The Thick of It, Series 1: Political Fictions podcast

The Thick of It, Series 1: Political Fictions podcast

Author: Mark Pack April 2, 2026 Duration: 52:06
A special treat for listening of this podcast: a new episode of my other podcast, Political Fictions: "Mark and Cory talk about political TV for the first time, and there’s nowhere better to start than The Thick of It. After rewatching the first series, they talk about which fictional policy proposals ended up becoming reality, why it’s important that focus groups thought Keir Starmer was an eagle, and given that Malcolm Tucker keeps screwing everything up perhaps the secret genius behind the British Government is actually Terri Coverley?" Show notes Subscribe to Political Fictions in all the usual places, or listen to it via www.politicalfictionspodcast.com. You can view the IMDB page for The Thick of It here. UK listeners can watch the show on BBC iPlayer. If you enjoyed our segment on focus groups, you may my post about them here (note the date). Cory’s email newsletter Paperback Rioter. Mark’s family of email newsletters. Our theme tune is “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Join Mark Pack for Never Mind The Bar Charts, a podcast that digs into the mechanics, personalities, and unexpected stories shaping British politics, with a particular eye on the Liberal Democrats. This isn't a dry recitation of policy papers or a simple replay of the week's headlines. Instead, Mark and his guests pull apart the political narratives, examining the strategies, the polling data behind the bar charts, and the human moments that often get lost in the Westminster fray. You'll hear conversations that go beyond the soundbites, offering analysis that is both insightful and accessible, whether you're a political insider or just a curious observer. The tone is conversational and often wry, with those promised stray digressions into history, culture, and the occasional oddity that makes politics so perpetually fascinating. It's a show for anyone who finds the 'how' and 'why' of political life more compelling than the 'what'. New episodes of this podcast regularly feature a range of voices from across the political spectrum, all brought together by Mark's long-standing expertise and genuine curiosity about the subject.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 50

Never Mind The Bar Charts
Podcast Episodes
Election 2024 debrief: podcast with Tim Bale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:36
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 e…
One last podcast before polling day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:54
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.…
The best Lib Dem general election campaign since...? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:11
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 Chadw…
What do candidates get up to in their leaflets? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:55
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…
The general election is on: how's it going? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:43
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 a…
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Duration: 1:04:04
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 enj…
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Duration: 50:52
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My five favourite espionage novels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:16
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Two more Conservative by-election defeats: what does it all mean? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
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 th…