Understand

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.6 (18)
  • POLITICS
  • SERIES
Understand

Alex Forsyth, political correspondent and host of Any Questions, and Adam Fleming, host of Newscast, unpick some of the key elements of the UK election.

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  1. The UK Election: 1. How Do You Get the Campaign Right?

    EPISODE 1

    The UK Election: 1. How Do You Get the Campaign Right?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-episode guide to everything that is going on in the election. Hosted by Adam Fleming, it looks at everything from candidate selection and leader debates, to results day and the difference a manifesto can make, speaking to journalists, election forecasters and people who have worked at the heart of politics. The series kicks off by taking you inside the campaign trail and asking how parties make it work to their advantage. This episode was hosted by Adam Fleming, Newscast and Anti-Social, alongside political correspondent and host of Any Questions Alex Forsyth, as well as John McTernan who worked as Tony Blair's Political Secretary and Lee Cain, key strategist for Boris Johnson’s campaign to be prime minister and Downing Street Director of Communications. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham Credit: Good Morning Britain for the Boris Johnson in a fridge archive clip.

    15 min
  2. The UK Election: 2. How Are Candidates Selected?

    EPISODE 2

    The UK Election: 2. How Are Candidates Selected?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, Adam looks at how candidates are selected and why it’s such a critical moment for the parties. This episode was hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with Michael Crick, political journalist and founder of @TomorrowsMPs. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    15 min
  3. The UK Election: 3. What Difference Does a Manifesto Make?

    EPISODE 3

    The UK Election: 3. What Difference Does a Manifesto Make?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, Adam looks at manifestos; a set of policies that a party stands for and would hope to deliver if elected. What is their place in British political history? How do they get written and who are they actually for? This episode was hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and Anti-Social, with Rachel Wolf, who co-wrote the Conservatives’ 2019 manifesto for Boris Johnson, and Jonathan Rutherford, who co-wrote Labour’s 2015 manifesto when Ed Miliband was in charge. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    15 min
  4. The UK Election: 4. Why Do People Vote the Way They Do?

    EPISODE 4

    The UK Election: 4. Why Do People Vote the Way They Do?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, Adam looks at why people vote the way they do. What can we tell about how someone will vote from their age, gender, ethnicity and education? And what do labels like Mondeo Man, Worcester Woman and Pebbledash People really mean? This episode was hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and Anti-Social, with Professor Jane Green, Director of the Nuffield Politics Research Centre at Oxford University, co-director of the British Election Study and President of the British Polling Council. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    15 min
  5. The UK Election: 5. How Do You Make Sure Voting Runs Smoothly?

    EPISODE 5

    The UK Election: 5. How Do You Make Sure Voting Runs Smoothly?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode; changes to Brits abroad being able to vote, voter ID rules explained, dogs at polling stations and why pencils, not pens, are used to cast your vote. Hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and Anti-Social, with Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    15 min
  6. The UK Election: 6. How Important Are Marginal Seats?

    EPISODE 6

    The UK Election: 6. How Important Are Marginal Seats?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, with Adam Fleming. Seats with slim majorities have played a big part in determining the outcome of the election in recent years, but how will constituency boundary changes affect this? What impact can tactical voting and electoral pacts have? And how safe are ‘safe seats’ really? This episode was hosted Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with Alex Forsyth, political correspondent and host of Any Questions, and Peter Barnes, the BBC’s senior elections and political analyst. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    14 min
  7. The UK Election: 7. What Can Polling Predict?

    EPISODE 7

    The UK Election: 7. What Can Polling Predict?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, with Adam Fleming. In this episode, what do polls actually tell us? What can we learn when the polls get it wrong? And do people really tell the truth about who they are intending to vote for? This episode was hosted Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with Professor Jane Green, Director of the Nuffield Politics Research Centre at Oxford University, co-director of the British Election Study and President of the British Polling Council. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    14 min
  8. The UK Election: 8. What’s the Media’s Role in an Election?

    EPISODE 8

    The UK Election: 8. What’s the Media’s Role in an Election?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, with Adam Fleming. In this episode, from the front pages of the press to the televised debates; why does what the media says matter and how has social media changed things? This episode was hosted Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with David Yelland, former editor of The Sun newspaper and host of Radio 4’s When it hits the fan podcast, and Katie Razzall, the BBC’s News Culture & Media Editor and host of The Media Show also on Radio 4. Also featuring broadcaster and host of many election debates, David Dimbleby. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    14 min
  9. The UK Election: 9. How Does the Election Differ Across the UK?

    EPISODE 9

    The UK Election: 9. How Does the Election Differ Across the UK?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, how the election plays out differently across the country and the big impact that the smaller nations that make up the United Kingdom can have on the election outcome. The host is Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with James Cook, BBC Scotland Editor, Catrin Haf Jones, Political Correspondent for BBC Wales and Enda McClafferty, BBC Northern Ireland Political Editor. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    14 min
  10. The UK Election: 10. What Happens on Election Day?

    EPISODE 10

    The UK Election: 10. What Happens on Election Day?

    Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, it's all about what happens at the end of the campaign and what everything has been building up to – election day! All you need to know from what happens when the polls open to when we can expect the first results, and how a government is formed. Hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial with BBC News presenter Reeta Chakrabarti one of the team hosting election night coverage on BBC 1, and Henry Zeffman the BBC’s Chief Political Correspondent who will be on BBC 5 Live and Radio 4 overnight. Also featuring a special message from Peter Snow - the man who was in control of the BBC’s Swingometer for decades. Producers: Alix Pickles and Alex Lewis Production Manager: Janet Staples Editor: Sam Bonham

    15 min
See All Season 5 (10)

    Hosts & Guests

    Ratings & Reviews

    4.6
    out of 5
    18 Ratings

    About

    Alex Forsyth, political correspondent and host of Any Questions, and Adam Fleming, host of Newscast, unpick some of the key elements of the UK election.

    Information

    • Creator
      BBC Radio 4
    • Episodes
      47
    • Seasons
      5
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © (C) BBC 2024
    • Show Website
      Understand

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