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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

2:39

Dutch Should End On-Demand Proxy Voting

Observations ·

2026/02/18

Democracy Volunteers deployed observers across the Netherlands for the parliamentary elections in October. Deploying 32 observers and experts, 25 of whom were based in the European Netherlands and the other 7 on the BES islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.Democracy Volunteers has now observed in The Netherlands on 8 separate occasions, deploying 99 observers, across 63 of the 345 municipalities and special municipalities, attending 619 polling stations, observing 19,833 voters casting their

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42:28

Tech and Democracy: How Big Tech Safeguards Elections

Observations ·

2026/02/10

One of the world's largest technology companies has made protecting elections a core part of its mission — but why does a tech giant care about democracy, and what exactly is it doing? In this episode, Lily Russell-Jones speaks with Dave Leichtman, Microsoft's Senior Director of Global Elections, about the company's work safeguarding democratic processes around the world. The conversation explores the threats facing modern elections, from foreign interference campaigns by state actors like Russia,

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36:50

Electoral Reform Special: Voter ID and Bank Cards

Observations ·

2026/02/02

Lily Russell-Jones explores the government's plans to expand acceptable voter ID to include bank cards, a key part of wider electoral reforms announced in July. The episode features Professor Ed Fieldhouse from Manchester University, who discusses research from the British Election Study showing that around 5% of voters lack valid photo ID, and how this disproportionately affects younger, less affluent, and geographically disadvantaged groups. The conversation examines the balance between election

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50:29

Respectful Politics: Tackling Harassment and...

Observations ·

2026/02/01

Harassment and abuse directed at political candidates and elected representatives is on the rise — the Electoral Commission found that 70% of candidates experienced abuse or harassment at the 2024 general election. In this episode, Lily Russell-Jones explores the growing crisis and what's being done about it. She speaks first with Hannah Phillips of the Joe Cox Foundation, which campaigns for safer, more respectful political culture in the wake of the tragic murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016. Hannah

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42:49

Postal Voting Under Pressure: The Case for In-Person...

Observations ·

2026/01/20

Twenty percent of voters cast their ballot by post at the 2024 general election, but is postal voting working as it should? In this episode, Lily Russell-Jones speaks with John Ault, Director of Democracy Volunteers, about the rising challenges facing postal voting in the UK—from missed deadlines and delayed deliveries to the particular struggles of overseas voters. Through Stephanie Carlton's story of being unable to vote despite applying on time, the conversation explores how administrative

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23:17

Local Elections in Limbo: England's 2025...

Observations ·

2026/01/11

With dozens of English councils facing local government reorganisation, the government has given 63 authorities until 15 January to request a delay to May 2025 elections. In this episode, Lily Russell-Jones speaks with Peter Stanyon of the Association of Electoral Administrators about the unprecedented dilemma facing local democracy. Should elections proceed as planned, or should councils postpone to focus on reorganisation? The conversation explores the tension between democratic accountability and

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21:48

After Dark: The Candidate with Professor Steve Fielding

Observations ·

2026/01/06

In this After Dark special, host Joshua Paisley speaks with Professor Steve Fielding about the 1972 Oscar-winning film The Candidate, released just months before Richard Nixon's landslide victory over George McGovern. Robert Redford plays Bill McKay, a handsome young radical community lawyer picked to run an unwinnable California Senate race against an 18-year Republican incumbent—on the promise that since he can't win, he can say whatever he likes.Professor Fielding explains how the film reflects

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44:43

After Dark: Elections in John Buchan with Ursula Buchan

Observations ·

2025/12/05

In this After Dark special, host John Ault speaks with Ursula Buchan, granddaughter of novelist John Buchan and author of the definitive biography Beyond the 39 Steps, about how elections shaped her grandfather's fiction. Before becoming famous for his spy thrillers, Buchan spent years as the prospective Conservative and Unionist candidate for Peebles and Selkirk, visiting every farmstead in the Scottish Borders and attending hundreds of village political meetings—experiences he would mine for his

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1:44

Bid for Democracy: Democracy Volunteers Christmas...

Observations ·

2025/12/04

Celebrate the season by supporting democracy. Our Christmas Auction is now live, with 100 unique lots to bid on – from unforgettable experiences to signed memorabilia and festive treats. Every bid helps us train observers and protect transparent, fair elections across the UK and beyond in 2026. Bid now, share with friends, and make your Christmas giving count.https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/democracyvolunteerschristmasauction20251

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39:10

Fictional Elections: The Amazing Mrs Pritchard with...

Observations ·

2025/11/25

In this After Dark special, host Joshua Paisley speaks with Professor Steven Fielding, a political historian at the University of Nottingham, about the 2006 BBC drama The Amazing Mrs Pritchard. Written by Sally Wainwright (who would go on to create Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack), the six-part series imagined what would happen if an ordinary Yorkshire superstore manager won a landslide election and became Prime Minister—on a platform of moving Parliament to Bradford and asking the people what

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65:47

Fictional Elections: A Very British Coup with Chris...

Observations ·

2025/11/13

In this episode, host John Ault speaks with Chris Mullin, former Labour MP and author of A Very British Coup, about his 1982 novel that imagined what would happen if a radical socialist Prime Minister won a landslide—and the establishment decided to destroy him. Published when Tony Benn was in the ascendant and making the establishment nervous, Mullin created Harry Perkins: a Sheffield steel worker who wins power on promises to scrap nuclear weapons, leave NATO, and restore industries to public

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1:45

Coming Soon: A Very British Coup with Chris Mullin

Observations ·

2025/11/11

In 1988, Channel 4 aired A Very British Coup, a political drama that imagined what would happen if a radical socialist Prime Minister won a landslide—and the establishment decided to destroy him. Adapted from Chris Mullin's novel, the series follows Harry Perkins, a working-class Labour leader who promises to scrap nuclear weapons, leave NATO, and restore industries to public ownership. But the intelligence services, civil service, press, and foreign allies conspire to bring him down.In our

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39:11

Electoral Reform: Should 16-Year-Olds Vote?

Observations ·

2025/11/07

In this special episode, host Lily Russell-Jones explores one of the government's most controversial electoral reforms: lowering the voting age to 16. With Scotland and Wales already allowing younger voters in some elections, is this a positive step for democracy or a risky experiment?Eddie Barnes from the John Smith Centre at Glasgow University shares polling that reveals young people themselves are divided—48% support getting the vote, but 32% disagree and 20% aren't sure. The most common word

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50:36

Famous Historical Elections: The Red Scare Election...

Observations ·

2025/11/04

In this episode, Ethan Reuter speaks with historian Taym Saleh about the 1924 general election—the autumn showdown that cemented Britain's two-party system and buried the Liberal Party as a national force. After three elections in just 23 months, Stanley Baldwin's Conservatives swept to a crushing 200-seat majority while Herbert Asquith lost his seat and the Liberals collapsed from 155 MPs to a mere 40.The conversation explores how Britain's first Labour government, formed almost by accident after

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13:39

Election Special: Observing the Netherlands 2025

Observations ·

2025/11/03

In this special episode recorded on location in The Hague, Joshua interviews Harry Bush about Democracy Volunteers' seventh observation mission to the Netherlands. Harry explains how Dutch elections work differently from the UK—the entire country acts as a single 150-seat constituency using proportional representation, with voters choosing both a party and a candidate from lists of up to 80 names. This creates ballot papers so massive that counting them used to take hours just to unfold, leading

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58:09

Famous Historical Elections: The Liberal Landslide of...

Observations ·

2025/10/30

In this episode, Ethan Reuter speaks with historian Taym Saleh about the 1906 general election—the winter showdown that delivered the last great Liberal landslide and set the stage for the welfare state. After riding jingoistic euphoria to victory in 1900, the Conservative-Unionist coalition collapsed spectacularly, reduced from a 150-seat majority to a miserable rump of just 157 MPs.The conversation explores how Joseph Chamberlain's crusade for tariff reform and imperial preference tore the

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41:23

Famous Historical Elections: The Flapper Election of...

Observations ·

2025/10/08

In this episode, Ethan Reuter speaks with David Redvaldsen of the University of Agder in Norway about the 1929 general election—Britain's first truly universal suffrage election. After the 1928 Representation of the People Act finally granted women the vote on equal terms with men, millions of young women, the so-called flappers, went to the polls for the first time alongside a fully enfranchised working class.The conversation explores how this three-party contest became a battle of economic visions

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47:55

Famous Historical Elections: The Coupon Election of 1918

Observations ·

2025/10/02

In this episode, Ethan Reuter speaks with Dr. Luke Blaxill about the extraordinary 1918 general election—the first after the Great War and the first under the Representation of the People Act, which tripled the electorate overnight. Held just six weeks after armistice amid demobilisation and the influenza pandemic, this was democracy's leap into the great unknown.The conversation explores the dramatic transformation of British politics through the controversial "coupon"—a simple piece of paper

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43:10

Famous Historical Elections: The Great Reform...

Observations ·

2025/09/30

In this episode, Ethan Reuter speaks with Dr. Luke Blaxill, historian and Oxford college lecturer, about the 1832 general election that followed Britain's Great Reform Act. This wasn't just an election—it was a constitutional turning point that redrew the boundaries of British democracy itself.The conversation explores the turbulent lead-up to reform, from the July Revolution in France to widespread rioting in British streets, the burning of the Duke of Newcastle's castle, and 250 fatalities in

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2:05

After Dark: Fictional Elections – Blackadder with...

Observations ·

2025/09/25

We are stepping into the world of satire with the classic BBC comedy Blackadder. In one of its sharpest episodes, ‘Dish and Dishonesty’ we’re taken to the so-called Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election — a contest for a “rotten borough” so small it has only one voter… and even he’s dead.Our guest for this episode will be none other than William Pitt the Younger, himself. Played by Simon Osborne in the Blackadder episode he will give his insights into the election and what went wrong for his part and

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