York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith on his "whirlwind" first 100 days | How visits to Bolton's pubs is shaping research

The Northern Agenda

Politicians and pubs are a combination as old as the hills, with even the likes of teetotal e​x-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak turning up for photo shoots a​t​ local watering holes on the election trail this year.

But if our decision-makers stuck about after the cameras disappeared and observed the conversations ordinary pub-goers were having, would they be better informed about their lives and what makes them tick?

That's what Ed Shackle and Bertie Wnek, two researchers from policy, research, opinion and strategy consultancy Public First, have done, spending five days in pubs in Bolton to hear what kind of things punters talk about.

​They tell Rob Parsons why this kind of research brought them insights they'd never get from an opinion poll - and the surprising activity they found in virtually every Bolton pub no matter what time of day it was.

Rob also speaks to David Skaith, the first elected metro mayor of York and North Yorkshire, about his 'whirlwind' first 100 days in the job. Find out what he's doing on buses and transport, housing and whether he'll challenge his own Labour government.

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