Joshua Paisley is joined by Simon Osborne, the actor who played William Pitt the Younger in Blackadder III's opening episode Dish and Dishonesty, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of British sitcom's most beloved political satires. The conversation traces Simon's path from a Cornish village watching Poldark being filmed to landing a Blackadder audition at sixteen - having specifically asked his agent for something like Blackadder - and recalls the moment producer John Lloyd approved his casting on the strength of a falling-apart bow tie and a scruffy carrier bag. From Ben Elton leaning over to dictate entirely rewritten dialogue on the studio floor, to the BBC wardrobe department sourcing costumes directly from Georgian-era political cartoons, and from the real Pitt's six-foot stature and his blocking of the Prince's Regency to the tantalising possibility that Simon may actually be distantly related to the man he played, this episode gets closer than any other to what it actually felt like to be inside the rotten borough of Dunny-on-the-Wold.

After Dark: Blackadder's Youngest Prime Minister - Behind the Scenes of Dish and Dishonesty

Joshua Paisley speaks with Jem Roberts, author of The True History of Blackadder, about Dish and Dishonesty — the opening episode of Blackadder III and the most political half-hour the show ever produced. The conversation traces how a Robbie Coltrane one-man show about Samuel Johnson accidentally set the whole Georgian series in motion, why an episode recorded one week after Thatcher's 1987 landslide couldn't help but be soaked in electoral cynicism, and how the twin influences of Ben Elton's stand-up and John Lloyd's work on Spitting Image combined to make the hustings scene feel less like a sitcom and more like a puppet show with better dialogue. From the genuinely rotten borough of Dunny-on-the-Wold — with its electorate of one — to the Reform Act of 1832 that eventually swept such absurdities away, and from Prince George's aristocratic indifference to whether any of it matters at all, this episode asks what Blackadder gets right about democracy, what it gets away with, and whether Ben Elton, forty years younger, might finally have gone for the Reform Party joke. to the Polls — Dish and Dishonesty

After Dark: Blackadder Goes Forth to the Polls — Dish and Dishonesty

Ethan Reuter speaks with Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research, and one of Britain's foremost election analysts, about the 1997 general election that ended eighteen years of Conservative rule and delivered Tony Blair's Labour Party a majority of 179 seats. The conversation ranges across the sweeping constitutional programme of Labour's first term — Scottish and Welsh devolution, the creation of the London Assembly and mayoralty, the Human Rights Act, and the ill-fated push for English regional government — before examining the political conditions that made such a transformation possible. From the shadow of Black Wednesday and the sleaze that hollowed out John Major's government, to the demographic realignment that saw Labour capture vast swathes of Middle England, and from Blair's mastery of political symbolism and Cool Britannia to the question of whether New Labour was Thatcherism by another name, this episode asks what 1997 truly changed — and what the landslide of 2024 can and cannot learn from it.

Historic Elections: The 1997 General Election and Blair's New Labour Revolution

Joshua Paisley is joined by Simpsons enthusiast Damon Balgen to examine two of the show's most politically charged episodes - Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish and Sideshow Bob Roberts - and ask how much has really changed since they first aired in the 1990s. The conversation unpacks Mr Burns' cynically managed gubernatorial campaign, complete with mudslinger, garbologist and a fateful dinner with the Simpsons, before turning to Sideshow Bob's stolen mayoral election, attack ads modelled on the infamous Willie Horton spot, and a Republican Party headquarters that looks fit for Dracula. From voter fraud by deceased pets to the perennial question of whether it's the economy or the character assassination that wins elections, the episode explores what The Simpsons - four decades on - still gets right about political corruption, media manipulation, and family dinner table division. And just how Springfield would handle Brexit.

After Dark: The Simpsons and the Springfield Ballot Box

John Ault speaks with Neil Forsyth, the writer behind the critically acclaimed BBC Scotland series Bob Servant Independent, about the creation of one of television's most memorable fictional candidates. The conversation traces Bob Servant's origins — from a Dundee cheeseburger van owner replying to spam emails to the self-appointed saviour of Broughty Ferry's local by-election — and explores what makes him such a sharply observed portrait of a certain kind of political hopeful. From the relentless self-belief and legacy-hunger that drives Bob into the race, to the structural appeal of election campaigns as a writer's device, and from Brian Cox's unlikely comic turn to the real-life Dundonian publican who ran on a roadkill platform, this episode examines why fictional elections so often reveal the truest things about the real ones — and why Democracy Volunteers considers Bob Servant Independent among the worst portrayals of elections ever made.

Bob Servant Independent: Fiction, By-Elections, and the Art of the Accidental Candidate

Ethan Reuter speaks with Iain Dale, award-winning broadcaster, author, and political commentator, about the 1979 general election that ended five years of Labour government and brought Margaret Thatcher to power as Britain's first female Prime Minister. The conversation traces the decade of industrial strife and economic malaise that set the stage for Thatcher's victory, from the collapse of post-war Keynesian consensus to the Winter of Discontent's rubbish-strewn streets and unburied dead. From James Callaghan's fateful decision not to call an election in October 1978 to the pioneering political messaging of the "Labour Isn't Working" campaign, and from the IMF crisis that shattered national confidence to the monetarist ideas Thatcher magpie-like assembled into what would become Thatcherism, this episode asks whether 1979 was an election the Conservatives won or one Labour simply couldn't avoid losing — and what its legacy means for opposition parties rebuilding today.

Historic Elections: The 1979 General Election and Thatcher's Iron Revolution

Ethan Reuter speaks with Professor Stephen Fielding, Emeritus Professor of Political History at the University of Nottingham, about the 1964 general election that brought Harold Wilson's Labour Party to power after thirteen years of Conservative rule. The conversation explores the context of Britain's economic decline, the Profumo affair, and the modernising rhetoric of Wilson's "white heat of technology" speech, while examining whether the election truly delivered the transformational change it promised. From Alec Douglas-Home's aristocratic disadvantage in the television age to the racist campaign in Smethwick, and from the Liberals' surge to Labour's wafer-thin majority of four seats, this episode unpacks one of the closest elections in modern British history and questions whether its legacy matches its reputation.

Historic Elections: The 1964 General Election and Harold Wilson's White Heat

Ethan Reuter speaks with Professor Stephen Fielding, Emeritus Professor of Political History at the University of Nottingham, about the 1964 general election that brought Harold Wilson's Labour Party to power after thirteen years of Conservative rule.

The conversation explores the context of Britain's economic decline, the Profumo affair, and the modernising rhetoric of Wilson's "white heat of technology" speech, while examining whether the election truly delivered the transformational change it promised.

From Alec Douglas-Home's aristocratic disadvantage in the television age to the racist campaign in Smethwick, and from the Liberals' surge to Labour's wafer-thin majority of four seats, this episode unpacks one of the closest elections in modern British history and questions whether its legacy matches its reputation.

Historic Elections: The 1945 General Election and Attlee's Welfare Revolution

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 votes. We have spent 308 hours in Dutch polling stations. On average we have spent 47 minutes in each polling station during these 8 observations.

You can read the full report on the Democracy Volunteers Website: www.democracyvolunteers.org

Dutch Should End On-Demand Proxy Voting

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, China, and Iran, to the spread of AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation. Leichtman explains how Microsoft works with election officials and observers to enhance cybersecurity, combat phishing attacks, and block the generation of deepfakes during election periods. He discusses the company's AccountGuard programme, which protects political campaigns from hacking attempts, and its partnerships with organisations like Democracy Club in the UK and the National Association of State Election Directors in the US to ensure accurate election information reaches voters. The episode also examines the productive uses of AI in election administration — from translating voter materials to processing campaign expense reports — while addressing concerns about the technology's potential to undermine trust, displace workers, and erode critical thinking skills. Drawing on his experience observing elections in Zimbabwe with the Carter Center, Leichtman reflects on the importance of end-to-end transparency in democratic processes and the critical role of election observers as human rights defenders.

Tech and Democracy: How Big Tech Safeguards Elections

The Observations Podcast, brought to you by the Democracy Volunteers team, brings you insightful coverage of elections—past, present, local, national, and international. Our team 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 researcher Matt Davis bring their skills to our “Observations” podcast which seeks to inform our listeners to the world of elections and elections observation.

We are nonpartisan and so is it. We interview behind elections and democracy. Subscribe today or just listen in.

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