.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation by Tim Bale - Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.* I was kindly provided with an advance copy by the publishers.
Tim Bale on Twitter.
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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* This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.

Monday Mar 27, 2023

Find out the answer to that... and speculate on what Tim Harford and Matt Forde would be like as MPs with 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
 
Public Preferences for Integrity and Accountability in Politics: the research report we discuss.
Ipsos trust data.
Alan Renwick on Twitter.
Image by David Mark from Pixabay.
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.
 

Saturday Feb 04, 2023

 
For the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, I'm speaking with Cllr Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Council. The local team has an impressive record of building houses on green fields and (yet also) getting re-elected. How have they managed this combo, and what can other Liberal Democrats learn from it?
 
Take a listen to find out...
 
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
 
Show notes
 
Howards' Way.
How the first Liberal was elected to Eastleigh Council – and how politics didn’t have a golden age
Cllr Keith House on Twitter.
Image by Peter H from Pixabay.
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.
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Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.
 

Monday Jan 09, 2023

Many attempts at reforming the House of Lords have been made. Many attempts have failed.
So what can would-be reformers learn from the failures of their predecessors to achieve more?
Professor Meg Russell, director of the Constitution Unit at UCL, joined me to share her expertise on this in the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. Listeners may wish to enjoy her correcting me on voting systems.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
 
Show notes
Meg Russell on the podcast previously, talking about reforming the House of Commons.
The Changing Role of the House of Lords: the Constitution Unit's research on the House of Lords.
The House of Lords Appointments Commission.
The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit by Meg Russell and Lisa James: Bookshop (independent bookshops) / Amazon / Waterstones.*
The Constitution Unit on Twitter.
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
Photo courtesy of UK Parliament (used under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0).
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.
 
Enjoy the show? Spread the word
Follow the show on Twitter.
Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.
 
 
* This list includes affiliate links which generate a commission for each sale made.
 

Friday Dec 09, 2022


It was a warm welcome back to Professor Tim Bale for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. We revisited the five tests for opposition parties we've discussed before. How have Labour and the Lib Dems been performing against them?
Take a listen to find out...
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 and March 2022 updates.
Jon Mellon's research into how well people know the result last time in their own constituency.
The YouGov 0-10 voting propensity tracker.
Pre-order Tim Bale's new book, The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation: Amazon.*
Tim Bale on Twitter.
Theme tune 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.
Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.
 
* This is an affiliate link which generate a commission for each sale made.

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

I recently appeared on the No Man's Land podcast, which describes itself as a, "pod on politics and centrism, for those stuck between political trenches". But rather than talk about whether or not the Liberal Democrats should aim to be centrist, we talked political polling.
Hope you enjoy the conversation, which we recorded before Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister.
Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it.
Show notes
No Man's Land podcast.
Host Steve O'Neil on Twitter.
My book, Polling UnPacked.
Theme tune by Hugo Lee.
New to listening to podcasts? Here are some tips on how to listen to podcasts.
Enjoy the show? Spread the word
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Share the show's website, www.NeverMindTheBarCharts.com.
 

Mark Pack

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