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PODCAST

Observations

Democracy Volunteers

The Observations Podcast, brought to you by the Democracy Volunteers team, brings you insightful coverage of elections—past, present, local, national, and international. Ourteam of experts dives into the stories behind the ballots, speaking with candidates, campaigners, organisers and winners to uncover the narratives you won’t hear anywhere else.Tune in for a deeper look at the elections that shape our world. Our expert interviewers: TV presenter Edd Charlton, ITV and BBC journalist Alex Iszatt and

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All Episodes

2:04

Coming Soon: Fictional Elections - The After Dark Series

Observations ·

2025/08/20

Over the coming weeks, our new presenter, James Heaton, will be hosting a series of "after dark" podcast episodes concerning fictional, TV and other examples of elections that have shaped opinions and given insight to viewers about the way elections are run and how they fit into our culture.From Richard Hannay's speech to a 1910s audience in The Thirty-Nine Steps, to Dunny-on-the-Wold, a pocket borough by-election in 19th century England and the epic battle for the new MP for Broughty Ferry, this

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45:04

Elections that 'Shook the World': Allende's Election...

Observations ·

2025/08/19

Matt Davis interviews Dr. Sebastián Hurtado Torres, from Universidad San Sebastián about the election in 1970 of Salvador Allende, to become the first Socialist leader of his country. His election saw international support and condemnation in equal measure with support for his election being divided along the lines of the Cold War.In this interview, Professor Torres explains the impacts in Chile, in Latin America, and globally and how the world reacted. By 1973, Allende was overthrown by a military

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16:24

International Election Special: Samoa 2025

Observations ·

2025/08/12

On 29th August 2025, Samoa votes in its first general election since 2021. In this episode of The Observations Podcast Matt Davis our Special Internation Election Editor interviews Dr. Iati Iati of the University of Victoria in Wellington (New Zealand). The election will see contest between traditional parties and newer parties that have emerged over the past few years.This is the second in our series of elections overseas, drawing upon the expertise of global academics to make deep dives into

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1:58

Samoa: General Election Special Coming This Tuesday

Observations ·

2025/08/07

Matt Davis will be interviewing Dr. Iati Iati about the forthcoming Samoan General Election. Dr. Iati, an expert in Samoan elections, will be speaking from Wellington New Zealand.

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94:22

Famous By-Elections: Bobby Sands and Fermanagh &...

Observations ·

2025/08/05

Possibly one of the most controversial by-elections in British political history occurred in 1981 when Bobby Sands, an imprisoned IRA terrorist, was elected to the Westminster Parliament despite being imprisoned at the time. This interview with Dr. Peter McLoughlin of Queen’s University Belfast, reader at “The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice”, tells the podcast all about the context in which the by-election takes place, how the election worked, as Sands was

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0:52

Coming Soon: Elections that Shook the World Series 1

Observations ·

2025/07/31

In our new season of Elections that Shook the World, Matt Davis interviews international experts and participants in some of the elections that made history. From 1970s South America, 1980s Europe and referendums that threatened to change the course of nations, the Observations Podcast delves into famous elections around the world.

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38:35

Famous By-elections: Willie Rennie and Dunfermline &...

Observations ·

2025/07/29

Winner of the 2006 Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, Willie Rennie, is interviewed by Matt Davis. The seat, previously held by Labour, did not hold out much prospect for the Liberal Democrats. The party was in the midst of a challenging period with the previous leader, Charles Kennedy, who had recentlyresigned, and the campaign to replace him which had seen further challengesto the party. The seat was also next door to the constituency of future Prime Minister Gordon Brown, so the prospects

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1:19

Are You Going to Join Us in The Nederlands?

Observations ·

2025/07/23

Democracy Volunteers are deploying observers ot the Netherlands for their presidential election in October 2025. Find out more at democracyvolunteers.org

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47:17

Famous By-Elections: Edward Timpson and Crewe &...

Observations ·

2025/07/22

Our team interviews for Conservative MP Edward Timpson, winner of the 2008 Crewe and Nantwich By-Election. The seat became vacant on the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody who had been the local MP since 1974. Timpson’s victory in the by-election was the first Conservative gain in a parliamentary by-election since 1982 and the first from the Labour Party since 1978. At the time, Gordon Brown had replaced Tony Blair as Prime Minister and it was the first by-election gain under future Prime Minister David

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61:04

Famous By-elections: Douglas Carswell and Clacton 2014

Observations ·

2025/07/15

As part of our first series of “Famous By-Elections” our team interviews Douglas Carswell who contested the 2014 Clacton By-Election. The by-election was called when Carswell resigned his seat as a Conservative MP to become a UKIP MP.Talking about the campaign, his decision to resign his seat causing a by-election and how it affected his electoral future are all part of the discussion in this fascinating interview.

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23:51

A Model Democracy? The Quiet Success and Subtle Flaws...

Observations ·

2025/07/08

Finland’s 2025 local elections have been praised as “extremely well-run” by international observers, with high marks for accessibility, professionalism, and voter experience at polling stations. But beneath the surface of this democratic success story lie quieter concerns—issues like family voting, unsealed ballot boxes, and confusing ballot designs—that could threaten voter trust if left unaddressed.In this episode, Matt Davis speaks to Dr. John Ault to unpack the findings from Democracy

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1:39

Coming Soon: Famous By-Elections Series 1

Observations ·

2025/07/07

In the coming weeks there will be new episodes on famous by-elections from around the UK. Listen in to find out more in our forthcoming series!

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24:08

How to make votes matter more?

Observations ·

2025/07/01

Edd Charlton interviews Mathew Hulbert concerning ways to improve the UK’s electoral system arguing for proportional representation. He argues that a more representative parliament based on number of seats better reflecting the number of votes would be a more effective way of running Britain’s Parliament.

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18:43

Democracy Volunteers recommend changes after English...

Observations ·

2025/06/24

Matt Davis interviews Dr. John Ault, Director of Democracy Volunteers, about their recently released report on the 2025 English local elections, held on May 1st. The Democracy Volunteers team deployed observers across every area in England holding elections, with theexception of the Isles of Scilly. Once again they observed several challenges to the voting process and have made a number of recommendations to the UK's Electoral Commission and the UK Government. They focus on the continuing challenges

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21:53

Stopping the Blame Game - Rebuilding Public Trust

Observations ·

2025/06/17

Alex Iszatt interviews Leah Brown on her White Paper on 'Restoring Public Trust and Accountability'. Leah is a Lawyer who has drawn up a new policy on how to improve the way that UK institutions can improve the way they engage with the public.Listening to the public, MPs, media and ensuring that institutions are responsive to what people need is a focus of Leah's paper.

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20:08

Behind the Polling Booth Curtain in Russia - Election...

Observations ·

2025/06/15

Matt Davis interviews Russian election expert Ivan Shukshin. Ivan has extensive experience working with election observation initiatives, advocating for transparent and fair electoral processes in Russia.His work focuses on exposing electoral fraud and mobilising public engagement in defending voting rights. Despite the challenges of operating in a restrictive environment, Shukshin continues to be a vocal advocate for democratic reform, regularly contributing to policy discussions and civil society

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45:22

Democracy Under Threat? The Hidden Toll on Local...

Observations ·

2025/05/30

"Put your name up on Facebook with the name of your party—Reform UK—and suddenly you’re a jackbooty, brownshirt, swastika-wearing member of the Nazi party.”That's what one contributor said to our research team for this year's local elections. As part of Democracy Volunteers election observation for the 2025 English local elections the team surveyed candidates of all parties to find out their experiences out campaigning and the threats, abuse and challenges they faced.In this episode Jason McKenna

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31:15

AI: An Enemy or a Friend of Democracy?

Observations ·

2025/05/27

In this thought-provoking episode, Alex Iszatt explores the complex relationship between artificial intelligence and democracy. Joining us are two powerhouse guests with decades of experience in leadership, communications, and political science.Hilarie Owen, one of the world’s leading experts on leadership and CEO of The Leaders Institute, brings deep insight from her work with global corporations, governments, and elite institutions like the RAF Red Arrows and Harvard University. With a background

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21:38

International Election Special - Suriname 2025

Observations ·

2025/05/22

Professor Wouter Veenendaal is Professor by Special Appointment in Kingdom from Leiden University in The Netherlands. In today’s episode, Matt Davis interviews him on the upcoming 2025 general election in Suriname.2025 sees an election in the South American country which was once a Dutch colony. How big is Suriname, what is the population, how do their elections work? All these questions are answered, and you can learn about the key issues in the Suriname election along with a few other facts about

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21:38

Local Democracy: Are Elected Mayors the Solution?

Observations ·

2025/05/20

Jonathan Carr-West is interviewed by Alex Iszatt about the future of local democracy. Do elected mayors offer greater accountability, greater local identity, and greater understanding of the issues that face local communities? 2025 saw a number of elections postponed as those areas were in discussion to develop plans for unitary councils or directly elected mayors.Dr Jonathan Carr-West has been Chief Executive of LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) since February 2013 where he leads on all

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49 results

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