Anglotopia Podcast: Episode 21 - British Elections 101 (Without the Politics) and Favorite British Political TV Shows

Summary

The UK is having an election! In this episode of the Anglotopia podcast, Jonathan and Jackie discuss the British election system and how it works from a non-party political perspective. They provide an overview of the parties involved, the role of the monarch, the campaign season, election day, and the counting and results process. They also touch on the concept of party manifestos and the importance of constituency-level vote counting. The conversation explores various British political TV shows and their relevance to the British political system. The hosts discuss shows like Yes Minister, The Thick of It, House of Cards, and more. They also mention books that provide a crash course in British politics. The conversation concludes with recommendations for viewers who want to learn more about British politics or enjoy political dramas.

Links

• Non-sugar Sweetener

Books:

• UK Explained
• The British Polity
• Yes Minister History
• The Shortest History of England
• How Britain Really Works

British TV Shows Discussed:

• Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister
• The Thick of It
• House of Cards
• A Very British Coup
• The Politician’s Husband 
• The Diplomat
• A Very English Scandal
• Stonehouse
• Anatomy of a Scandal
• The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
• Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
• The Gathering Storm

Relevant Clips to Watch:

• Michael Portillo Loses the Count
• Election 2019 BBC Coverage
• Politics Unboringed by Jay Foreman
• Yes Minister Funniest Moments
• The Definitive Malcolm Tucker Rant Anthology | The Thick Of It - BBC

Keywords

British election system, parties, monarch, campaign season, election day, party manifestos, constituency-level vote counting, British politics, TV shows, Yes Minister, The Thick of It, House of Cards, political dramas

Takeaways

• The British election system operates on five-year terms, with the Prime Minister having the power to call an election within that timeframe.
• The main parties in the UK are the Conservative and Union Party (right-wing), the Labour Party (left-wing), and the Liberal Democrats (middle of the road).
• The Scottish National Party and Northern Irish parties also play significant roles in elections.
• Manifestos are a major part of the election process, with each party outlining their policies and commitments if they come into power.
• Election day in the UK is not a national holiday, and media coverage is limited until the polls close at 10 p.m.
• Vote counting takes place at the constituency level, with a race to see which constituency can count the votes first.
• British political TV shows like Yes Minister, The Thick of It, and House of Cards provide an entertaining and insightful look into the British political system.
• These shows often highlight the power struggles, backroom deals, and comedic elements of British politics.
• Books like 'Britain Explained' and 'The British Polity' offer a crash course in British politics and provide a deeper understanding of the political system.
• Viewers interested in British politics or political dramas can find these shows on platforms like Britbox and Netflix.
• The shows mentioned in the conversation are Yes Minister, The Thick of It, House of Cards, A Very British Coup, The Diplomat, A Very English Scandal, Stonehouse, The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, The Politician's Husband, Anatomy of a Scandal, and Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, and The Gathering Storm.

Sound Bites

• "A party manifesto is like a contract with the voters"
• "This usually leads to some very wonderful political clips for later on of candidates being embarrassed that they lost in 'Portillo Moments' or like people surprised that they won an outburst."
• "So Michael Portillo is now known for his colorful pants and doing train tours around Britain on like your favorite show."
• "He lost his seat. He was a government minister and he didn't even win like, he's just standing there. Like he could see the soul drain from his body as he lost."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to the British Election System
• 02:20 The Role of the Monarch in British Politics
• 05:37 Party Manifestos: A Contract with Voters
• 16:54 The British Election Season: A Six-Week Affair
• 26:38 Insights into the British Election Process and Election Night Traditions
• 54:13 Exploring British Political TV Shows and Dramas