The Bunker: Recent Episodes
Podmasters
Politics and culture, locked down.
From the producers of Oh God, What Now?, The Bunker is fearless, independent political and culture talk for Britain and beyond. We examine the big issues with humour and expertise, cutting through the claptrap to make sense of what’s really going on – and give you the fighting spirit to keep on keeping on.
Our full-panel roundtable podcast goes out every Tuesday, with shorter Bunker Daily editions on a single subject or interview on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – and the Culture Bunker on Saturdays, covering music, movies, TV and entertainment. Our regulars include: Alex Andreou • Gavin Esler • Miatta Fahnbulleh • Andrew Harrison • Ayesha Hazarika • Marie le Conte • Justin Quirk • Yasmeen Serhan • Ahir Shah • Naomi Smith • Arthur Snell • Siân Pattenden • Justin Quirk • Ros Taylor. • Sign up to support the podcast and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Being mistaken for Naomi Wolf was once a joke for acclaimed author Naomi Klein. But following the global pandemic, her doppelgänger embraced conspiracy theories and was welcomed into alt-right spheres. In an effort to understand the woman she was often mistaken for — Naomi Klein journeyed down the rabbit hole into a world of misinformation, emotional manipulation and a mirror world not quite like our own.
Jude Rogers speaks to Naomi Klein, the author of No Logo, The Shock Doctrine and her latest book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World in The Bunker.
“Social media is like reading the graffiti about you on the bathroom wall. And I've read a lot of that graffiti confusing me with Naomi Wolf.”
“The corporate world has produced a playing field so rigged against consumers that mistrust and paranoia have flourished.”
"My friends ask: why am I listening to Steve Bannon? And I say because he's listening to us."
BOOK LINK https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453962/doppelganger-by-klein-naomi/9780241621301
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Producer: Liam Tait and Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Covid-19 caused chaos for a lot of us. For children and young people it completely disrupted their personal growth, in education and social settings too. Dr. Lauren Andres is a professor of planning and urban transformation at UCL. She’s studying the impact that pandemic policies put in place by governments around the world have had on young people. She joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss whether we’re dealing with a lost generation.
PANEX-Youth is a two-year project, led by Prof. Andres: https://panexyouth.com/home-2/resources/
“The word we keep coming back to is trauma.” – Dr. Lauren Andres.
“We need to recognise that they suffered, they were ignored, they were not the priority.” – Dr. Lauren Andres.
“A lot of the play and socialisation and play moved online, and this raises a lot of issues.” – Dr. Lauren Andres.
“We need to remember that pubs were opened before playgrounds… we need to think about what our priorities were here.” – Dr. Lauren Andres.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following Brexit, performers are consistently losing out on opportunities to perform. How has it gotten so bad – and can the situation be resolved? Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Deborah Annetts, the CEO of the Independent Society of Musicians to find out how the government could save the music industry and why they have no desire to do so.
“Various select committees have begged the government to sort this mess out.”
“We won't see the results immediately but in five years time, are we going to have a thriving music industry? I very much doubt it.”
"I’ve heard off the record: Why should we help you? Musicians don’t vote Tory."
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Over half a million people in America are homeless – and this figure keeps increasing. How can this crisis – which is resulting in deaths across the nation – be solved? President Joe Biden wants to eradicate homelessness by 2025. Can he? Ann Marie Staudenmaier is senior legal counsel for the Washington Legal Clinic for The Homeless. She sits down in The Bunker with Chris Jones to discuss why the US is failing.
“This is a problem across the country because of government policies evicting people and not being able to afford to get back into housing.” – Ann Marie Staudenmaier
“I’ve seen so many government proclamations over the years, and the only way to solve this problem is to put your money where your mouth is.” – Ann Marie Staudenmaier
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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There’s a revolution in the way doctors are treating mental health, but the UK could be at risk of falling behind.
Dr. Kate Devlin speaks to Dr. Matt Wall, a cognitive neuroscientist at Imperial College London and Invicro, to discuss microdosing, legal red tape and what happens when you give an octopus MDMA.
"Drug policy isn’t on the agenda for any of the main UK parties. They just don’t care.”
"After the trip wears off, the antidepressant effect can last for days or even months.”
“Current legislation makes it incredibly difficult to research psychedelics.”
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Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Rubix cubes, leg warmers and walkmans. How does the pop culture of a decade define it? Looking beyond clichés and caricatures, how was culture an agent of social change in the 1980s?
Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz speaks to Dr. Lucy Robinson, author of Now That's What I Call a History of the 1980s, to discuss photograph of Diana’s legs, Roland Rat and political power of popstars.
“Nostalgia assumes you had something positive to look back on.”
“Historians in the 80s start thinking, what is the role of how we talk about war in perpetuating these kinds of ideas of masculinity?”
"Rather than just taking popular culture seriously, I wanted to learn from it."
BOOK LINK https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526167255
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Nadine Dorries has resigned. Who did she slate in her resignation letter? Plus Sadiq Khan has introduced the Ultra Low Emissions Zone for the Greater London area, how has that gone down?
We also have an update on the Home Office’s treatment of refugees, the latest on the new Covid strain and an update on Donald Trump running for office. Andrew Harrison is joined by Hannah Fearn to give you the stories to look out for in the week ahead.
“We saw Nadine pretending to care about lots of issues she’s never mentioned before.” – Hannah Fearn
“Labour are leaving it a bit late.” – Hannah Fearn
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Hannah Fearn and Andrew Harrison. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Money tells us a lot about a country – so what can the ruble tell us about Russia? Exploring a nation with a long history of autocracy, Ekaterina Pravilova, author of new book The Ruble: A Political History, joins Seth Thévoz in The Bunker.
“When political scientists try to explain why Russia is so weird they often overlook the ruble.”
“Many historians have a feeling of deja vu about Russia right now.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book Link: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-ruble-9780197663714?cc=us⟨=en&
Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Are any of our institutions sacred? The latest drama from the British Museum has us questioning the role museums play in our society. This week on the Bunker Panel we ask the question: are we more shocked by corruption in our museums than in political office? And what is it about scandals that really grabs our attention? We’ve assembled some of the Bunker’s most scandalous contributors to get to the bottom of this. Senior editor of global news at Vice, Dipo Faloyin, and historian Seth Thévoz, join Andrew Harrison and Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz in the latest edition of The Bunker Panel.
“No one ever went into politics to get rich, but you could get corrupted.” – Seth Thévos
“The difference between a scandal and criminality is that scandals require the public to do something about it.” – Dipo Faloyin
“History is so much more than a collection of busts, canoes, death masks and weaponry.” – Andrew Harrison
“As soon as artefacts are bought into private collections, they just disappear. Rich and important material culture of world civilization is just gone.” – Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz
Book Links “Africa is not a country” by Dipo Faloyin: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/444389/africa-is-not-a-country-by-faloyin-dipo/9781529114829
“Behind Closed Doors” By Seth Thévoz: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/seth-alexander-th%C3%A9voz/behind-closed-doors/9781472146458/
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Alex Rees and Liam Tait. Production Assistant: Adam Wright. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appears to have been killed in a fatal plane crash. Just two months ago, Prigozhin was seen as a contender to Putin’s empire. What next for his forces, his legacy and the future of Russia?
Chris Jones is joined in the Bunker by Dr Ian Garner, analyst of Russian culture and war propaganda to cut through the smoke and mirrors to try and work out just what has happened.
“We only know one thing for sure — a plane went down.“
"Prigozhin was trying to overturn the country, however in death he can become a war hero.”
“We’ve just come to expect these wild events when discussing Russia.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The race to become the leading GOP candidate has officially kicked off….or has it? Inmate P01135809, better known as Donald Trump, is already way ahead in the polls and he wasn’t even there. Instead, he opted for a half-arsed interview with Tucker Carlson hosted on Twitter. So does anything that was said during the debate matter? What were the main takeaways? And why does finishing second matter so much? Alex Andreou joins Sarah Isgur, senior editor for The Dispatch and host of the Advisory Opinions podcast, in The Bunker.
“Because there was no gamechanger in this debate, it really felt like a debate where the prize was second place.” – Sarah Isgur.
“If you’re a guy like Ramaswamy, who has zero name ID, people talking about you IS success.” – Sarah Isgur.
“If an asteroid hits Trump tomorrow, then we’re in a totally different ball game and we almost have to start from scratch.” – Sarah Isgur.
“Even though Trump wasn’t there, he absolutely defined the debate.” – Alex Andreou.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Bunker Global: Qur’an burnings have pushed Sweden’s terror threat to ‘high’, and we bring you the latest of Prigozhin’s plane crash. Plus, Justin Trudeau is taking on Meta and Britain owes £18 trillion in reparations for their role in the slave trade.
Laura Makin-Isherwood is joined in The Bunker by Dipo Faloyin, senior editor of Global news at Vice and author of Africa is not a Country to get you up to speed on the biggest stories from around the world.
“Everyone is surprised that it took two months for Putin to ‘get’ his man.” – Dipo Faloyin
“This could be an attempt by far-right groups to portray Sweden as an anti-Islamic country to delay their NATO membership.” – Dipo Faloyin
“As a society we don’t understand the scale of the harm done by slavery.” – Dipo Faloyin
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Laura Makin-Isherwood with Dipo Faloyin. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Production Assistant: Adam Wright. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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China has big global plans – from large infrastructure projects to new economic zones across the globe. How are they funding these projects? Dipo Faloyin is joined by Zongyuan Zoe Liu, author of Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions to follow the money behind China’s infrastructure plans and to find out what the West gets wrong.
“China’s economic success has been presented as an alternative to the Washington consensus.”
“I would caution against the idea that African countries do not have the agency to make their own choices.”
“Xi is very focused on self-sufficiency, which isn’t always the concern of the population.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book link: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674271913
Written and presented by Dipo Faloyin. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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If you look at the data, this government has been dreadful. But take a closer look and there’s still a chance they might turn the polls on its head. Thankfully, that chance is tiny, but it’s still a chance nonetheless. Ben Walker is a journalist for the New Statesman and has analysed the numbers to work out the reality of a Tory turnaround. He joins Marie Le Conte in The Bunker.
“There’s been elections worse than this and parties have recovered.” – Ben Walker.
“The data doesn’t take into account the sentiment of the nation.” – Ben Walker.
“If you look at history it’s probably 1 in 4… lower than Biden vs Trump.” – Ben Walker.
“Is now the time for Labour to start pulling out its policies? Because it still has credibility issues.” – Ben Walker.
“The best thing I think the Conservatives can do is lose the election now, so they can recover quicker.” – Ben Walker.
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Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over 1.5k Russian people and entities have been sanctioned by the UK over its illegal invasion of Ukraine. A year on, are they actually working? And could there be more to come? Mark Harrison is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker.
“Historically the difficulty of sanctions has been that the prediction of the impact of them are always overestimated.” – Mark Harrison.
“Sanctions can do very little on their own, except push Russia towards more adventurism.” – Mark Harrison.
“Russia will find workarounds, but we have to work to make that as costly as possible.” – Mark Harrison.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Lionesses didn’t manage to win the women’s world cup. Were our heads of state right not to attend? Lucy Letby has been charged with murder, how will she be sentenced? Plus, with Hurricane Hilary in the Los Angeles and wild fires in Canada, who are the tourists photographing this extreme weather?
We also have an update on Donald Trump’s candidacy, the latest from the violent election in Ecuador, and the news stories you may have missed. Ros Taylor is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to give you the stories to look out for in the week ahead.
“If it was a men’s tournament, wouldn’t important members of state attend?”– Yasmeen Serhan
“Letby is only one of three women to get an entire life sentencing.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Trump has never played by the rules, so he doesn’t think he needs to go on Fox.” –Yasmeen Serhan
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Creaky pub signs, animal skulls, and empty church yards. The British countryside can be a scary place, but what does the popularity of ‘folk horror’ tell us about our politics? Writer Jude Rogers is joined by John Doran, co-founder of music website The Quietus and presenter of BBC Radio 4 New Weird Britain series, to explore the effects of films like The Wicker Man on our national psyche and what the continued appetite for eerie renderings of the countryside says about us.
“Folk horror creates an uneasy clash between the modern and the ancient.”
“The unstable times we are living through are quite magical in their own horror.”
“Folk horror symbology is easily co-opted by the far right.”
“It’s often very conservative in suggesting that female sexuality shouldn’t be trusted.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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In August 2017, deadly violence broke out between white supremacists and counter protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia. The White supremacists claimed they were there to protest the removal of a confederate monument. But was there more to it? Was this actually a carefully orchestrated media event created by the alt right to gain more attention from the press? Aniko Bodroghkozy is professor of media studies at the university of Virginia and author of Making #Charlottesville. She was also there and joins Chris Jones in The Bunker.
“The alt right was using many of the same tactics that the civil rights movement perfected in the 60s.” – Aniko Bodroghkozy.
“I saw a contingent of neo-Nazis march right past my Synagogue… that’s a memory I will never get out of my head.” – Aniko Bodroghkozy.
“The alt right really came to Charlottesville, not to protest the taking down of a statue, but to create a violent confrontation.” – Aniko Bodroghkozy.
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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This week on Bunker Global: A roundup of the latest on Trump’s impeachment, as the catastrophic wildfires swept across Maui. Plus, we look into the death of two Ecuadorian politicians, and finally – who is the leather jacket wearing maverick storming Argentina’s presidential elections?
Laura Makin-Isherwood, formerly London bureau chief of Feature Story News, and Dillon Ancheta, a Maui-based journalist for Hawaii News Now, join Chris Jones this week. Listen in for your need-to-know on news and politics from across the world.
“Despite the sadness and loss, there are glimmers of hope as people come together in Maui.” – Dillon Ancheta
“It feels like we’re going to discuss Trump being indicted forever!” – Chris Jones
"Ecuador is caught in the crossfire between economics and the environment." – Laura Makin-Isherwood
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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China’s home ownership bubble is less bursting and more deflating. As property company Evergrande announces $81bn of debt, why is this crisis slipping under the radar? Giving you the latest on this emerging economic disaster, Alex Andreou is joined by Cindy Yu, host of acclaimed podcast Chinese Whispers and assistant editor at the Spectator to explore how the economic crisis in China will impact the world.
“Home ownership from China came about incredibly quickly.”
“Property developers buy land from local governments, which has a knock-on effect on debt.”
“It sounds bizarre in a country undergoing inflation, but China’s deflation crisis is very worrying.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Liam Tait and Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Ozempic is all over social media. You’ve probably seen dramatic before and after pictures of influencers showing off their weight loss. Even Elon Musk claims to be using it. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Bobby Friction is joined by Dr. Robert Kushner, one of the scientists who led research into the safety of the so-called ‘miracle’ drug. to find out if this drug is the answer to the obesity crisis or just another money spinner for Big Pharma.
“Obesity shouldn’t be demonised, it is a disease to be treated.”
“Once you stop using Ozempic, all the feelings of hunger and cravings for food come back.”
“People don’t push back against lifelong diabetes medication, so why does that change for a disease like obesity?”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Bobby Friction. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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There have been yet more controversial appointments to the House of Lords. Is it fit for purpose? How can we fix it? Ros Taylor is joined by Darren Hughes, chief executive of Electoral Reform Society, to explore how the House of Lords has gone wrong and what we can do about it.
“There haven’t been a willing set of retirements from the House of Lords.”
“Who regulates the regulators?”
“Don’t forget we still have the Liz Truss list to come!”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The Bibby Stockholm plan has been beset by legionella. Who could have seen this coming? The Tories want us to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, why are they obsessed with chaos? Plus, this week is ‘health week’. Given that doctors are on strike, what could possibly go wrong?
We also have an update on wildfires in Maui, the latest from Niger’s military coup, and the stories you may have missed. Ros Taylor is joined by Alex Andreou to give you the news to look out for in the week ahead.
“The Government couldn’t organise a fire in a match factory.” – Alex Andreou
“Sunak has all of his plans pinned on the weather.” – Alex Andreou
“Labour’s plan is an unsexy but important one: to make the state work again.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The rise of vapes and ever-increasing cigarette regulations are a big threat to Big Tobacco. What new methods have they dreamed up to keep us smoking? Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined by tobacco industry expert Robert Branston, associate professor in business economics at the University of Bath, to explore how Big Tobacco is still raking in huge profits.
“Tobacco is a product like no other legal product in terms of its lethality.”
“The profits are as addictive for these tobacco companies as tobacco is for the consumers.”
“It's very easy to think tobacco is yesterday's problem, but in large parts of the world tobacco use is going up.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Assistant producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The US Supreme Court has a huge power grip over America. And, thanks to Trump, it’s now more politicised than ever. So how has that impacted real life? Brian Klaas is associate professor in global politics at UCL and argues the court is “...a politicised institution masquerading as an impartial one”. He joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker to discuss if it can be fixed. Brian’s piece: https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/how-to-fix-the-us-supreme-court
“There was a deference given to the courts… as if they were gods on American soil.” – Brian Klaas
“Politicising something takes 10 minutes, depoliticising something takes 10 years or more.” – Brian Klaas
“They’re all actors… it’s all for show.” – Brian Klaas
“There is a problem that is now unsolvable, which is I don’t think the court will be seen as apolitical ever again.” – Brian Klaas
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Bunker Global: The coup in Niger rolls on, as US envoys hold talks with the junta. And, a plot to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy was foiled earlier this week. What happened? Plus the confusion about the Thai elections rage on. Could a coalition be formed? Andrew Harrison talks to Vice News senior Editor Dipo Faloyin and Vox journalist Ellen Ionas to answer all those questions.
“People are hoping that a democratic solution will come about, but in the meantime, the Coup leaders are sitting back and staying strong.” – Dipo Faloyin
“There’s very little evidence that Wagner has struck a deal with the coup leaders.” – Dipo Faloyin
“The challenge that he now faces are more efforts by Russian forces trying to infiltrate Ukrainian society.” – Dipo Faloyin
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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QAnon began as a niche conspiracy theory. How did it become a movement for self-radicalisation? How have its dangerous ideas infiltrated society? Rafael Behr is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Ball, author of The Other Pandemic How QAnon Contaminated the World, to explore how the dark corners of the internet have serious implications for mainstream politics.
“Lots of QAnon conspiracies emerged from online trolling.”
“4Chan created things the rest of the internet couldn’t say.”
“QAnon asked people to self radicalise which caused a snowball effect.”
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Link for James Ball’s book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-other-pandemic-9781526642554/
Link for Rafael Behr’s book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/politics-a-survivors-guide/rafael-behr/9781838955045
Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Criminal gangs have gone global. How do they use international networks to increase their power and influence? Far from being underground, criminals now run state-backed organisations and even private armies.
Seth Thévoz is joined in The Bunker by investigative reporter for the FT Miles Johnson, author of Chasing Shadows: A true story of drugs, war and the secret world of international crime, to find out if established law enforcement can ever outpace the next generation of crime.
“Sanctions lead to strange alliances between parties who aren't ideologically aligned.”
“In criminal networks you'll see a lot of incompetence and egotism.”
"In Syria, you have people who are actually in power, in a sovereign state who are engaging in organised criminal activity."
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book Link https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/miles-johnson/chasing-shadows/9780349128641/
Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Politics has never been so rife with bad behaviour. Labour’s Chris Bryant MP wants to change that. He sets out a plan for a better type of politics in his new book Code of Conduct Why We Need to Fix Parliament – and How to Do It. As Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges, he’s had a unique insight into why MPs think they can get away with misbehaviour and what is at stake if we don’t fix parliament quickly. He joins Gavin Esler to discuss making democracy better and calling out rotten MPs.
“We have a system in the UK where, to quote ABBA, the winner takes it all”
“We don’t realise quite how fragile democracy is.”
“One bad apple doesn’t mean it is an exception to the rule, it means it spoils the barrel.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book link: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/code-of-conduct-9781526663573/
Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The Government’s plans to house migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge continues to cause controversy. Why are they going ahead with it? Does Labour have any better ideas? Plus, we have an update on Ukraine, the latest from Donald Trump’s legal scandals, and details on Niger’s military coup. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Doomsday Watch host Arthur Snell to give you the big stories for the week ahead.
“The barges are a nakedly political agenda.” – Arthur Snell
“It always feels like Donald Trump is playing political chicken.” – Jacob Jarvis
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Arthur Snell. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
True crime has never been more popular. Is it uniquely harmful to society, or have we always been fascinated with the macabre? And why does there suddenly seem to be a boom in internet sleuths? Exploring the increasingly blurred lines between those seeking justice and those making internet content, Jude Rogers talks to Tanya Horeck, Professor of Film and Feminist Media Studies and author of Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era about how true crime in the digital age has transformed society.
“True crime can be a way to process a lot of the traumatic things in society.”
“True crime feeds into the idea that we are all internet sleuths.”
“ True crime has created a cultural space for a political discussion about violence against women.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Assistant producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Are aliens real? That question was brought up again in a high-level Congressional hearing this week. Three former members of the US military brought forward their evidence to prove that extraterrestrial life IS real. But were there stories credible? Or is it all easily explainable coincidences? Dr Kate Devlin, sits down in The Bunker with Mick West, science writer, investigator and MetaBunk founder to discuss.
“A lot of people believe that UFOs are aliens - and a lot of those people are in the US government.” – Mick West
“The problem is we don’t have actual evidence to show what Grusch said was true.” – Mick West.
“I think they need to think about raising the veil of secrecy, because it allows stories like this to fester.” – Mick West.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dr Kate Devlin. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production:Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donald Trump has been indicted again. There are 4 charges this time around, including Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. The former President is facing decades in jail and still, he’s the leading GOP candidate in the next election. Sarah Isgur is a senior editor for The Dispatch and host of the Advisory Opinions podcast. She joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker from Washington DC to unpack the latest charges and exactly what they mean for US politics.
“They’re going to have to prove Donald Trump’s mental state in this, and the jokes fly right there.” – Sarah Isgur.
“When it comes to jail time, don’t worry, Trump is facing decades… way past his life expectancy.” – Sarah Isgur.
“This is a mess. There will be good and bad legal reasons to delay some of these trials.” – Sarah Isgur.
“It’s going to be really, really hard and detrimental for US politics for the years to come.” – Sarah Isgur.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Bunker Global: El Salvador’s war on gangs continues as President Bukele introduces mass trials for accused gang members. Plus, we take a closer look at China where President Xi has removed key military figures in charge of nuclear missiles, in an apparent power grab. And, what does Russia’s alleged kidnapping of Ukrainian children mean for Putin’s long term strategy?
Laura Makin-Isherwood, former London bureau chief of Feature Story News, and Doug Specht, reader in cultural geography and communication at the University of Westminster, join Jacob Jarvis to get you up to speed on what you need to know about news and politics from across the world.
“Putin’s obsession with Ukraine is going to be a lifelong mission and potentially an eternal war from Russia.” Jacob Jarvis
“Bukele calls himself the ‘world's coolest dictator.” Doug Specht
“Xi Jinping seems to be shaken by the Wagner coup. He’s trying to solidify his power.” Laura Makin-Isherwood
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Laura Makin-Isherwood. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Twitter as we know it is dead. The bird has been sent out to pasture and replaced with a stark ‘X’ symbol. Will Elon Musk’s rebrand go down in history as the most successful rebrand since ‘Snickers’ – or will it be the next ‘New Coke’?
Leslie Hallam, director of the psychology of advertising masters programme at Lancaster University, joins Alex Andreou in the Bunker to discuss the world of marketing, rebranding and Musk’s fascination with the letter X.
"Brands exist so people can become attached to the products they represent."
“Musk has run the Twitter brand in the ground, so it makes sense to rebrand it now.”
"People mourn the loss of these brands, they’re important cultural artefacts.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Liam Tait & Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Rishi Sunak’s decision to limit the number of students able to study what he calls “low-value degrees” has sparked backlash. Why is he doing this – and does it make sense? And is this even about education at all? Dr. Zoe Hope Bulaitis, assistant professor of liberal arts and natural sciences at University of Birmingham and author of Value and The Humanities, joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss where the PM is getting it wrong on university courses.
“The fact that students are willing to go into these careers shows that there’s more to life than a high pay cheque." – Dr Zoe Bulaitis
“To say that a degree is ‘low value’ is to concede to the terms that a degree is valued to specific terms.” – Dr Zoe Bulaitis
“This is more sensation than substance.” – Dr Zoe Bulaitis
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Attitudes to migration were a key cause of Brexit – but is it still such a major factor in how people vote? With research showing that the UK now has a more favourable attitude to migration, what are the arguments for it? Alex Andreou is joined by Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, and co-author of Brexitland, to explore the real public opinions on migration beyond the headlines.
“People can’t do the maths on immigration so they always say they want less.”
“A nationalistic narrative – that migration befits the country - is one way to change public opinion.”
“The Labour voting opinion on migration has changed, there are more pressing things to worry about.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/brexitland/667A60CB4C315A755792074E79B20FBA
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Setting up the stories of the week ahead. Today: Rishi Sunak says he’s “on the side of motorists”. How did a sliver of a vote in the Uxbridge by-election cause a massacre of green policies? Talking of pollution, Nigel Farage’s war on banks continues. Will his hard-done-by routine rehabilitate his political career? Plus the military coup in Niger, the Ukraine war comes to Moscow, and the latest from Israel’s democracy protests. Andrew Harrison is joined by Gavin Esler to give you the low-down on the week ahead in politics.
“Why don’t Labour just stick to the plan, lads?” – Gavin Esler
“There was resistance to the building of sewers, but the Great Stink of 1858 put an end to that.” – Gavin Esler
“People have a bizarre, visceral attachment to their cars.” – Andrew Harrison
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison and Gavin Esler. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Artwork: James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can Artificial Intelligence replace our loved ones after death? Will Gregg Wallace’s cannibalism mockumentary change how we see the future of food? Dr. Kate Devlin, author of Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots and historian Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz join Jacob Jarvis and Andrew Harrison to chew the fat and try to answer some of the after life’s biggest questions. Yes, back by popular demand, it’s the Bunker Panel!
“People are unpredictable and infuriating, I can’t imagine AI being able to replicate that.” – Andrew Harrison
“I’m really glad you didn’t invite me here to discuss connecting with your dead loved ones via lab grown meat.” – Dr. Kate Devlin
"Food has always been linked to economics, Roman soldiers were actually paid in salt." – Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book Link https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/turned-on-9781472950871/
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Phone hacking, false claims of election hacking and a potential high profile libel case with a maligned BBC newsreader. Those are just a few of the scandals facing Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in the last few years. Despite this, the 92-year-old media mogul’s vice-like grip on the media landscape has remained as powerful as ever.
Gavin Esler is joined in The Bunker by journalist William D Cohan, to find out how Murdoch has maintained his position of influence and power.
“There's a lot of power entrusted with Murdoch, and there's no accountability for his behaviour”
“If I were him, I would be deeply disturbed by what my television network had created.”
"Publishers have no appetite, or budget, for tough investigative reporting."
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones & Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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This week on Bunker Global: The Spanish election fallout as a hung parliament leaves Spain in political limbo. Are Wagner mercenaries really preparing to invade Poland? Also, Elon Musk is ghosting Twitter employees in Africa, why does Big Tech show such little respect to the global South? . Dipo Faloyin, senior editor of global news at Vice and author of ‘Africa is not a Country’, and Guy Hedgecoe, freelance journalist based in Madrid, join Andrew Harrison to get you up to speed on what you need to know about news and politics from across the world.
“It would be incredibly stupid for 5,000 mercenaries to invade a Nato country.” - Dipo Faloyin
“It was a shock that Vox performed so poorly considering their huge success in local elections in May.” - Guy Hedgecoe
“People have fallen out of hotel windows for a lot less than what Preghozin has done.” - Dipo Faloyin
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Dipo Faloyin. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Are we witnessing the death of Silicon Valley as big tech shifts from physical products to services? And has the time of California being the promised land for budding tech bros gone? Dr. Kate Devlin is joined in The Bunker by Joel Kotkin, fellow in urban studies at Chapman University, to find out.
“One of the dirty little secrets of Silicon Valley is that it was largely created by federal spending.”
“I have never met a group who are less conscious of their social impact than Silicon Valley people.“
"Today Silicon Valley is a series of oligarchic companies with 80-90 per cent market shares and no desire to improve."
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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MPs have collectively earned millions of pounds from side hustles in the last few years. From the ‘cash for access’ scandal to the resignation of Owen Paterson, the public is fascinated by extra work carried out by politicians. But how much does this impact their day jobs?
Marie Le Conte sits down with Dr. Simon Weschle, assistant professor in the political science department at Syracuse University, to find out if second jobs truly are the scourge of British politics.
“Having a second job means MPs are more likely to attend the commons.”
“An MP working as a dentist doesn’t change their voting behaviour.“
"If an MP has a city job they spend more time in London but they’re less often in their constituency."
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Liam Tait and Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Buying a house in the UK is almost impossible for many people. But house prices could fall by 10 per cent over the next 2 years. Is that a good thing? Peter Apps is the deputy editor of Inside Housing magazine, he joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker.
“There’s so much demand in the UK and there’s such a shortage of houses.” – Peter Apps.
“It’s very difficult to predict where we’re going to be for the next couple of years.” – Peter Apps.
“If people start losing money on Help to Buy deals, the government immediately starts to take notice. Private renters are basically on their own.” – Peter Apps
“Private landlords aren’t asking themselves difficult questions about what people can actually afford.” – Peter Apps.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are both on manoeuvres after the by-elections – but what are their tangible plans? As the Labour leader asks Sadiq Khan to “reflect” on ULEZ, the Tory PM is doubling down on just being horrid. Plus, we have the latest on the climate crisis in Greece, an update on elections in Spain, and news from Ukraine. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead.
“Rishi Sunak will fail on all of his five promises.” – Alex Andreou
“Labour have relied on Sadiq Khan’s popularity instead of making a case for ULEZ.” – Alex Andreou
“We haven’t had a proper silly season in ages, and I suspect Boris Johnson will cause mischief.” – Alex Andreou
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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From the Hague to Westminster, buildings shape the politics that happens within them. Does the design of the Chamber in Westminster encourage bad behaviour? How does Britain compare with the rest of Europe? Exploring the benefits of horseshoes, circles and semicircles are historian Seth Thévoz and Sophia Psarra, professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Her forthcoming edited collection Parliament Buildings The architecture of politics in Europe comes out in October.
“Buildings are institutions which help our thinking.”
“If you are going to build buildings, do it properly or deal with the consequences.”
“When people become MPs in England they don’t know how to use the building.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book Link: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/223070
Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Assistant producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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For the first time in 63 years, Hollywood has a double strike on its hands. Actors have joined writers on the picket lines – in an effort to take on the tech giants who have disrupted TV and cinemas in recent years.
Alex Andreou sits down with screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick to discuss streaming platforms, the threat of AI on creativity and Chicken Run 2.
“Every industry is scrambling with regulations around AI. This isn’t just a Hollywood problem.”
“If you want to be a professional writer at the highest levels, you must be in these guilds.“
"Tech companies don’t understand how Hollywood works."
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The first debate in the race to be the GOP’s presidential nominee for 2024 is a month away. What should we watch out for – and how will the party split? Former President Trump is dominating the opinion polls, but a crowded field of other candidates has emerged – including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice-President Mike Pence. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Politico’s senior campaigns and elections editor Steven Shepard, to discuss the latest clashes.
“It doesn’t seem that Republican primary voters are willing to turn on Trump, even after everything.” – Steven Shepard
“Donald Trump’s decision on whether or not to take part in these debates is crucial to how this race goes” – Steven Shepard
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Assistant producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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This week on Bunker Global: As horror heat consumes the earth – is climate chaos the new normal? Plus, we pick apart the extent of China’s spy operations. And, as Giorgia Meloni’s tenure as Italian PM looks increasingly concerning, we pick apart her actions so far.
Laura Makin-Isherwood, former London bureau chief of Feature Story News, and Kai Strittmatter, former China correspondent for German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, join Jacob Jarvis to get you up to speed on what you need to know about news and politics from across the world.
“It looks like we’re only going to see significant movement on carbon neutral tech once it becomes profitable.” - Jacob Jarvis
“Imagine an episode of Black Mirror, that’s what it’s like living in the dystopian China of today.” - Kai Strittmatter
“Italy was anti EU in the past, but now it feels like Meloni is moving more towards Brussels and changing it from within.” - Laura Makin-Isherwood
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Laura Makin-Isherwood. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Social media fuels many emotions, especially anger. And if you’ve followed UK politics for any length of time, you’ll be used to that feeling. Author of Outrage Machine, Tobias Rose-Stockwell, says tech companies know this and have tailored their algorithms to maximise the amount we consume. But how does this translate to real life? Does it alter the way we vote? And does it damage democracy? He joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker.
Book: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/tobias-rose-stockwell/outrage-machine/9780349427386/
“We have a tremendous propensity to look to others when we’re trying to figure out what to feel.” – Tobias Rose-Stockwell.
“Social media does a really good job of serving us things that make us angry.” – Tobias Rose-Stockwell.
“Social media is not working with different materials… it’s just gotten better at extracting our attention.” – Tobias Rose-Stockwell.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearn Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Libel laws have been around for centuries in England – yet the public and the papers keep falling foul of them. The witch hunt for the then-unnamed BBC presenter in early July is the latest example. The anonymity of that presenter, now revealed to be Huw Edwards, meant people began publicly accusing other BBC presenters of being involved. At least one Twitter user has now been sued over this. So what are our libel laws? And why do they catch so many people out? Journalist and media consultant David Banks joins Seth Thévoz in The Bunker.
“Whether the Sun’s in trouble remains to be seen, but those who dived in after the Sun now find themselves in hot water.” – David Banks
“Your right to a reputation is a very ancient concept in England and Wales.” – David Banks
“Way back when if you slandered someone you could have your tongue cut out.” – David Banks
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz & Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Labour says it will harness the sun, wind, and waves to deliver clean energy by 2030. It’s a very ambitious plan, to say the least, but one Sir Keir Starmer says can only do good. Is it achievable? Will it save the world? And is it even any different from what the other political parties are offering? Luke Murphy is the associate director for energy, climate, housing and infrastructure at Institute for Public Policy Research – he joins Chris Jones in the Bunker.
“Younger people want to see us leaving a better planet for their children and grandchildren, and we’re not on course for that.“ – Luke Murphy.
“The public has a huge appetite for change, ahead of what is currently possible.” – Luke Murphy
“The public recognises that green energy is a route to help them with the cost of living.” – Luke Murphy
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producers: Chris Jones & Liam Tait. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rishi Sunak’s Tories face three by-elections this week — what will these results mean for the struggling PM? Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s latest u-turn has frustrated even his most loyal supporters. What pressure does he face? Plus global weather is out of control — and actors join the fight against AI. Hannah Fearn joins Alex Andreou to map out the week ahead.
“These three by-elections are a snapshot of the nation’s mood." – Hannah Fearn
“If the Tories keep just one seat, they’ll be able to say Labour are weak to not take all three." – Alex Andreou
“I struggle to see how looking incompetent on immigration is a vote winner for the conservatives.” – Hannah Fearn
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Are work-from-home jet-setters pioneering of a new way of life or are they just the next generation of gentrifiers? After the pandemic the rise of “digital nomads” sparked envy across social media – but are they causing more problems than they solve?
Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined in the Bunker by UCL anthropologist Dave Cook to find out if working from the beach is all it's cracked up to be.
“They travel around the world to escape the 9-5 and end up in a coworking space. . . which is just the millennial rebranding of the office.”
“In Lisbon there is graffiti on walls saying ‘digital nomads are a f*cking disgrace, go home’. There is a lot of tension.“
"The ability to be a digital nomad depends on the global passport and visa system which is very racist."
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz . Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Young people living in America are more likely to be shot and killed than to die in a car accident. Does that shock you? What about this - there have been over 600 mass shootings recorded in the US every year for 3 years, not far from 2 a day. Why is it getting worse? And Are there any solutions at all? Dr. Patrick M. Carter is Co-Director at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at Michigan State University. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker.
“It’s hard to say exactly what the reason for the increase in mass shootings is, but they are increasing.” – Dr Patrick Carter
“There isn’t a single solution, it isn't just about banning guns.” – Dr. Patrick M. Carter.
“We are decades behind on research for this public health problem.” – Dr. Patrick M. Carter.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Bunker Global: We ask what it will take for Ukraine to achieve NATO membership following their summit in Lithuania, take a closer look at the civilians caught in the crossfire between Boko Haram and the Nigerian Army, and finally Artificial Intelligence promised not to destroy humanity in an AI press conference in Geneva, do we trust it?
Dipo Faloyin, senior editor for global news at Vice, and Mark Webber, professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, join Andrew Harrison to get you up to speed on what you need to know about news and politics from across the world.
“Zelenskyy is probably happier this afternoon than he was 24 hours ago.” – Mark Webber
“The government claims if you live in a certain area you must have sympathies towards Boko Haram.” – Dipo Faloyin
“A.I. havens will be the Tax havens of the future.” – Andrew Harrison
Link to Dipo’s Article: ‘They Just Shoot and Burn’: Civilians Targeted in Nigeria’s War on Boko Haram
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Dipo Faloyin. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Mark Zuckerberg has transformed from unsuspecting nerd to an MMA fighter taking on arch tech bro Elon Musk. What has changed? Bobby Friction speaks to Wessie du Toit, a freelance writer behind the newsletter The Pathos of Things, about Zuckerberg 2.0 and if we should be concerned about his macho man transformation.
“After the 2016 election, Zuckerberg became a pantomime villain so he needed a makeover.”
“You don’t see CEOs of energy companies threatening to fight each other in cage matches.”
“His increasingly desperate efforts to build his metaverse just look sad.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Bobby Friction. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The basis of human life is built upon various elements. Have we forgotten how important they are? Sky News’ economics editor, Ed Conway, explores whether we’ve lost touch with them in his new book Material World – and why they could fuel our downfall or build a better future. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to discuss.
“We have forgotten some of the physical underpinnings of our time.” – Ed Conway
“The internet is not an ethereal thing, it is a physical product.” – Ed Conway
“My objective was to try and remind ourselves of the stuff around us and explain how they began in the ground.” – Ed Conway
“There was a time where it seemed like the electrical age couldn’t begin because there wasn’t enough copper.” – Ed Conway
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thames Water recently announced £14 billion of debt. How does an essential utility haemorrhage so much money? More than three decades after they were privatised, could renationalisation be the solution? Laura Makin-Isherwood is joined by Rob Branston, associate professor in business economics, to discuss how the privatisation of water companies in England has failed and the solutions to clean up our water woes.
“Privatisation is a political ideology, but we need to remember that in the 80s we didn’t have good water services.”
“There is a collective debt of £60 billion across our water companies.”
“The debts have gone up because of interest on the existing debt.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Laura Makin-Isherwood. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Assistant producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The BBC is in turmoil again, over allegations a presenter paid a teenager for sexual photos. How will the broadcaster navigate this scandal? Plus, Sunak is getting a visit from Biden, what will they discuss? Plus we discuss the latest from Ukraine and the continuing Johnson-adjacent political fallout. Arthur Snell joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead.
“The BBC is subject to an intense level of political hostility, so this is inevitably politicised.” – Arthur Snell
“Britain just doesn’t have the power it once had, so America is inevitably building ties elsewhere.” – Arthur Snell
“America is now blocking Ukraine’s membership to NATO.” – Arthur Snell
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Arthur Snell and Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Politicians are… weird. While it baffles us relentlessly – could it be a good thing? Sunak forgetting how to use a card machine, Rees-Mogg lounging in the commons and Truss, Truss-ing. The list goes on and on and on. So why are politicians the way they are? Dr. James Weinberg is a political academic at the University of Sheffield and author of Who Enters Politics And Why. He joins Marie Le Conte in The Bunker.
“We’ve got this popular human fascination with politicians.” – James Weinberg.
“I think it’s highly unlikely that the political environment changes politician’s personalities.” – James Weinberg
“If we can change our political environment, I think our politicians have the drivers to do a good job.” – James Weinberg
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the leading Democratic challenger to Biden for 2024. But is he actually a threat to the current President – or just a gift to Trump? And how much of a danger does he pose to US politics and society? Molly Jong-Fast is a columnist for Vanity Fair and the host of Fast Politics Pod. She shares her thoughts on the conspiracy peddling political hopeful with Gavin Esler in The Bunker.
Listen to Molly’s podcast here: https://fastpoliticspod.com
“RFK Jr is part of this tapestry of anti-science rhetoric in the US.” – Molly Jong-Fast.
“The right-wing establishment has worked hard to undermine people’s beliefs in science.” – Molly Jong-Fast.
“He’ll never get elected, but maybe he’ll get Trump elected.” – Molly Jong-Fast.
“The reason he’s anywhere is because he’s a nepo-baby.” – Molly Jong-Fast.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Gavin Esler Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the first edition of Bunker Global: A closer look at Israel’s assault on Jenin, the fallout of the violent protests across France and the bounties placed on Hong Kong dissidents. Laura Makin-Isherwood, formerly London bureau chief of Feature Story News, and Anshel Pfeffer, a Jerusalem-based writer for Haaretz and the Economist, join Jacob Jarvis this week. Listen in to get you up to speed on what you need to know about news and politics from across the world.
“The Jenin Brigade aren’t going away, yes a number of them have been killed – but this isn’t over.” – Anshel Pfeffer
“These bounties are a message to these activists that the Chinese Government is watching them.” – Laura Makin-Isherwood
"French youth are questioning how the state interacts with the public, and who indeed they can trust." – Laura Makin-Isherwood
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Laura Makin-Isherwood and Anshel Pfeffer. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Productivity in Britain is down – is an army of middlemen partly to blame? Ros Taylor sits down with Giles Wilkes, senior fellow at the Institute for Government, to find out why we need to cut back on what he labels ‘crud’ to revitalise our economy.
“Crud is artificial capitalism.”
“The Conservatives did a lot of damage in the 80s and are now returning to the scene of the crime and asking who did this?”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The NHS was formed 75 years ago. As it celebrates its diamond anniversary, the service seems to be under more pressure than ever. Andrew Harrison is joined by Roy Lilley to celebrate the 75th birthday of the NHS and to ask, will it make it to 80?
“The NHS is knackered isn’t it? Nobody can blame staff for wanting to leave.”
“If we leave the NHS to get on with the job, it will roll up its sleeves and deliver.”
“Virgin tried to come in and run the NHS like an airport, where are they now?”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The Wagner Group made headlines with its 24-hour revolt against Vladimir Putin. Their leader, Yevgeny Prighozhin, is a shady character. Once a seller of hotdogs, he’s now made a career as a warlord, commanding thousands of troops in Ukraine and Africa. The mystery of Wagner is now clearing, says Ben Dalton, program manager for New America's Future Frontlines program. He joins Laura Makin-Isherwood in The Bunker to discuss how the group operates and how it harnesses the power of social media to recruit and fundraise.
“The Wagner group has been very core to Russia's war effort in Ukraine.” – Ben Dalton.
“Prigozhin has been remarkably savvy on social media, predominantly on telegram, in a way that reminds me of Donald Trump.” – Ben Dalton
“As far back as 2017 Putin has been rewarding Wagner commanders for their role in Syria.” – Ben Dalton
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Laura Makin-Isherwood. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sunak has a brand new immigration policy which looks just like the old one. Does anyone support it? With train strikes looming and an NHS staffing crisis, looks like we’re in for another summer of discontent. In international news, following a weekend of riots across France, we ask if President Macron has lost control. Plus updates on attacks on the Westbank and the latest on Ukraine. Arthur Snell joins Alex Andreou to map out the week ahead.
“Sunak’s immigration policy is headline grabbing but won’t reduce numbers.” – Arthur Snell
“The Tories immigration plan is a very simple solution to a very complex problem." – Alex Andreou
“Macron's problem is he is from the elite, so he lacks a deep understanding of social problems." – Arthur Snell
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Psychedelic drugs are regularly in the news as a fresh generation of scientists researches them. Who knows how they might be used in future – but, historically, how have they shaped the world already? The negatives of substance use are obvious – but what other impacts are there? From ceremonial plant medicines to the war on drugs; their cultural significance cannot be understated.
Dr Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined in The Bunker by Mike Jay to discuss his new book Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind.
“If you want to know how drugs change your own perception, there’s only one way of doing it.”
“Pharmacies would sell products called ‘Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup’ which would be full of morphine and opium.”
“Magic Mushrooms were ancient and sacred, people used them for spiritual experiences for millennia.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Book Link https://yalebooks.co.uk/page/detail/psychonauts/?k=9780300257946
Written and presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Washington, DC is home to the American political elite. Hordes of staff looking to make their names. Lobbyists and think tanks, all chasing a shot at success. The Trump years only intensified the culture - but has that changed the city for good or for worse? Ben Terris is a journalist for the Washington Post and the author of The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind. He joins Arthur Snell in The Bunker to discuss why DC is unlike any other American city. Find Ben Terris’ book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/ben-terris/the-big-break/9781538708057/?lens=twelve
“The Trump years in DC were very disorientating for everyone in DC.” – Ben Terris.
“Even with Trump gone, Trumpism is here to stay.” – Ben Terris.
“There are a lot of people who treat Washington DC like the new frontier, to find fame, influence, and riches.” – Ben Terris.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Bunker panel show returns to mark our ONE THOUSANDTH edition. Can voters wean themselves off the dark thrills of our political Age of Chaos? And what’s the long view on Trump’s legal troubles? The Guardian’s Raf Behr and US politics expert Julie Norman join Jacob Jarvis and Andrew Harrison for a special celebration edition.
Exciting changes are coming in The Bunker: a new look plus new strands and music coming soon. There’s never been a better time to back us on Patreon, so sign up now for special extras: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast/posts
“Brexit was both a revolution and a massive fraud. You only get one of those moments of energy and upheaval every generation.” – Raf Behr
“This destroys all of Trump's plausible defenses.” – Julie Norman
“People like to feel a sense of agency, that what they’re living through is meaningful in some kind of way.” – Raf Behr
Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producers Kasia Tomasiewicz, Chris Jones and Liam Tait. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The news media is driven by clicks more than ever before. Who is winning the war for online attention? Brands like Vice and Gawker initially won the race – but are old-school papers dominating the online space again now? Ben Smith is the former editor-in-chief for Buzzfeed News, runs the news outlet Semafor, and is author of Traffic: Genius, rivalry, and delusion in the billion-dollar race to go viral. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker.
“If you were a journalist covering politics in the mid-’00s, the online space was really exciting.” – Ben Smith
“I don’t think you were doing anything called ‘going viral’ until Twitter came along.” – Ben Smith
“The NY Times really absorbed a lot of the lessons and the culture of the internet.” – Ben Smith
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The NHS has been squeezed by successive Governments. The Covid-19 pandemic only worsened the crisis, highlighting the need for Parliament to focus on fixing our health service. Dr. Julia Grace Patterson is the author of Critical: Why the NHS is Being Betrayed and How We Can Fight for it – and says that politicians are doing nowhere near enough to fix the issue. She joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker.
Find a copy of the book here: https://harpercollins.co.uk/pages/critical
“Health care is, unfortunately, a deeply political area and that comes with a lot of problems.” – Dr. Julia Grace Patterson.
“The way that Jeremy Hunt spoke about us in the press, we found that extremely difficult.” – Dr. Julia Grace Patterson.
“It started with junior doctors, but now the government has tried to scapegoat GPs.” – Dr. Julia Grace Patterson.
“Politicians approach the NHS in a very short-term-ish way.” – Dr. Julia Grace Patterson.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Patriotism could be the antidote to the divisions created by Brexit. Can you be a proud patriot even when you don’t agree with your country? Will patriotism ever cast off it’s sinister connotations of nationalism? Ros Taylor is joined in The Bunker by Sunder Katwala, author of How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war, to explore what British patriotism means in an increasingly globalised age.
“Dangerous patriotism is the version that says it's them or us.”
“The European Identity sounds like a Whiter concept than British identity.”
“People on the left have less problems with civic patriotism of cities over national identity.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book Link https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/how-to-be-a-patriot-why-love-of-country-can-end-our-very-british-culture-war-sunder-katwala?variant=40133746294862
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The Russian revolution ended as quickly as it started, where does this leave Putin and the war in Ukraine? Rishi Sunak’s failure to deliver his 5 key pledges could prove to be his downfall as byelections loom. Plus we’ve got the results from the Greek election, an update on Britain’s cat pupil hysteria and a review of Boris Johnson’s latest rant for the Daily Mail. Hannah Fearn joins Alex Andreou to map out the week ahead.
“If Putin can’t control the people and media what does he have left?” - Hannah Fearn
“People aren’t expecting that Prigozhin will go to Belarus for a nice retirement.” - Hannah Fearn
“Long mortgage rates up to retirement are worryingly common.” - Hannah Fearn
"Saying 'we're not the other guys' might work to get Labour into power but won't create a mandate." - Alex Andreou
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Edmund Burke’s principles have influenced generations of conservative thinkers and politicians. But who was this architect of modern day conservatism? Joining Seth Thévoz in The Bunker to reflect on Burke’s legacy is Richard Bourke, Professor of the History of Political Thought and author of Empire and Revolution: The Political Life of Edmund Burke.
“Burke was a defender of the right to rebel against a despotic government.”
“Modern radical conservative movement looks nothing like Burke’s conservatism.”
“He was a critic of the depredations of Empires, including the British Empire.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz & Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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There are more guns than people in America. How does this obsession shape US society? Gavin Esler is joined by Jennifer Carlson, author of new book Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy, to explore the US fascination with guns, the people who are selling them, and how they shape a right -wing ideology.
“There’s a feeling that you can’t rely on collective security so you need a gun.”
“Gun policy is made at the state level, meaning it is very hard to regulate.”
“People compare not having a gun to not having a cell phone – it’s unimaginable.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book link: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691230399/merchants-of-the-right
Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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How alarming is China's tech ambition – and is there any limit to their quest for industrial dominance? From contentious recruitment policies, corporate espionage and not to mention the ten thousand meter hole they’re drilling into the centre of the earth, the nation seems desperate to bolster its position.
Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Dr Rogier Creemers to understand Xi’s quest for scientific world domination.
“China needs technology but doesn’t want to pay for it.”
“If you think you can predict what will happen in China, you’re a liar or a fool.”
“The west received junk which is probably already at the bottom of a landfill as China raked in billions in revenue.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Two years ago, Saudi Arabia announced it was creating a city of the future: known as The Line. Is it actually going to happen? The proposed 110-mile-long smart city of skyscrapers would be fueled by green energy and controlled by Artificial Intelligence. While the urban experiment is currently under development, many believe that the city is just a sci-fi dream that will never see the light of day.
Joining Ros Taylor in The Bunker today is Matthew Blunderfield, the host of architecture podcast Scaffold, to answer the question: what would the perfect city of the future look like?
“Imagine a tower taller than the Empire State Building, extruded from Birmingham to Leeds and then doubled. That's the Line.”
“There’s an underlying violence in forming this project.”
“We don’t know what will happen to the ecosystem when we erect an enormous tall wall in the middle of a desert.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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From earthquakes to terrorism – we live in a world of constant crisis. But are we prepared for it? Drawing on a wealth of experience as a former public servant and Director of GCHQ, Sir David Omand’s new book How to Survive a Crisis: Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster addresses responses to some of the greatest crises in recent memory. He joins Doomsday Watch podcast host Arthur Snell In The Bunker.
“We must be future-proof to crisis, but we are more vulnerable than ever.”
“The world of politics is hand-to-hand combat.”
“What would you do when your world is turned upside down?”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Book link: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/448107/how-to-survive-a-crisis-by-omand-david/9780241561331
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Assistant Producer: Matilda Snell. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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“Essex man” is a notorious caricature of Thatcherite Brits. How did the Conservatives win over the county? And where – if any – were pockets of resistance? Marie Le Conte is joined by Tim Burrows, author of new book The Invention of Essex: The Making of an English County, to explore the class dynamics and unexpected cultural politics of this much maligned county.
“There’s a feeling that people from Essex came up the social ladder too quickly.”
“Home ownership has a lot to do with Conservatism in Essex.”
“Essex could be a blank canvas for different political ideals.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book link: https://profilebooks.com/work/the-invention-of-essex/
Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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How do you solve a problem like Boris Johnson? Sunak needs to escape the shadow of his predecessor but reciting his 5 goals doesn’t seem to be cutting it. Could a potential mortgage bailout be enough to get the general public back onside? Plus we’ve got the reaction to that Party Gate video, the latest on Ukraine's counter offensive, and Labour's resurgence in Scotland. Gavin Esler joins Alex Andreou to map out the week ahead.
“If Sunak doesn’rt get a grip he will be the 4th conservative leader destroyed by Johnson.” – Gavin Esler
“Boris Johnson was never popular, he was just more popular than Corbyn.” – Gavin Esler
“The threat of having an election is enough to keep the backbench in line.” – Gavin Esler
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler. Producers: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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As the Lords come under scrutiny, we’re joined by one of the good ones – Lord Alf Dubs joins Dorian Lynskey in the Bunker to discuss how his own experience as a holocaust survivor impacts his politics, the failure of consecutive home secretaries and how the Lords should be modernised under Starmer’s Labour party.
“Right wing parties across Europe exploit the asylum issue for their own shabby political ends.”
“The Lords appointment system worked well, until you get a PM like Johnson who totally abused it.”
“There's nothing unworthy about being an economic migrant but it doesn't give you the human rights protection of an asylum seeker.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Xylazine, also known as Tranq, is causing a horrific wave of drug deaths across America. It’s mixed with the opioid named fentanyl to cause a cheaper, longer-lasting, yet more dangerous high. Perhaps the most shocking effect is its ability to rot the flesh around the injection site. Megan Cohen is the founder of The Grace Project in Philadelphia. She runs an outreach scheme on Kensington Avenue, home to the largest open air drugs market on the East Coast. She joined Alex Andreou in The Bunker to discuss the serious threat Tranq poses.
“These aren’t zombies out there, they’re people impacted by the disease of addiction.” – Megan Cohen
“What we noticed is the doses were stronger and the overdoses were happening more often.” – Megan Cohen
“What we’re seeing is that narcan isn’t reversing overdoses as it was before, because of xylazine.” – Megan Cohen
“When it comes to the wounds we still don’t have answers.” – Megan Cohen
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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If you haven’t tried our new press review show PAPER CUTS yet, here’s a taster of today’s episode. This time it’s the Mail and Telegraph’s Johnson-related meltdown, the majesty of Glenda Jackson and much more as comedian Fin Taylor and writer-historian Alex von Tunzelmann join Andrew Harrison under a huge pile of newsprint. Hear the full episode here. We’re out mid-morning every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to look at the the day’s best headlines, wildest stories and weirdest opinions. Subscribe on your favourite app. It’s the perfect chaser to your daily Bunker… Illustrations by Modern Toss https://moderntoss.com/ Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Sophie Black. Design: James Parrett. Music: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Exec Producer: Martin Bojtos. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. PAPER CUTS is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our view of hackers has been warped by movie portrayals of hoodie-wearing computer whizzes. But what are they really like? These keyboard bashers have uncovered some of the world's darkest secrets – and even come close to destroying the internet. But why do they do it? Scott Shapiro searches for answers in his new book Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks. He joins Dorian Lynskey in The Bunker.
“The hackers that I’ve spoken to, they’re by and large normal, psychologically speaking.” – Scott Shapiro.
“Any time there’s a hack, people say “It’s a nation-state, it’s Russia” it’s a reflex.” – Scott Shapiro.
“People don't like to talk about when they’ve been hacked, because it’s embarrassing.” – Scott Shapiro.
“There are a lot of mistaken stereotypes about hackers, one is the romance of a lone wolf.” – Scott Shapiro.
“Security analysts hate the word hacker.” – Scott Shapiro.
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production: Simon Williams Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cars are making us unhappy and unhealthy. From poor air quality, to mind numbing commutes and gridlocked city centres. Can anything be done to change car culture – or are we already on a highway to hell? Ros Taylor sits down with journalist and author of Carmageddon, Daniel Knowles, to discuss the rise of automobiles and asks if it’s too late to course correct.
“The problem to the average driver isn’t you, it’s everything else. ”
“I think the car industry likes the idea of reducing civilian deaths without slowing down cars.”
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/730724/carmageddon-by-daniel-knowles/
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The question ‘What does it mean to be European?’ is challenging for many Brits, post-Brexit. Author Ben Judah says politics is pushing an ever-changing Europe apart. Ben attempts to remind people what Europe is away from politics in his new book, This is Europe. He joins Hannah Fearn in the Bunker.
“Europe’s a lot of things. It can be an idea or a whole theatre for political action but I wanted to focus on the people” – Ben Judah
“It was very important to me to show that Europe is much wider than it looks in Britain.” – Ben Judah
“Europe is blurring with Asia and Africa and a new Europe is emerging through immigration.” – Ben Judah
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearn Producer: Chris Jones Audio Production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Theresa May is often ranked alongside the worst Prime Ministers ever. But, does she still get off lightly? And have we forgotten just how bad she was because of the chaos that’s come since? Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University London, joins Seth Thevoz in The Bunker to refresh our memories.
“I don’t think she was ever destined to be a great Prime Minister.” – Tim Bale
“Circumstance did combine to make it very difficult for her.” – Tim Bale
“Clearly those she took with her from the Home Office weren’t the right people to be in charge in Downing Street.” – Tim Bale
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Seth Thevoz. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Artwork: James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Johnson rebellion promised a bang but delivered a whimper over the weekend. What now? Can Starmer capitalise on the Conservative Party chaos? Across the pond, Donald Trump is set for a day in a Miami courtroom – what should we expect? Plus we’ve got more on Nicola Sturgeon’s arrest and the latest from Ukraine’s counter offensive. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead.
“Organising a coup takes a lot of work which I don’t think Johnson was willing to do.” – Alex Andreou
“Johnson inspires enthusiasm which he mistakes for loyalty.” – Alex Andreou
“If any other public official had done what Trump did, they’d be in the deepest darkest dungeon already.”– Alex Andreou
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The sky is no longer the limit for entrepreneurs as they set their sights on space. SpaceX has made science fiction ideas a reality but who could be next in line to be the biggest name in space? Dr. Casey Handmer, the founder of Terraform Industries, takes Dr. Kate Devlin on a voyage through the world of space based start-ups looking to make their millions in space.
“SpaceX is one or two competitive startups away from losing market share.”
“Politics is negotiable but physics is not.”
“Super geeks who know how to make rockets are critical for national security”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Biden proudly told the world his debt ceiling deal averted “economic collapse”. He’s not wrong – but is he in the clear yet? Professor Larry J White has taught Economics at New York University for over 40 years. He joins Jacob Jarvis in the Bunker to discuss what the deal entails, how it will impact the nation and what concerns Biden still has economically.
“This was truly uncharted territory that has been avoided.” – Larry J White
“It is, I'll have to use an economic term, NUTS!” – Larry J White
“We avoided a catastrophe – and I truly believe it would have been a catastrophe.” – Larry J White
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production and Music: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Artwork: James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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The assasination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme remains an unsolved mystery. How did a lone gunman manage to murder him during the height of the Cold War, and why? Ros Taylor welcomes Jan Stocklassa to the Bunker to discuss his documentary, The Man Who Played With Fire, which attempts to answer once and for all: who killed Olof Palme?
“There is a 37 year long cover up at the root of this investigation.”
“He was not a run of the mill Swede, he wasn’t afraid to provoke people around the globe.”
“Sweden has never had a politician who was so hated.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Andy Street took a risk in leaving his role as managing director of John Lewis to become West Midlands mayor. He’s one of two Tory combined authority mayors, a role he describes as “trailblazing”. But despite his party loyalty, he hasn’t shied away from criticising Westminster – especially when it comes to Levelling-up. He sat down with Hannah Fearn in The Bunker to discuss his priorities and time in office.
“For me, it wasn’t about representing the party in Westminster. It was first and foremost about being an individual representative for the West Midlands.” – Andy Street
“The truth is that Michael Gove and the Levelling-up Department have spent billions. But are we getting that message across? No.” – Andy Street
“My relationship with Whitehall is positive, but immature. We make our proposals, and Whitehall will decide.” – Andy Street
“Mayoral models are becoming popular because people want someone they can relate to, and with whom the buck stops.” – Andy Street
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Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer & Audio production: Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sugar became a modern-day bogeyman during austerity. Why? And how did it come to represent personal responsibility? And who has been most instrumental in the fight against it? Hannah Fearn is joined by Karen Throsby, author of new book Sugar rush: Science, politics and the demonisation of fatness, to explore the disastrous consequences of the fight on sugar.
“Sugar became the perfect scapegoat for austerity.”
“The war on obesity is a failure on its own terms.”
“The language of conflict of foodstuffs always justifies quick, ill-thought-out measures.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Book link: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526151544/
Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Climate change remains a key political issue. But with multiple crises mounting, are the Greens a one policy party? Ros Taylor is joined by Zack Polanski, deputy leader of the Green Party, to talk about what they want and what's missing from mainstream political discourse.“Only two countries used FPTP – Belarus and the UK.”“Too often politics operates in silos – and we are interested in systems thinking and change.”“People are sick of the two party system.”“We need a positive message on immigration.”“Keir Starmer won’t talk to us, even though the environment is a crucial issue.”“It's irresponsible for a leader to say they will get to net zero on technologies that don’t exist yet.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Biden is set for a tough couple of years with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives. How will the GOP look to hurt the president? Dr Thomas Gift, director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics, joins Jacob Jarvis in to tell us about how Biden’s enemies will enact their revenge. •“Anything Joe biden wants to get done between now and the next 2 years is just not going to happen”•“Republicans can basically block any piece of legislation that Joe Biden puts to the floor”•“A lot of Republicans think this is time for payback, this is time for revenge.”Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music and Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the cost of having children making parenthood feel impossible? With childcare through the roof, insecure housing and the cost of living crisis starting to bite, it’s an anxious time for parents. Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, joins Ros Taylor to highlight how the poor provision for parents harms us all. “Ironically I was sacked from a children's charity for wanting a baby.” “Every ten minutes a woman is pushed out of their job.”“We have created a system where dads aren’t allowed to be more active in the family.”“Children aren’t a lifestyle choice, we are literally reproducing the labour market.”Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From postal workers to nurses, we face a winter of strikes. What do they want and why should we all be invested in their cause? Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the British Trades Union Congress, joins Jude Rogers to discuss the problems faced by Britain’s workforce – and whether those taking action can pull together for a better future.
“With real wages falling and living standards stagnating there is a coordinated offensive against working people.”
“There is no light at the end of the tunnel unless we stick together.”
“When striking workers win, we all win.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Jude Rogers. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s hard to remember a time when the NHS wasn’t at ‘breaking point’. But with more than 7 million people in England on the NHS waiting list, real-term wage decreases, over-stretched ambulance services, and impending strike action from nurses – can it make it through the winter? Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research at the Health Foundation, joins Siân Pattenden to weigh up if there is any hope of saving it.
“The NHS staff are wracked with trauma post-Covid.”
“We ran the NHS hot at the edge of capacity before the pandemic.”
“Pay is far from the central factor of low staff morale, they haven’t felt valued for years.”
“A lot of hospitals are now running food banks for their staff.”
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Presented by Siân Pattenden. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our unwritten constitution relies on our politicians acting in good faith. But with recent political crises leaving it creaking at the hinges, do we still benefit from its flexibility? Andrew Blick, co-author of The Bonfire of the Decencies: Repairing and Restoring the British Constitution, talks to Alex Andreou about how to fix the rules that rule us.
“Our flexible constitution can adjust in times of public emergency.”
“The ‘good chap’ phrase is as outdated as the theory.”
“Our constitution isn’t codified, but there are more checks and balances.”
“We have lost faith in politicians behaving themselves.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Sunak embarks on a mission to “get tough” this week – is this another Tory vanity project avoiding the real issues? With pressure over the situation in Manston, more strikes looming and the economy still in turmoil, where should his focus actually be? Plus, mass unrest is shaking China – how will it play out? Yasmeen Serhan joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead.
“Sunak isn’t being compared to a lettuce, yet.” – Jacob Jarvis
"A draconian approach has sparked mass protests across China." – Yasmeen Serhan
“There are big strikes on the horizon.” – Yasmeen Serhan
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The UK has a jobs crisis – too many vacancies, and not enough people to fill them. Is migration the fix? The end of free movement of EU workers is partially to blame for the worker shortage – and filling the swathes of roles across the NHS, social care, hospitality and construction is not an easy task. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, tells Ros Taylor what the Government can do to fix the situation.
“In the past the availability of some of those EU workers to fill jobs had papered over the problems.”
“Low pay is effectively baked into the system by policy.”
“From a purely mercenary perspective, the UK benefits a lot from bringing in people that it didn’t pay to train.”
“The government hasn’t done enough to plan the workforce effectively”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tucker Carlson is the most-watched cable news host in America. Who is he, why is he so popular and what makes him tick? He’s praised Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban, perpetuated the “stop the steal” nonsense, and regularly fills the airwaves with rhetoric to enrage the Republican right. Dan Cassino, author of Fox News and American Politics, joins Jacob Jarvis to discover what Carlson’s influence means for the future of the United States.
“If he makes a mention of a candidate – either positively or negatively- that candidate moves up in the polls the next day.”
“Tucker Carlson is a troll. He is a right-wing troll. He is someone who is saying the things that will get people upset because he believes that's the way to get attention and to have influence. The worst thing is, he’s not wrong.”
“If I can make an extreme argument, once you respond to me, I’m in control. I’m the one setting the agenda.”
“I’ve no doubt if that populist wing of the Republican party comes into disarray, that he’ll rebrand himself. “
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER USA is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As one of the world’s biggest economies, trouble in China means trouble for us all. China’s stringent Covid policy has seen businesses lock down, having a huge prolonged impact on trade and international relations. From global development to the war in Ukraine, George Magnus, author of Red Flags: Why Xi’s China is in Jeopardy joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to tell us how the ripples of Chinese intervention spread far wider than we may imagine.
"We’re all worried and thinking a lot about what’s going on in China. It's a huge economy and it has a huge impact on trade and international economic relations."
“You’d need huge political reform as well and that’s just not going to happen, especially not under Xi Jinping”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lisa Nandy talks to Dorian Lynskey about the people and places left behind in modern Britain – and how to empower them. The shadow secretary of state for communities and local government discusses the communities that give her hope, the missteps of recent Governments and what shifts she’d like to see – as outlined in her new book All In: How We Build a Country That Works.
“Everywhere you go there is this feeling that everything is falling apart.”
“People know that this country could be better… they’re very angry that for a long time they’ve been saying things haven’t been working.”
“People need hope. There’s got to be hope on the horizon.”
“Change is inevitable. People won’t put up with the system anymore.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Musk’s Twitter takeover is leading to a mass exodus from the site. But is this just the Elon effect, or was that bound to happen anyway? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Marcus Gilroy-Ware, Lecturer in Creative Digital Media at SOAS and author of Filling the Void: Emotion, Capitalism and Social Media, about what the decline of the Twittersphere means for how we participate in politics – and to discuss whether this was an inevitability, regardless of who ran the platform.
“Musk is known for entrepreneurial pseudo-logic.”
“Musk represents the death of the political.”
“We all skip ads, so it’s not a viable way to fund social media.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the world forever, but what was it like to be in Kyiv as the first bombs fell? Luke Harding, foreign correspondent at The Guardian, joins Arthur Snell to reveal all about the grim reality of Putin’s war, and the unheard human stories behind the headlines, covered in his new book Invasion: Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival.
“A mum and two kids came into my shelter with colouring books, and you just knew people were already dying.”
“Russian occupation means terror and murder.”
“Deep down Putin is a coward, and I would be surprised if he used a nuclear bomb.”
“Crimea is where Ukrainians used to go on holiday, but Russia has turned it into a ghastly military garrison.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hunt’s cuts bonanza faces dissection from angry MPs this week. How will he handle the pushback? Plus, there are rumours of a Swiss-style EU deal – could this possibly happen? Then we cast an eye to the US, with ripples still coming from the midterms and Trump’s presidential announcement. And with the Qatar World Cup underway, what has reaction been to the tournament so far? Yasmeen Serhan joins Alex Andreou to discuss the news to look out for in the days ahead.
“There’s some buyers' remorse with Brexit and the economic impact we’re starting to feel… the elephant in the room is the B word.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“I think people are quite fearful of spending cuts… there’s room for a clash between public perceptions of what the public thinks and the Government thinks.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“It seems to me the budget is slowly unravelling, there’s lots of noise from low tax Tories.” – Alex Andreou
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hunt’s cuts upon cuts have left the nation worried, depressed and frightened. Is there any hope beyond austerity 2.0? Marc Stears, director of the UCL Policy Lab, author of Out of the Ordinary and former Ed Miliband speechwriter, speaks to Ros Taylor about the state of Britain and its future prospects.
“The reality of the economy is an extraordinary living standards squeeze that people confront in their daily lives.”
“Anger, rage, unpredictability – you see that everywhere at the moment, but particularly in the Conservative backbenches.”
“We’re probably overly gloomy as to where we might be able to get, but not gloomy enough about where we are now.”
“People are fed up with overly grandiose stories which turned out to have nothing in them.”
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Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s official, Trump is running for President in 2024. Does anyone really want him to – or is it foolish to underestimate him? Julie Norman, Co-Director of the UCL Centre on US Politics, joins Jacob to tell us why calling Trump the underdog could play straight into his hands.
“As much as Trump gets leverage in promoting himself, bashing Biden also plays well with his base.”
“I think Trump knows that what is appealing about Trump is himself - and it's why some of the Trump backed candidates didn’t do so well. He has a cult of personality around him that is bigger than his children and the people around him.”
“Whether one loves or hates Trump it’s important not to discount him.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Jade Bailey. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER USA is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dirty air filing homes across the UK is leading to an increase in asthma and lower life expectancy. But just how filthy is it? And are we doing anything meaningful about it? Ros Taylor talks to David Green, senior research fellow in the aerosol science team at Imperial College London.
“Scientists have found particles from polluted air in unborn babies.”
“Some of the highest levels of pollution are experienced in cars.”
“Government anti-pollution measures benefit the public purse in the long term because we spend less on things like childhood development.”
“Outside of London, industrial hubs contribute a huge level of air pollution – Port Talbot’s factories make it the most polluted place in the UK.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gina Miller, described as an “establishment wrecking ball,” speaks to Alex Andreou about battling Brexit and her desire to “reboot” the system. After rising to prominence taking on the Government’s authority to trigger Article 50 without a vote in Parliament, her fight has been taken to the stage in the play Bloody Difficult Women. She’s gone on to launch the True & Fair political party, and is aiming to oust Chris Grayling from his Parliamentary seat.
“Because everyone was talking about sovereignty, I thought people would be supportive of my case.”
“If someone is abusing me and not what I’m saying – I’ve probably won.”
“The whole system of government is not fit for purpose. And the main parties will not go as far as I think is needed to reboot it.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Suella Braverman has called the asylum system broken – but she’s probably focused on the wrong parts. What needs fixing? Home Office incompetence has led to a backlog in processing claims – while the Government is focussing on a new deal with France to reduce people crossing the Channel in small boats. Colin Yeo, a barrister specialising in migration issues sits down with Arthur Snell, to tell us just how Brexit broke the asylum system – and how to speed it up once and for all.
“I think it boils down to incompetence when it comes down to it.”
“Instead of refocussing resources they’ve just ignored it and it’s made things worse.”
“If someone is from Syria it doesn’t take long to realise that they’re probably a refugee”
“I don’t trust the Home Office when they start quoting statistics that aren’t in the public domain.”
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Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As climate activists ramp up provocative protests, the Government is cracking down by bolstering police powers. How far will this go? Ros Taylor is joined by David Mead, professor of UK human rights law, to discuss the incoming public order bill – and how it could impact groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.
“There’s certainly been a step up of climate activists over the last couple of months.”
“These groups have a deliberate tactic of being arrested. In their view they need more provocative actions to get publicity. They’ve had a step up.”
“We should be very worried here of a chilling effect.”
“Peaceful protest does include serious disruption.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain braces itself for “eyewatering” cuts to cover the £60bn bill for Trussonomics. And Jeremy Hunt braces himself for the howls of the Tory Right. Plus: Braverman turns bagwoman to sign a migrants deal with France. And good news! The Democrats take the Senate and Trump gets the blame! Alex Andreou gives Jacob Jarvis the run-down on the coming week.
“We’re now trying to fill a much bigger hole caused by the Truss-Kwarteng fiasco.”
“The cuts will have to go much further simply because the markets no longer trust us.”
“To impose cuts on this scale when you know they will kill people is just immoral.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The BBC is constantly under siege – how can it survive the 360 degree onslaught it faces? Does it make a rod for its own back? Or is stuck in a perennial catch-22? Siân Pattenden is joined by Patrick Barwise author of The War Against the BBC, to discuss the embattled broadcaster.
“People pay for far more services that they don’t use than paying for the BBC.”
“What is contested is impartiality.”
“The organised attacks on the BBC come from the Right.”
“It is a miracle it's so productive given how tightly it has been squeezed.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What tips could Biden take from left-wing star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to help bridge America’s political divide? How do activists and politicians convince opposing groups of the same message? Writer and political commentator Anand Giridharadas talks to Ros Taylor about his new book The Persuaders: Winning Hearts and Minds in a Divided Age.
“The left needs to be better at creating an inclusive movement.”
“It shows a lot about politics that AOC might not stay in it.”
“Elon Musk is a limited man who behaves like an 11 year old boy.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Jade Bailey. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What would Alan Johnson do differently if he was in Suella Braverman’s shoes? The former Home Secretary, who held the post from 2009 to 2010, gives his take on the current crises – and sets the record straight on which party really handles crime better out of Labour and the Tories.
“Suella is taking on the Priti Patel mantle… talking about the problems but doing nothing to resolve them.”
“It’s the Tories who have really failed on crime and borders.”
“When you’re 12 years in you can no longer blame the last Labour government.”
“We need the relations with Macron to be really good, because that’s part of the problem.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Arthur Snell. Producers: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jeremy Hunt’s key task is fixing the damage of Truss and Kwarteng’s mini-budget – can he get us out of this mess? From freezing the wages of nurses and teachers, to adding VAT to Jaffa Cakes – what options does the Chancellor have? Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies joins Ros Taylor to look at what taxes might increase, how the Government can tempt the over 55s back into the workforce – and if there’s any cause for optimism.
“Hunt probably has to look at the serious taxes… though it remains to be seen if this is politically feasible.”
“You can’t raise very large amounts of money from inheritance or capital gains tax.”
“Younger people have seen very poor earnings growth – the last 15 years have been pretty much the worst since the industrial revolution.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When there is finally a general election, what will the next batch of MPs look like? With parties deep into selection processes, who is going to be thrust upon us – and who’s being blocked? Journalist, author and Channel 4 legend Michael Crick, who runs Tomorrow’s MPs on Twitter, talks to Andrew Harrison about our future parliamentarians.
“The left is doing appallingly within the Labour selections.”
“Starmer can’t be seen to interfere too much – that can be the kiss of death for a candidate.”
“There is a process of weeding people out on the grounds of their politics.”
“When local parties are choosing members of Parliament, they’re also choosing potential future ministers.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the Bank of England working in our best interests – and what could it do differently that might serve us better? While the last recession was met with a response of ‘quantitative easing’, the next is due to be met with ‘quantitative tightening’. Richard Murphy, professor of accounting practice at Sheffield University, author of the book Money For Nothing and king of the Twitter macroeconomic mega-thread, talks to Justin Quirk about what the central bank is up to.
“Quantitative tightening is the opposite of quantitative easing – this means the government spends into the economy.”
“Quantitative tightening really shows that the Bank of England doesn’t care.”
“Rishi Sunak doesn’t want there to be a recession, because he won’t win the next election.”
“The public don’t know how to ask or answer big questions – and politicians aren’t helping.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The US midterms could see Biden hamstrung by his political enemies – as the prospect of a 2024 Trump run looms. Is America headed for another period of turmoil and deadlock, with the Republicans controlling the Senate and the House? And in the UK, the political sack race is on between Gavin Williamson and Suella Braverman. Will Sunak ditch either of them – or wait until a more convenient time? Plus, the world turns its eyes to COP27. Andrew Harrison is joined by Alex Andreou to tee up the week ahead.
“If the Democrats lose both the House and Senate they could be in for two years of very rough battles.” – Alex Andreou
“The Republicans can make a hellscape and know voters will primarily blame Biden for it.” – Alex Andreou
“If Sunak is inclined to get rid of Braverman or Williamson, he will do it one day after the budget – while they’re getting slated for their measures.” – Alex Andreou
“There is no doubt that for the next two years we will be paying for the Conservatives cock up.” – Alex Andreou
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou. Producer: Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
World leaders are jetting into Sharm El-Sheik in Egypt this week for COP27. But as wild weather continues and predictions are that we have already passed the point of no return – what will we learn from COP27? Andrew Harrison is joined by Madeleine Cuff, environment reporter at the New Scientist to give you the heads up on what the big issues will be, who might derail discussions and what we can do to solve our environmental woes.
“A lot of work needs to be done to get this problem under control.”
“Under the Paris Agreement the pledges aren’t binding.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the past fifty years, America’s politicians have grown increasingly allergic to knowledge. Why is this? Writer, comedian and satirist Andy Borowitz joins Dorian Lynskey to discuss his new book Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber, which looks at why ignoramuses make it to the top of US politics, from Dan Quayle to George Bush, Sarah Palin to Donald Trump.
“Politicians have been the greatest comedians of the last 50 years.”
”Dan Quayle was just as ignorant as Reagan, but he lacked any talent to mask it.”
“George Bush opened the door for Sarah Palin, who lead to Donald Trump.”
“Donald Trump speaks in shorter words than any other president.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and Music by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’re not on a great run of political leaders at the moment – is the problem how we pick them? And what if we simply… didn’t? Rather than choosing between a bunch of self-serving, pound-crashing Westminster drones – could democratic lotteries be the answer? Brett Hennig, author of The End of Politicians: Time for a Real Democracy and director of the Sortition Foundation discusses how we pick our representatives, and how we could change it, with Jacob Jarvis.
“Politicians often come from a subset of people who aren't best placed to make laws.”
“People will only participate in politics if they feel represented.”
“The House of Lords is a dinosaur and ripe to be replaced.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do we put women back in the history books? Author, playwright, co-founder of The Women’s Prize for Fiction and member of the executive committee of Women of the World, Kate Mosse joins Siân Pattenden to talk about balancing out Margaret Thatcher and Barbara Castle, and her new book, Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries - How Women (Also) Built the World.
“Women were often incredibly well-known in their day. It’s what happens to them after that.”
“We talk about Florence Nightingale as a nurse and carer - but never a statistician.”
“This isn't about men versus women. It's about patriarchy, a system, that benefits a tiny number of men.”
“Women's place in history cannot be about likeability.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warrior-Queens-Quiet-Revolutionaries-Women/dp/1529092191 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The worse Russia’s invasion of Ukraine goes, the more Putin doubles down. Is he truly unhinged? And could his citizens turn on him? Marc Berenson, senior lecturer at the Russia Institute at King’s College London and the author of Taxes and Trust: From Coercion to Compliance in Poland, Russia and Ukraine, talks to Justin Quirk about Putin’s changing worldview, why the President sees Eastern Europe as a “massive DMZ”, and if the Russian people really support his regime.
“The truth is that Putin is rational – but with completely different preferences to ours in the West.”
“The best outcome for Putin from this war would be him going to jail.”
“The West needs to help Russia. If we don’t, we’ll pay for it in the long run.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Could nuclear power be the answer to our doomed energy sector? It remains controversial – but why? Ahir Shah talks to Francis Livens, professor of radiochemistry at the University of Manchester and academic director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute about how nuclear works, how the sector has changed, and how hitting net zero carbon by 2050 might be impossible without it.
“Without nuclear energy, hitting net zero will be impossible.”
“Patronising scientists haven’t created a dialogue with the public about nuclear energy.”
“Thinking about old nuclear factories is like comparing cars from today with those from the 1970s.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Home Secretary plays fast and loose with her email security. The former PM’s phone is so compromised that it’s been locked in a secure location. Interest rates are about to go up and the Chancellor is about to tax everything. But hey, at least Bolsonaro lost in Brazil! Yasmeen Serhan fills Ros Taylor in on the events of the coming week.
“Twitter was already a hellscape but it looks like it’s going to become an even worse one.”
“You have to ask, why are ministers using private phones to conduct government business?”
“The silence you hear is Bolsonaro mulling his options.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brazil’s presidential elections go to round two today. Ahead of Latin America’s most consequential vote in decades, what should we be looking out for? Dr. Christopher Sabatini, senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, talks to Alex Andreou about how Bolsonaro broke Brazilian politics, Lula’s prospects and the environmental impact on the Amazon.
“The last four years can be seen as a triumph of institutions. Brazilian institutions are strong and they've survived, despite Bolsonaro.”
“Lula's campaign is all about beating Bolsonaro. That's not a long-term winning bet.”
“Bolsonaro's election strategy is Bible, beef and bullets.”
“For Brazilians, the Amazon is their crown jewel.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After being banned from Twitter, Donald Trump set up Truth Social, his own social media platform. What can you expect to find on the site? Is it just a mouthpiece for the former President? Kayla Gogarty, associate research director at Media Matters America, joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss Trump’s online echo chamber.
“Truth Social is a way for Trump to get back online and to avoid moderation.”
“It’s an echo chamber of conspiracy theories and harmful rhetoric.”
“As the midterms approach we’re seeing election misinformation ramp up.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and Music by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When university fees shot up to £9,000 in 2012 they triggered violent protests. Now Britain’s universities are expecting redundancies and even bankruptcy – and they’re hooked on lucrative foreign students. Can we carry on funding education from fees, or is it time for a graduate tax? And do we need to rethink what students get for their money? Ros Taylor talks to Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank.
“Lifelong learning was hit hardest by the increase in fees.”
“The fee cap hasn’t gone up in a decade. Universities are losing money on home students.”
“Despite how big the fees seem, university staff are being hit hard.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Like The Bunker? You’ll love Doomsday Watch – and there’s a brand new series out right now. Hear former diplomat and Bunker regular Arthur Snell explore more faultlines and danger zones that threaten global stability. From the balance of power after the Ukraine invasion to the scattered conflicts that spawn bigger confrontations to American’s democratic death spiral, these are the flashpoints of the future. Hear Ep.1 right now here, plus Patreon supporters get every episode a week early. Visit doomsdaywatch.co.uk and sign up to get Episodes 1 and 2 immediately, and subsequent editions a full week early. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Conservative psychodrama has given us a new PM, a new cabinet and a whole lot more restive MPs. So what should we expect from the party’s latest iteration? Commentator and former Tory MP Matthew Parris talks to Ros Taylor about the “pleasant” Prime Minister Sunak, “appalling” Suella Braverman and what we can expect from his premiership.
“The Conservative Party has a sense of burnout.”
“Beyond the commentariat, people don’t want a general election.”
“Without Sunak’s patronage, Suella would be more or less finished.”
“The Home Office destroys everybody. Let’s hope it destroys Suella in a few months.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Sunak doesn’t surprise us at all, but plods on in a sensible way.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Rishi Sunak keeping Jeremy Hunt in post as Chancellor, the prospect of a new era of austerity looms. But what is left to cut? From hospitals, to prisons and schools – public sector services are at breaking point. And with workers across struggling institutions already threatening strikes, how much worse can it get? Nick Davies from The Institute for Government think tank talks to Justin Quirk about where the government will make cuts and how to assess the damage.
“We are looking at a lost generation of public services.”
“Now is a very bad time to be unwell.”
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After Ukraine’s stunning battlefield successes, Putin responds with missile attacks on civilians, power and transport infrastructure – adding to his toll of war crimes. How is Ukrainian morale eight months into the war? And what happens next? Andrew Harrison talks to Ukrainian journalist, Reuters Institute fellow and disinformation expert Olga Tokariuk about life in Kyiv, Western democracies’ role in the struggle, and whether a cornered Putin would really use a nuclear weapon.
“Russia is deliberately and clearly attacking civilian targets.” “Putin is threatening nuclear weapons as blackmail tactics.” “You don’t have to be ethnically Ukrainian to feel close to Ukraine.”
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After Johnson’s exit from the leadership race (he definitely had 102 backers), will it be a coronation for Sunak? Or is it going to roll into a bout between him and Mordaunt? Plus, we look at what actual politics is set to happen in Parliament… We also cast a glance over the Chinese Communist Party congress fallout, and unpack what’s next for Musk’s on and off and on again Twitter buyout. Justin Quirk talks to Ros Taylor to chart the days ahead.
“Johnson’s astonishingly egotistical statement basically blamed Tory MPs for blocking him.” – Ros Taylor
“This is a Government that is not going to be able to push anything remotely ambitious through.” – Ros Taylor
“There is no overarching agenda apart from survival for the Conservative Party now.” – Ros Taylor
“There will be more pain, there will be more austerity. Anyone who thinks there will be a massive turnaround is kidding themselves.” – Ros Taylor
Presented by Justin Quirk with Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How would an alien fix Britain? We hear from Count Binface, who resisted the urge to vapourise Alex Andreou despite some tough questions. The Count discusses standing against Tories like Theresa May (as Lord Buckethead) and Boris Johnson, why he’d junk First Past the Post for PR, plus his new book, WHAT ON EARTH?.
“I was passing Earth and it seemed to be the most deranged planet of the lot.”
“The Brits play the game, and occasionally write down things.”
“You don't have to be a human being to stand for election.”
“As a Recyclon, I hope to reuse the best policies from across the galaxy.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. geni.us/whatonearth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As 2024 approaches, could Florida Governor Ron DeSantis be the heir to Donald Trump? Or his strongest opponent? Politico Florida bureau chief Matt Dixon joins Andrew Harrison to discuss the man who could be the next Republican flag bearer, his controversial time as Florida Governor, where he stands on the big issues, and if he really is worse than Trump.
“DeSantis has captured the imagination of conservatives and Republicans nationwide.”
“It’s the worst kept secret in America that DeSantis wants to be President.”
“DeSantis is Donald Trump without the charisma.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As separatist movements across the globe try to establish new nations, how do you actually go about creating a new country? What is the project management plan for independence? Political science professor Matt Qvortrup joins Ahir Shah to discuss how a new state is made in the 21st century, covered in his new book I Want to Break Free: A Practical Guide to Making a New Country.
“Independence referendums are won by appealing to people’s heart strings.”
“The Scottish independence referendum is good example of what not to do in an independence referendum.”
“Becoming independent is not a panacea.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 1922 committee is the secretive, unofficial voice of the Conservative party. Who are these Tory ‘men in gray suits’? Former BBC politics correspondent and political editor of the New Statesman, and host of Rock & Roll Politics Steve Richards talks to Alex Rees about prime ministers being held to ransom, the 1922 mindset, and Graham Brady’s secrets.
“Tory MPs are more rebellious than ever, so the 1922 committee gets ever more relevant.”
“The 1922 committee represents ‘honesty’ for Conservatives – toothless messengers of political truths.”
“Graham Brady loves the role, he sees his duty as being to the Party rather than factions.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Patrick Minford faded from view in the 2000s – but since Brexit, he’s returned to the fore of Tory economic policy. So who is this Arch-Thatcherite economist and what does he stand for? UCL policy fellow Laurie Macfarlane talks to Andrew Harrison about how he became an icon of the IEA set, and what his cult worship means for Liz Truss’ government, and the cost of living crisis.
“Most economists like markets but Minford is extreme.”
“The mini-budget was an experiment of Minford in practice.”
“There's a risk that we lunge to the other extreme and a return to Osbornite austerity.”
“Minford claims to care about government budgets, but he's fine with tax cuts for the wealthy.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It feels like something is changing in the country – but is a real shift occurring? A vibe shift, if you will... Poll fiend and senior data journalist at the New Statesman Ben Walker talks to Ros Taylor about whether the political mood of the UK has fundamentally changed, with Brexit, culture wars, climate change and COVID.
“If the Labour Party used Take Back Control, it would do well as a slogan.”
“Younger Brits are more inclined towards personal, not national, identities. But it's the same thing – belonging.”
“Anxiety over the environment is just as high in the Red Wall as in the inner city, but the way you go around solving it is different.”
“A lot of voters feel strained by the old rules. COVID showed things can change.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s the first new look Bunker, and as Jeremy Hunt prepares for a big budget announcement, are we ready for Austerity 2.0? And if Liz Truss is really done for, who could replace her as PM? Plus, Trump on trial, and China’s zero COVID response - Jacob Jarvis and Alex Andreou set out the days ahead.
“Truss now looks like a stress dream made reality.”
“Ben Wallace won’t want to take over the Titanic after it’s hit the iceberg.”
“No-one with half a brain would want the job of PM now.”
“Trump is an experienced litigant. He's experienced in keeping his mouth shut in legal settings.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Jacob Jarvis and Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Plenty of us enjoy blasting out a few swear words – but what makes it feel so good? Richard Stephens, a senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University and author of Black Sheep: The Hidden Benefits of Being Bad, tells Jacob Jarvis how swearing can stop pain, make us stronger and help us form closer friendships.
“Swearing does appear to make you stronger.”
“People are more disinhibited after swearing.”
“Swearing can be a social bonding tool.”
“You can enjoy a well placed swear word, can’t you? You can think, ‘That was skillful.’”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
China’s leader Xi Jinping is poised to smash precedent and take on a third term. But how has he consolidated his power? And what role have stringent regional Covid lockdowns played in him tightening his grip? Alex Andreou discusses this with Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute and regular contributor to the China in Context podcast.
“China’s lockdown policy has increased the ability of the communist party to gain control.”
“Xi likes the narrative that China is the only country to win the fight against Covid.”
“The Chinese government can’t accept that its vaccines are less effective.”
“China has a sort of health nationalism.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If talk of gilt markets, securities, and liabilities leaves you baffled – then fear not, we’ve got you covered. In just twenty minutes, Giles Wilkes, former economics special adviser to Theresa May and Vince Cable and now a senior fellow at the Institute of Government, explains to Alex Andreou what gilts are and why they are at the centre of the current economic storm.
“The gilt market has never reacted this badly to anything in my memory.”
“Interest rates play a billion roles in the economy…too many to point at one and say, it's better that it's higher.”
“Market confidence will be restored. Eventually. But serious damage has been done in the eyes of international markets.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Has France replaced the UK in the so-called ‘special relationship’ with the US? Journalist and European Research Fellow Rym Momtaz talks to Ros Taylor from Paris about the similarities between Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron, that awkward AUKUS moment over submarines, and why Macron might become the “Obama of France”…
“When Trump was President, Macron tried to set up a bromance.”
“It's a misconception that Democrats get along better with their European counterparts.”
“Macron is trying to be seen as driving the EU response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Trump, to Johnson, and Truss – are politicians really stupid? Or are they just pretending to be so that we’ll vote for them? Siân Pattenden delves into the state of our political psyche with Dean Burnett, neuroscientist and author of The Idiot Brain, to find out the science behind why we vote for stupid politicians.
“Calling politicians ‘idiots’ defangs them. It makes us feel reassured instead of terrified.”
“Sounding clever doesn’t connect politicians to the electorate.”
“Politics really suffers when it becomes the reserve of the rich and powerful, because it becomes a game.”
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why does Liz Truss think fracking holds the answer to our energy crisis when so many experts disagree? Will it blight our ‘green and pleasant land’ – or does it simply not work in Britain? Ros Taylor talks to Jon Gluyas, director of the Durham Energy Institute at the University of Durham, about earthquakes, flammable water and where our energy policy is going wrong.
“We have known fracking doesn’t work in the UK for decades.”
“We are global leaders in wind technology. So, let’s focus on that.”
“We need a well thought through energy policy, something we haven’t had for fifty years.”
“Offshore oil fields provide far more of an opportunity than onshore fracking.”
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a shock move, OPEC oil-rich nations cut back their production. Are we in for a 1974-style oil crisis? And has the Middle East just sided with Putin? Plus, the heroic protests in Iran where young women rebel after the killing of Mahsa Amini. At home: what next for Truss as she evolves from u-turns into donuts? And the end of the World Service as we know it. Special guest Dr. Julie Norman, associate professor in politics and international relations at University College London, joins us in The Bunker for high-level politics talk… and some big news about the podcast.
“With this move OPEC has laid down its cards with Russia – it’s a slap in the face to the US and Europe.” – Julie Norman
“What is so striking about the protests is it is fundamentally a women-led movement.” – Yasmeen Serhan
"If you spend a decade purging a party of moderation, you don't get one kind of crazy, you get loads." – Alex Andreou
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou and Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Truss’s tailspin of u-turns is due to continue as she tries to charm her MPs when Parliament returns. What more chaos with Liz can we expect this week? And, with peerages to be confirmed – what nasty surprises will end up in the Lords? Plus, we look at the latest from Ukraine as strikes hit Kyiv. Justin Quirk talks to Alex Andreou to plot out the days ahead.
“If Truss thinks she can ask the country to reward her to fix a problem she’s created, she’s getting really terrible advice.” – Alex Andreou
“They’re trying to make the tax cuts they already made add up…They are reaching a stage where they will have to start u-turning on them.” – Alex Andreou
“Liz Truss wants to avoid any by-elections because there’s no such thing as a safe Tory seat.” – Alex Andreou
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Presented by Justin Quirk with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The planet is burning. So does it make sense to pour billions (and tons of carbon) into space exploration? Or could it help solve Earthly problems – including climate change? On the eve of the first moonshot in 50 years, Tereza Pultarova of Space.com joins Andrew Harrison to weigh up the pros and cons of extraterrestrial research, from the space industry’s carbon debt to moon treaties, space junk and the coming turf war on the Moon.
“Space rockets often create mini-punctures in the ozone layer. It’s a big worry.”
“We are flying plants into space and hoping they will mutate and become drought resistant.”
“Incredible amounts of energy goes into avoiding the rubbish that now litters earth’s orbit.”
“China is flexing its space muscles, and the West can’t afford to fall behind.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why do we see so many political u-turns? What makes politicians turn 180 – and why are some so against it? After Liz Truss’s budget flip flop laid waste to the Thatcher comparison she dreamed of, Ros Taylor talks to Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University, about why we see such drastic changes of course in modern politics.
“U-turns are more likely because voters are now less tribal.”
“Journalists make a great deal of U-turns, mainly because they facilitate them.”
“Boris Johnson could make lots of U-turns because he didn’t believe in anything except himself.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
They are described as isolated, violent misogynists. So what draws men to the community of “incels” – or involuntary celibates? Do they hate women or are their reasons for rejecting sex more complex? Justin Quirk delves into the dark corners of the internet with William Costello, expert on the psychology of incels at the University of Austin at Texas, to find out how worried we should be about them.
“You have a supply and demand problem – a skewed sex ratio.”
“The sensationalising of incel violence is a worrying trend.”
“The term ‘incel’ first appeared on a lesbian forum in the late 1990s.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A home should be a sanctuary. But for many people, it means sharing a bed, worrying about whether you’ll have a roof over your head, or whether home ownership is even possible. Hashi Mohamed, lawyer and author of A Home of One’s Own, calls Ros Taylor from his home in Wembley, to talk about arriving in Britain as a child refugee, why the planning system is political, and how we can tackle the housing crisis and now.
“The planning system is perceived as a place where ideas go to die. But the reality is more boring.”
“Local politics just plays out through the planning system.”
“Your child won't get on the property ladder, your grandchild certainly won't. So how can you both worry about the housing crisis, and say 'not in my back yard'?”
“People don't understand that new houses in your area actually leads to the value of your property going up.”
“Housing has moved from the place where you lay your head to a pension fund.”
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Ones-Own-Hashi-Mohamed/dp/1800811268/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who has the new PM surrounded herself with – and how much power do they wield? Alex Rees is joined by columnist, Bunker regular and Westminster gossip maven Marie Le Conte to discuss the cosy coterie of hardcore conservative think tanks shaping her policy, and what it takes for a political obsessive to be by a minister’s ear.
“For junior roles, you need to prove your loyalty from the get-go, and only then are you rewarded.”
“Truss is the continuity candidate of Boris Johnson.”
“Truss is firmly from the small-state side of the party.”
“Think tanks have created a space where, in the long run, they can influence policy.”
Written, presented and edited by Alex Rees with guest Marie Le Conte. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After U-turning on their mini budget, do Kwarteng and Truss have a vision beyond lining their mates pockets? Plus, with mutiny in the ranks, including from general-election-calling Nadine Dorries, what’s the latest from the Tory conference? And, after Truss’s grilling on regional radio last week, we ask where would we be without local journalism? This week’s guest is Richard Hayton, associate professor of politics at the University of Leeds.
“The atmosphere at the Tory conference is weird, but everyone agrees Truss is either out or can’t get any lower.” – Marie Le Conte
“This is the first time I have seen the Bank of England rescue a government from its own policies.” – Andrew Harrison
“Truss tells a joke and painfully holds out for a laugh which is never coming.” – Marie Le Conte
“The good bit of Kwarteng’s speech was that it was very short.” – Justin Quirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk, Marie Le Conte and guest Richard Hayton. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kami-Kwazi pulls the 45p tax cut as the curtain goes up in flames at Tory Conference. Can Truss style this one out or is she already toast? Plus, what Putin’s criminal annexation of parts of Ukraine means; Bolsonaro does better than he expected in Brazil ; and is Britain finally rowing back from kneejerk Europhobia? Ros Taylor plots out the next seven days with Justin Quirk.
“This u-turn is a massive deal – it’s an embarrassment for all concerned.”
“Could Truss even persuade anyone else to be her Chancellor now? Except maybe Mogg…”
“This u-turn raises doubts about Truss’s whole raison d’être.”
“This Government will be on its knees and exhausted by the time it leaves power.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Written and presented by Justin Quirk and Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As surveillance becomes ever more sophisticated, should we be worried? From borderless security guards to Deep Fakes, what do we need to know about the changes to this technology? Jelena Sofronijevic is joined by Kirstie Ball, professor of management at the University of St. Andrews and Pete Fussey, professor of sociology at the University of Essex to discuss the possibilities and pitfalls in this developing digital realm.
“Surveillance is about power, so we really have to ask how that power is being wielded.” – Kirstie Ball
“The future of surveillance may look exciting, but it's often taking away rights in the name of convenience. It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.” – Kirstie
“Surveillance can really erode interpersonal trust.” – Pete Fussey
“It’s important to think about the mundanity of surveillance, because it's the boring stuff that will transform our lives.” – Pete Fussey
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The financial meltdown Truss and Kwarteng have caused has surprised even their greatest detractors. But seriously, just how bad is this? And is there any way to fix it – even if they wanted to? David Blanchflower, former member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, Dartmouth economics professor and author, joins Alex Andreou to discuss the situation.
“Markets prevent clueless amateurs doing stupid things… but nobody trusts you, nobody believes you, electorally it’s a disaster. Who actually supports this stuff?
“I have never seen such abject incompetence in my entire life.”
“We need sensible people back in the room asking, ‘What can we do to rectify the disaster they’ve created?’”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Speeches can make or break a politician – so, Liz Truss looks like she’s in trouble. What can she do to improve? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Dr. Henriette van der Blom, the founding director of the Network for Oratory and Politics at the University of Birmingham to discuss the art of political speeches and “deliver, deliver, deliver” some advice to the new PM.
“Truss’s inaugural speech was by far her worst.”
“Truss’s speeches have developed, but they haven’t become better.”
“Truss is appropriating Thatcher's image but the public will only believe her if she is seen as genuine.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Giorgia Meloni’s victory sparks concern across Europe, we discuss what you need to know about Italy’s new PM. How surprising, and worrying, is it that Italy has moved to the right? Alex Andreou is joined by Chiara Albanese, Bloomberg's Rome-based political correspondent, to explore Meloni’s track record and ask what kind of leader she’ll be.
“She is brushing off her fascist roots to appeal to more people.”
“She is woman, but she isn’t a feminist. This isn’t a victory for women.”
“The right are holding power because they are a coalition, but the Italian left is totally fragmented.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How did Viktor Orbán seize total power within Hungary – and what warnings should other nations take from his actions? Doomsday Watch host Arthur Snell is joined by Zsolt Enyedi, professor of political science at the Central European University, to unpack what lessons democracies should take from the Orbán era.
“The public treated the radicalisation of debate as a political gimmick, and now we are seeing the disastrous effects.”
“Orbán is stronger than he was a year ago, and is only getting stronger.”
“Orbán put in an enormous amount of money to change how people inside and outside of Hungary think.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The fiscal event of the year has caused the pound to plummet – what, if anything at all, are Truss and Kwarteng thinking? Plus, could Labour have chosen a better time to have their conference with the Tories in turmoil? We discuss Starmer’s vision for a future government. And, we ask what makes a truly great sportsperson after tennis star Federer’s retirement.
"There's no clever strategy behind it. They've just fucked it up." – Tom Peck
“The economics announcement left the pundit gang confused that WE didn’t know what the government was doing, but they had no idea the whole time.” – Tom Peck
“Every Tory leader thinks they’re a Phoenix, but the Tories have been in power for twelve years. It’s like shitting yourself, getting a haircut and blaming it on someone else.” – Ahir Shah
Starmer's problem is that he's facing young people who see radical solutions as the only solution." – Tom Peck
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Tom Peck. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mini-budget backlash has given Labour plenty of ammunition to use against the Tories as their party conference gets into swing. Just how bad have Kwarteng and Truss’s plans gone down? And what fallout can we expect? Plus, we look at the latest from Russia, as Putin’s draft faces widespread protests. And, we unpack the Italian election results.
“Despite efforts from right-wing client media, market reaction to this budget has been bad.” – Alex Andreou
“The one thing that stimulates growth is faith in the Government, and the markets don’t have it.” – Alex Andreou
“”The Ukrainian army has gained more equipment from Russia in the last week than from the West in the last six months.” – Alex Andreou
“When a vast majority turn against you in an autocracy, you tend to lose your head.” – Alex Andreou
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba
Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Some 75% of adults don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours a night – and one in seven survive on dangerously low levels of sleep. So are we facing a national, or even international, sleep crisis? Lisa L. Lewis and Oxford professor Russell Foster talk to Jelena Sofronijevic about our body clocks, circadian rhythms, and why sleep is revolutionary.
“Sleep is like shoe size. One size does not fit all.” – Professor Russell Foster
“The tired brain remembers the bad experiences, but not the good ones.” – Professor Russell Foster
“Some leaders think sleep is for wimps.” – Professor Russell Foster
“In China, sleep has been politicised. Some people are sleeping on the streets as a form of protest.” – Professor Russell Foster
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Time-Science-Revolutionize-Health/dp/0241529301
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleep-Deprived-Teen-Teenagers-Parents-Schools/dp/1642507911 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Weekend pop culture! Does Bowie mega-documentary Moonage Daydream do the Dame justice? Cult author David Keenan tells us about his astonishing, cryptic novel of occult hippiedom Industry of Magic And Light. And we’ve got big news for all listeners… plus a lot of new music, TV and movies to tide you over the autumn.
“My father was illiterate, but he could tell the most amazing stories. He had such faith in language and told me ‘You need to read, it’ll change your life’.” – David Keenan
“Making a film about Bowie without mentioning his prodigious intake of cocaine is a bit like mentioning Maradona without mentioning the football.” – Andrew Harrison
“Moonage Daydream doesn’t feel like a sellout or a museum piece. It’s designed to feel as real as it felt at the time, not set in amber.” – Sian Pattenden
“You should walk through art into life on the other side.” – David Keenan
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
Listen to five years of our past incarnation Bigmouth on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – or wherever you get your podcasts.
Our Autumn Almanack:
Jelena: Alvvays new album ‘Blue Rev’ coming soon. Los Bitchos on tour. Triangle Of Sadness movie. The Story Of Art Without Men book.
Andrew: Plaid new album Feorm Falorx coming in November. Star Wars: Andor is streaming on Disney+ now. As is the mind-blowing Marvel psychedelic epic Legion. And the spectacular Aussie comedy drama about crime and single dadhood, Mr Inbetween. Neil Gaiman completes his Miracleman story for Marvel in October.
Siân: Gilla Band new album ‘Most Normal’ coming on Oct 7 – and lots of it is here. Movies: Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling. Michael Flatley’s unmissable Blackbird. Synthgeek documentary A Film About Studio Electrophonique. And the underrated Atlanta with Donald Glover is on, yes, Disney+.
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison, Siân Pattenden and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to Ros eating insects in September 2021… Chances are you haven’t willingly eaten an insect. But two billion people are already bugging out on this sustainable source of protein. Could insects offer the perfect solution for our post-Brexit and pandemic supply chain problems? Entomologist Brian Fisher and Imperial College London’s Dr. Tilly Collins join Ros Taylor to chew on how we can change perceptions about insects in the West, how health clinics are battling for cricket powder, and why Welsh schools are already using mealworm mince in their insect bolognaise….plus Ros and Tilly snack on crickets live in the studio.
“With big animals, we only eat a bit of them. With insects, you eat the whole thing…” – Tilly Collins
“Insects are the glue that holds the world together… If we could introduce the Bacon Bug, everyone would love it.” – Brian Fisher
“Do you eat prawns? Why not eat a woodlouse?” – Tilly Collins
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Disputes over energy resources have become a key global issue. How is the way we consume oil and gas reshaping politics across the world? Arthur Snell, host of the Doomsday Watch podcast, is joined by Thijs van de Graaf, associate professor of international politics at the Ghent Institute and author of Global Energy Politics to discuss our changing energy sector.
“Oil consumption has peaked in the United States, Japan and Europe, the only way now is down.”
“We have kicked out oil from the power sector, something we have worked towards since the oil shocks of the 1970s.”
“The growth in oil pre-pandemic was petrochemicals and aviation, but now aviation has changed completely.”
“The war has changed everything, Europe is decoupling from Russia – shocks that will be felt for many years.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bidding wars, rent caps and queues just to view homes. What is going on with rented housing? Far from being a fringe aspect of housing used by students, it's now used by a significant proportion of our population. Ahir Shah is joined by Pete Apps, deputy editor at Inside Housing and author of forthcoming book Show Me the Bodies, on the Grenfell Tower disaster, to discuss navigating the lettings market.
“We are seeing a supply-demand perfect storm.”
“With house prices rising, most people really are trapped. They have no option but to rent at extortionate rates.”
“The private rental sector isn’t some fringe part of the economy only used by students, it's the main way that many house themselves.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Liz Truss has taken her robotic speaking style too far as she trundles around like a Dalek yelling “deregulate, deregulate!” What red tape are she and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng actually going to cut? Plus, we discuss the Overton Window of protest. Will tighter crackdowns on demonstrators persist as the mourning period ends? And, finally we discuss outdoor brand Patagonia’s owner giving away the company – what’s that all about?
“The focus on growth seems completely mad. We’ve had growth – but that didn’t lead to people being better off.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“The public has high expectations but the government is going to experiment with something that has been tried and failed.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“They think leaving money sloshing at the top will have a halo effect on the rest of the economy.” – Alex Andreou
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying this is the wrong time, but I’m not saying it is the right time to protest either.” – Alex Andreou
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Gavin Esler and Miatta Fahnbulleh. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Politics restarts as the Queen’s Funeral ends the mourning period. Liz Truss heads off to the UN Summit and Kwasi Kwarteng prepares his banker-fluffing Fiscal Event as the Government tries to reboot itself. Plus, we look at the latest from Ukraine, and the increasing pressure Putin faces for his miscalculations. Justin Quirk talks to Arthur Snell to lay out the days ahead.
“Truss has really struggled to live up to the historical importance of this moment.”
“I think with Kwarteng’s plans there’ll be plenty to criticise, but plenty more to chew over.”
“The Government just hasn’t been doing governing for the last week.”
“The UN agenda is going to be Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine.”
“China really doesn’t need the chaotic, pre-Westphalian world that Putin is trying to bring back.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Should we welcome artificial intelligence in healthcare – or is it the stuff of dystopian nightmares? Jelena Sofronijevic is joined by James Zou, assistant professor of biomedical data science at Stanford University and David Leslie, director of ethics and responsible innovation research at the Alan Turing Institute, to discuss the potentials of AI and the future of health.
"We're building AI to augment, not replace, doctors." – James Zou
"We need to work hard to create trust in health data sharing." - David Leslie
“Just as like how we as humans are not neutral, algorithms should also not be neutral” - David Leslie
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Weekend pop culture! We discover The Beatles’ new spruced-up ‘Revolver’ with Giles “Son Of George” Martin. Guest Will Hodgkinson of The Times extols the chirpy-chirpy glories of ’70s bubblegum pop from his new book In Perfect Harmony. And we check out A24 gore-fest Bodies Bodies Bodies and Netflix’s latest Korean import, Narco Saints.
“Revolver is a punk record. The Beatles played hard.” – Giles Martin
“Try writing a song as catchy as ‘Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep’ – it’s not easy.” – Will Hodgkinson
“When you listen to ‘Revolver’ you can hear the past, present and future of music.” – Siân Pattenden
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
Presented and produced by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With a new monarch and PM, Britain faces stark change. How will these incoming figureheads handle this? What will this mean for the future of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth? Historian Sir Anthony Seldon joins author and former BBC journalist Gavin Esler to discuss the turmoil we face.
“The United Kingdom is actually a relatively new concept.”
“The Monarchy, unlike Prime Ministers, embodies continuity.”
“If the call comes to become a republic, it will be hard for Australia to resist it.”
“The United Kingdom is actually a relatively new concept.” “We’ve lost a huge force which was holding the UK together.”
“We’ve almost forgotten there’s a new prime minister, in the wall-to-wall reporting.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Six months into the Ukraine crisis, are western sanctions imposed on Russia really working? Dr Richard Connolly, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, joins Ahir Shah to explain the economic war sparked by Putin’s invasion, the effectiveness of Western sanctions, and why this hidden conflict isn’t going as well as expected.
“Russia is quite happy to sell oil cheaply to friendly countries, not so much the West.”
“The Rouble is strong at the moment, but that doesn’t mean sanctions aren’t working.”
“Russia have been preparing for this, we have not.”
“Russia will get poor, but Europe will be getting a hell of a lot poorer because of the downgrading of energy relations.”
“Regime change is always implicit behind sanctions.”
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pubs are a cornerstone of British culture. But with increasing numbers closing, and a long winter ahead, what can we do to save them? Ros Taylor is joined by Michelin star chef and hospitality champion Tom Kerridge to discuss how pubs are under threat and ways they may change in the future.
"Even if pubs look busy, they are working to incredibly tight profit margins."
"As people have become more health conscious, they don't go to pubs during the day – so pubs really need to change."
"The days where pubs open at 12pm, turn on the fruit machines and wait for people to come are gone."
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign coincided with huge cultural and social shifts, so how did she respond to these changes? Following the Queen’s death, Ros Taylor is joined by Stephen Bates, former royal correspondent for The Guardian and author of Royalty Inc. Britain's Best-Known Brand to discuss changes seen in the Elizabethen era.
“The Queen had to be persuaded to do things, and then she went along with them.”
“The monarchy is very careful about its resources.”
“There was a huge backlash against the monarchy in the 90s, especially around them not paying tax.”
“The royals want to preserve the succession, so Charles will be a small c conservative king.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pageantry, pomp and poignancy have flowed in abundance since the Queen's death, while mourning has put democracy on ice. The panel unpacks the nation’s reaction – and tries to decipher what it all really means. Plus, the latest from the Ukraine counter-offensive, as it firmly appears the tide is turning against Russia.
“We rarely knew The Queen’s feelings on anything, a tough act for Charles to follow.” – Arthur Snell
“There has been a lot of self-policing, but as far as I can tell there has been very little McCarthyism around The Queen’s death.” – Marie Le Conte
“Truss’s speech about The Queen was really bad, but I have sympathy for her.” – Marie Le Conte
“Russia has had a terrible war, it’s a war they can’t even admit they’re in.” – Arthur Snell
Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell, Justin Quirk and Marie Le Conte. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the nation in mourning following the death of the Queen, what can we expect to happen in the next few days? A state funeral will be held next week, and hundreds of thousands are due to visit London. Elsewhere, we discuss the situation in Ukraine, and the counter offensive there. Plus, the Met faces scrutiny after the shooting of Chris Kaba by a firearms officer. Alex Andreou and Yasmeen Serhan lay out the week ahead.
“People seemed to be more shocked by how it had hit them, they perhaps weren’t expecting to be as moved as they were.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“It’s exposed quite how emotional the connection is to the monarchy, it’s a bond formed very early from childhood.” – Alex Andreou
“Liz Truss is going to be doing a lot in recent days, but the crises are not going to wait for a period of mourning to pass.” – Yasmeen Serhan
"You don't need to be a monarchist to understand the impact the Queen had." – Yasmeen Serhan
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Kwasi Kwarteng becomes Britain’s latest Chancellor, how much power really lies behind the door of No.11? Howard Davies, chairman of the NatWest Group and author of The Chancellors: Steering the British Economy in Crisis Times, joins Alex Andreou to discuss the influence of previous Chancellors, and the challenges facing Kwarteng as he takes his place at the Treasury.
“The treasury is unique in that it’s the only department not solely focused with spending Government money.”
“A good Chancellor will be prepared to stand up to the Prime Minister.”
“Sunak came into the treasury thinking Brexit was a good idea. That was a problem.”
patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
American society is in crisis, but can the iconic story Gone with the Wind explain the divisions ripping the US apart today? Professor Sarah Churchwell talks to Arthur Snell about her new book The Wrath to Come, which re-examines the controversial legacy of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, and what it tells us about American history and culture today.
“Gone with the Wind does reject the idea that war is romantic, that is where it’s more modern.”
“During the insurrection a white supremacist flag was carried in the US Capitol for the first time since the civil war.”
“Anyone outside of the US sees Biden as centre-right. In America he’s painted as a socialist.“
“Democracy in America hasn’t been achieved. It’s something we have to constantly fight for.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stop pinching yourself, this isn’t a bad dream – Liz Truss will be Prime Minister. She’s sworn she’ll deliver – but how? And will she stick to her campaign stances or, unlike her icon Thatcher, will she be for turning? Plus, we look across the pond and assess Biden’s new combative stance. From being set for a midterm wipeout, has the tide turned? - “Truss has a litany of things she has to deal with in a relatively short period of time.” – Yasmeen Serhan - “Truss is going to have a very modern work honeymoon – it’ll be one week long.” Yasmeen Serhan - “People that worked for Theresa May are saying Truss has an awful in-tray.” – Yasmeen Serhan - “We aren’t in for the most scintillating PMQs over the next two years.” – Justin Quirk https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Groundhog Day of the Tory leadership race is over and Liz Truss is due to become Prime Minister. Does she truly gasp the size of the task at hand? And is there any hope for competence in her Cabinet? Plus, more strikes and protests are due this week. And we take a look at the latest from the conflict in Ukraine. Arthur Snell lays out the week ahead with Ros Taylor.
“If you could think of the worst time to become Prime Minister, this would be it.” – Arthur Snell
“Even Liz Truss in a terrible economic climate will get a bit of a bounce.” – Arthur Snell
"You’d think she’d want to hit the ground running, instead, she’s just going to hit the ground, as she said.” – Arthur Snell
"Britain has reached that stage on the international arena, where we’re just the guy who’s going through a midlife crisis.” – Arthur Snell
“Liz Truss has said there will be no rationing of energy – that’s fine until we’re having blackouts later in winter.” – Arthur Snell
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Finally, it’s time to say it… Good riddance, Boris Johnson. With the egomaniac-in-chief due to leave Number 10, Ros Taylor is joined by LBC’s James O’Brien to pick through the wreckage. What will be his legacy? Could things have ever gone differently? Join us for a cathartic farewell to the man who wanted to be king – but failed resoundingly as Prime Minister.
“In terms of personal political performance Johnsonism is very similar to Trumpism. It’s opportunism devoid of conscience.” – James O’Brien
“It’s an absence of shame that I think defines him.” – James O’Brien
"He pursued monuments to his ego – like the Garden Bridge – but these also acted as distractions from his utter failures." – James O'Brien
"Even on his way out of the door, he's detonating explosives that will be felt for a generation to come." – James O'Brien
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop culture update: We are joined by Brett Anderson and Mat Osman of resurgent rock’n’roll noir institution Suede to discuss their upcoming new album Autofiction, how it feels to return to the delinquent racket of their teenage years, and life as music’s most literate band. Plus we armour up for Amazon’s new adaptation of Lord of the Rings, and the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, now well into its run on Sky.
“This is our punk record, not a punk record.” - Brett Anderson
“Every few years we have to burn it all down and start again.” - Mat Osman
“I wanted to make the rock record of a 55 year old man. It's not a record about the arrogance of youth, but the vulnerability of being middle aged.” - Brett Anderson
“I'm determined not to become comfortable and irrelevant.” - Brett Anderson
“I experience just as much anxiety as a 50 year old as when I was a teenager. The problems are just different.” - Brett Anderson
“When you're an audience member, you've got a role in the performance.” - Brett Anderson
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
Presented and produced by Siân Pattenden, Andrew Harrison and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to an episode from December 2020. BBC Radio producer and author of The Ex-Men: How Our Former Presidents and Prime Ministers are Still Changing the World, Giles Edwards talked to Ros Taylor about what ex-leaders get up to when they leave office. They discussed what happens behind the closed doors of members-only clubs – and how these ex-men (and women) still shape public life without us even knowing.
“You can get more done in fifteen minutes as Prime Minister than fifteen months as a former Prime Minister.”
“Clinton touched something in the Democratic Party soul that Obama didn’t.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 1970s is frequently referenced as a period of turmoil – and one we must avoid Britain returning to. But is our memory of the decade accurate? And why is it continually referenced by politicians and newspapers? Historian Lawrence Black, co-editor of Reassessing 1970s Britain, joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss why the era is so maligned.
“For better or worse, it was much easier to go on strike in the 1970s.”
“Thatcher won the political battles of the 1970s - but she lost the culture wars.”
“It’s in no political, or popular press interest to change the image of the 1970s.”
“There was a crisis in the political economy, for many the system just wasn’t working – and isn’t today.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Sting music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Additional sounds and music from Epidemic Sound. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Liz Truss set to be crowned Prime Minister – who will be in the backbench Tory cabal keeping her on her toes? What will they pressure her on? Plus, we assess how Boris Johnson and his fellow journalists-turned-politicians have warped the media during his time in office. And ahead of the return to school, we discuss what education changes we’d make. This week’s guest is actress, screenwriter and author Emma Kennedy.
“For somebody who’s said she’s going to stand up to Putin it’s strange Truss is scared of Nick Robinson.” – Emma Kennedy
“The list of Truss’s failures are extensive, I can’t think of anything she has done that has improved my life.” – Gavin Esler
“You can’t balance people who tell the truth with people who lie. The BBC has to take that seriously.” – Gavin Esler
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk with Arthur Snell and Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Energy saving tips roll in ahead of a coming bill tsunami – what cost of living omens await this week? Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has warned middle earners will struggle with payments, and broke with colleagues by suggesting that people limit their usage. Plus, the latest from Ukraine, amid a counter-offensive in the Kherson region. And, back home, further strikes are due to be held. Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan discuss the week ahead.
"It feels like there hasn’t really been much of a Government the last few weeks.” – Yasmeen Serhan
"You put people in this precarious position where they ask, ‘Am I going to heat my flat or put it towards other groceries?’” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Boris Johnson made a point wanting to stay on, but in that time it hasn’t felt like he’s wanted to lead.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“If you’re going to have a leadership contest this long, you need to have plans in place so government continues.” – Yasmeen Serhan
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Justin Quirk with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is failure always bad – or should we look at it as an essential on the path to innovation? Samuel West is the director of the Museum of Failure, which exhibits unsuccessful products and services from across the world. He speaks to Ahir Shah about how accepting when things don’t work out, being brave enough to fail and going through the dustbin of history.
“Most charities are terrified of failing at things - but the paradox is that if they don’t innovate they are probably doing the wrong things.”
“There are thousands of solutions - many of which will fail but we must take risks to answer huge questions.”
“Some CEOs keep projects alive through artificial respiration ,sometimes you need to know when to bail.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode was recorded prior to the Mar-a-Lago search affidavit being released on Friday... The FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort made headlines worldwide. What will the fallout be – legally and politically? Julia Azari, professor of Political Science at Marquette University, joins Justin Quirk to discuss what the raid means for Trump and US politics more widely, and why it has taken so long for the law to catch up with America’s 45th President.
“This has somewhat overshadowed the January 6th hearings.”
“How do we find political peace but also ensure people are equal under the rule of law?”
“Even if Trump is given the Nixon treatment, the debates around Trumpism won’t go away.”
“Even if the Republicans take control of Congress, this won’t go away.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our always-on digital world is changing how we read, which means it’s altering how our minds work. Literary critic Sven Birkerts, author of Changing the Subject: Art and Attention in the Internet Age, tells Andrew Harrison how the act of reading is fundamentally different when the printed word is just part of an ever-changing multiplex – and why the state reading puts you in is more important than the words on the page (or the screen).
“A book used to be an escape, but now the outside world is always insistently present.”
“It’s harder to get inside your own head when there is so much to escape from.”
“Audiobooks are fine but you can’t process a literary sentence at the speed of a voice.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listen back to an edition from our archives with The Bunker Gold. This week we’ve chosen an episode from April, 2020. It’s the end of the world as we know it and… some people are quite into that, it seems. Why are so many people so keen on the end of everything? What do doomsday preppers, alt.right catastrophists and billionaire plutocrat antidemocrats like Peter Thiel have in common? And is the communal response to COVID proving their worst ambitions wrong? We talk to Mark O’Connell – author of book Notes From An Apocalypse: A Personal Journey to the End of the World and Back – about the dark fantasy of the End Times.
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Electric cars have been sold as an answer to green, clean travel. But is the reality that clear-cut? Henry Sanderson, author of Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green, joins Ahir Shah to discuss whether they’re really a climate-friendly solution, resource mining and de-coupling energy reliance from China.
“A lot of green products mask dirty supply chains.” – Henry Sanderson
“China is present at all stages of the supply chains: from mine to processing.” – Henry Sanderson
“With mining resources - nothing comes for free.” – Henry Sanderson
“The DRC is the Saudi Arabia of cobalt – they know they have one chance to get this right.” – Henry Sanderson
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After replacing Angela Merkel at the end of last year, how is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s tenure going? Alex Andreou discusses the problems he faces with German author and journalist Annette Dittert.
“Scholz has come to power by imitating Merkel, by promising no surprises.”
“Scholz doesn’t seem to be able to make decisions when they need to be done.”
“He is coming from this old school, appeasement policy towards Russia.”
“People are still missing Merkel, Scholz cannot pull the EU together the way she could.”
“In such a time of crisis, there is just not room for populism.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All work and no play makes… the basis of Truss’s Thatcherite utopia. We unpack the likely PM-to-be’s “graft” remarks. Plus, six months since the invasion of Ukraine, how is the conflict shaping up? And, with the end of the £10 flight inbound, award-winning transport journalist John Walton joins us to discuss the future of the aviation industry.
“On Brexit, Truss will always be the great political half-and-half scarf.” – Tom Peck
“It doesn’t really matter what Truss believes in, because the main thing she believes in is herself.” – Tom Peck
“The dystopian leadership contest nightmare has been so bad that voters might even remember it in two years!” – Tom Peck
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Justin Quirk with Arthur Snell, Marie Le Conte and Tom Peck. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How will Russia react after the car bomb killing of a key Putin ally’s daughter? Is Ukraine set for intensified attacks, despite denying involvement? Plus, sewage spewed across beaches dirties the Government’s record further as the Tory leadership contest dribbles on. Is it too late for them to clean up their act and the country – even slightly? Gavin Esler lays out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.
"Just because you don't want to sound like Russian state media, doesn't mean there aren't conspiracies involved."
"You could do a decline of man cartoon from David Cameron to Boris Johnson."
"It's Armando Iannucci I feel sorry for. How do you satirise this lot?"
“The Conservatives seem to be keen on finding someone they think is even worse than Boris Johnson.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apparently, all you need is love – but why? What makes it fundamental to our survival, and why doesn’t heartbreak put us off it? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Dr. Anna Machin, an evolutionary anthropologist and author of Why We Love: The New Science Behind Our Closest Relationships.
“The reason we crave love is that it fulfils a fundamental survival need which is to meet other people.”
“Humans are the most cooperative species on the planet. That’s the basis of love.”
“To love at the cost of somebody else, while damaging for them, doesn’t harm you.”
“In the first weeks of a relationship, your brain can’t notice a bad partner. Love is blind.”
“There has to be an unpredictable nature to keep us on our toes.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop culture update: We are joined by the rhyme-nocerous himself, one half of Flight of the Conchords, Bret McKenzie! New Zealand’s finest joins us to talk about making music with the Muppets and the Simpsons, and his debut solo album 'Songs Without Jokes'. Justin Quirk joins to chew on Hot Chip’s new album, FREAKOUT/RELEASE and Bolton’s answer to Black Mirror, Red Rose, out now on BBC Three.
“I like the juxtaposition between sweet melodies, and saying the world is screwed.” - Bret McKenzie
“Winning the Academy Award was the one night that Hollywood felt glamorous and not depressing.” - Bret McKenzie
“FOTC was a student film production that just ended up on HBO.” - Bret McKenzie
“The Simpsons is almost the fabric of television.” - Bret McKenzie
“There’s always something about Hot Chip that feels a bit like an academic exercise to me.” – Justin Quirk
“Red Rose captured the duality between our lives online and our lives offline.” - Bret McKenzie
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to Arthur Snell’s discussion with one of his contacts in Afghanistan in the aftermath of Kabul’s fall in August 2021. Originally released a year ago today, the pair discussed what the situation was like after the Taliban’s astonishingly swift takeover–while the person, who we chose not to identify, was in hiding.
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
“Kabul has been left without anything.”
“Everything is closed down. You would think it is the Stone Age in Kabul. You wouldn't have seen this a week ago.”
“This was a win-win for Russia.”
“The Taliban have made fake promises to the international community. Of course they have not changed.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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When Greensill Capital collapsed it brought down a multi-billion dollar empire and exposed David Cameron's greed. Alex Andreou talks to financial journalist Duncan Mavin about the failed project, which is covered in his new book The Pyramid of Lies. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Lex Greensill was very good at understanding what motivated politicians.”
“Greensill Capital was trying to be disruptive.”
“David Cameron brought huge credibility to Greensill Capital.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Jacob Archbold. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As tensions between ethnic Serbs and Albanians rise in Kosovo – how will this situation develop? With fears over an escalating conflict in the Balkans, journalist Una Hajdari joins Jelena Sofronijevic to discuss the latest.
"Poisonous nationalist rhetoric is being spread by political leaders in Serbia, Croatia, and Kosovo."
"Putin is Serbia's ally, but he's accidentally advocating for Kosovo."
"Comparing past events to ethnic cleansing now leads to deadly incidents."
“Rhetoric can lead to isolated but deadly incidents.”
“Any time you hear a leader talking about expanding a country’s territory outside of its borders, you know that’s bad news.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Producer: Jacob Archbold. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The murder attempt on Salman Rushdie continues to reverberate. What does it mean for tensions with Iran – and for free speech? Plus, the economy’s in the toilet and the Prime Minister’s on a Greek beach. Will anyone get a grip of the cost of living crisis? And if TikTok becomes the dominant social media platform, how do we feel about China owning the arena of political debate? Our special guest is Helena Wadia of the Mediastorm podcast.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Iran’s capacity to stir up trouble remains. Even if they’re not responsible for this attack, they set the tone.” – Gavin Esler
“We usually equate emergency with urgency. Somehow that message didn’t get through.” – Helena Wadia
“The energy crisis feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back… A big shift has to come because the alternative is unthinkable.” – Ahir Shah
“Rushdie has a very wicked sense of humour. And some people, especially the very religious, don’t get the joke.” – Gavin Esler
“Didn’t Dominic Raab already prove that you can’t do your job from the beach? When Kabul fell?” – Ahir Shah
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk with Ahir Shah and Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coming up in the next seven days: The attack on Salman Rushdie continues to reverberate. Will Keir Starmer’s plan to freeze the energy cap burst Truss and Sunak’s tax-cuts bubble? And Trump’s worries mount as more details emerge of what the FBI found in Mar-a-Lago. Alex Andreou looks at the next seven days with Justin Quirk.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Sunak just needed to sit back and let Truss reveal herself for the idiot she is – but he blew it spectacularly.”
“When it comes to Trump zealots, you’re not dealing with logic but religious fervour.”
“It’s getting harder and harder for the government to call these strikers communist loons.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou and Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s 75 years since British India was split in two, but what does Partition mean today? Signalling the end of British colonial rule in the subcontinent, and leaving thousands dead and millions displaced – why are we not taught about it in schools? Ahir Shah discusses family histories and second generation identity with fellow British-Asian comedian Eshaan Akbar.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“All you are taught at school is: Henry VIII was a bit of a legend, then World War Two.” – Ahir Shah
“Wounds created in 1947 remained open and festering for decades.” – Ahir Shah
“You have these two senses of us in your head - I can’t believe WE did this to US.” – Ahir Shah
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Jade Bailey. Audio production by Jade Bailey The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop culture update: Does Netflix smash The Sandman only make sense if you’re a comics geek? Super-producer Danger Mouse’s return to hip hop leaves our panel “totally blown away.” And why does Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 leave such a nasty taste in the mouth? Music business writer Eamonn Forde joins Alex and Andrew.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Tom Sturridge as Dream has an incredibly striking look, like a terribly deprived version of Bernard from Black Books…” – Eamonn Forde
“Sandman puts a bunch of myths in a bag and shakes them.” – Alex Andreou
“This is a fantastic album… Danger Mouse has done Pop 101 for hip hop and just written bangers.” – Eamonn Forde
Get yer free opera classics: https://www.mariacallasmuseum.org/_cetra/cetra.htm
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to Jude Rogers in conversation with Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, from January 2021.
On the last day of Trump’s warped presidency, his niece Mary – psychologist and author of Too Much And Never Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man – reflected on the making of a man who impressed his psychopathologies on a nation. How does a person get like this? What is it like when a family member places the entire world in peril? And could a defeated Trump represent an even worse danger to American democracy?
“For the first time in his life he can’t spin a loss into a win. And it’s driving him crazy.”
“At a very deep level, Donald knows he’s never been truly successful and has no skills.”
“When Donald was elected I knew he would do to my country what he and his father had done to my family.”
“What shocks me is that there are people on this planet who are weaker than Donald. I didn’t think that was possible”
“In the election, if he was going down, he would try to take the rest of us with him. And that’s exactly what he did.”
“Failure to live up Fred Trump’s demands got you destroyed. And that’s what happened to my dad.”
“If the cameras disappear, Donald ceases to exist.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With workers on strike and services cancelled, why are Britain’s railways such a mess? And how can they be fixed? Tom Haines-Doran, research fellow at Leeds University and author of Derailed: How to Fix Britain’s Broken Railways, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the problems with the UK’s train system, and what needs to happen for our railways to get back on track.
“Once a new Prime Minister is in place we could see a lot more strike action take place.”
“The Government has deliberately shifted the cost of running the railways onto passengers.”
“It’s extraordinary the Government would put up prices 13% after a year of turmoil on the railways.”
“Railway workers really do have some power.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com and AlienXXX via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week has ignited tensions around the island, but why does China want to crush Taiwan? Cindy Yu, host of the Chinese Whispers podcast, joins Alex Andreou to explain the status of Taiwan, why Pelosi’s visit has angered Beijing, and how the situation could develop in the months ahead.
“If Taiwan declared independence they would incur the wrath of Beijing.”
“The national security law has made a peaceful reunification with Taiwan almost impossible.”
“If the West doesn’t want to get into a decoupling situation with China, it needs to be strong on Russia.”
“Xi has made it part of his legacy to reunite China with Taiwan.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Sunak and Truss argue over cutting taxes, what about emissions? Madeleine Cuff, i’s environment correspondent joins us to pick apart the pair’s climate credentials. Do they have any? Plus, healthcare commentator Roy Lilley takes us through what you need to know about the state of the NHS staffing crisis. And, as spiders are reanimated in an experiment akin to a David Cronenberg movie, we ask… why?
"The NHS has the biggest carbon footprint of any institution in Europe." - Roy Lilley "15% of the UK population takes 70% of its flights." - Madeleine Cuff “We should frame environmentalism as the militant wing of the National Trust” - Justin Quirk "Truss and Sunak's campaigns are simply fantasy island economics." - Justin Quirk "It’s really macabre. Some of the language around the utility of the spiders is quite stomach churning. They say they can get about a thousand 'repetitions' out of the carcass." - Madeleine Cuff
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the cost of living crisis bites, will this week’s Truss U-Turn be “handouts” or an emergency budget? Can the Mail nobble the Privileges Committee before it nobbles Johnson? Tensions rise over Taiwan and the Russians are shelling nuclear plants in Ukraine. Just another week, then… Alex Andreou looks at the next seven days with Jacob Jarvis.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“The Government has checked out – not just the ministers but civil servants too… Most departments are on skeleton staff.”
“Their whole goal is to pretend that this is a brand new Government – and that’s hard to do if your first months are consumed with the Partygate probe.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Come 2035, what will a trip away look like? Where will we visit when the planet is undergoing increasingly violent change? Siân Pattenden speaks with Tom Hall, vice president at Lonely Planet, about where our travel plans are headed.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Maybe the job of travel writers is different to what it was in the past. We need to have a range of voices.”
“People need different experiences and exposure to as many perspectives as they can.”
“I’m less convinced that the traditional idea of what a holiday is is what people need.”
“The enthusiasm for travel that doesn’t prick your conscience is really strong.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
Presented by Siân Pattenden. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop culture update: “Quentin Tarantino meets Agatha Christie” in Brad Pitt action comedy Bullet Train. Icon of the 80s Clare Grogan joins us for the first Altered Images album in 39 years, Mascara Streakz. And movie monster the Predator goes up against Native Americans in hyperkinetic prequel Prey, out now on Disney+. DJ and journalist Anthony Teasdale completes the panel. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Turns out that the 80s revival has lasted longer than the 80s themselves…” – Clare Grogan
“Bullet Train’s great fun… but the problem is, it’s got a never-ending ending.” – Anthony Teasdale
“I kept an emergency copy of Hong Kong Garden in my handbag… What do you mean you haven’t heard it? Play it now!” - Clare Grogan
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listen back to an archive Bunker from Jan 2022. London’s restaurants are now closing at nearly the double the normal rate as rising VAT, rent, and energy costs add to the weight of COVID, post-Brexit labour issues and supply chain shortages. Corey Mintz, author of The Next Supper, and Eater London’s Adam Coghlan joined Jelena Sofronijevic to chew on why haute cuisine is cooling off, whether takeaway food is really so democratic…and if COVID has called time on the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“Restaurants were told to diversify and prepare themselves for the rise of takeaways. But they didn't until the pandemic.” - Corey Mintz
“The major delivery companies in the UK are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable.” - Corey Mintz
“Today I discovered, ordered, and ate the food from a new restaurant within 30 minutes. Once you've tasted that, you can't go back.” - Adam Coghlan
“If you hired an architect to build a restaurant today, they'd ask you where you'd like the Instagram wall.” - Corey Mintz
“The £6k given to restaurants which closed over Christmas was mere chicken feed.” - Adam Coghlan
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With strike action in Britain set to intensify over the coming months, what is the state of our trade unions? Can they really force the Government’s hand over the cost of living crisis? Jane Holgate, Employment Relations professor at the University of Leeds, joins Alex Andreou to unpack what unions want, who supports them, and the challenges they face.
“Trade unionism is all about the imbalance of power in the employment relationship.”
“The Government is involved whether it likes it or not.”
“Google searches for trade union membership have increased dramatically.”
“Thatcher came to power with the purpose of curbing union power, voted in by millions from the working class.”
“Given the huge profits companies are making, what workers are asking for isn’t unreasonable.”
“If Labour wants to be the party of the working class then it must reflect their interests.”
“If you annoy workers enough then you’ll see productivity fall.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thatcher famously proclaimed that inflation is the parent of unemployment. But as shop prices soar, energy bills rocket, and interest rates rise, we’ve all become more aware of the everyday impacts of inflation. So how unique is the crisis we face now? Director of the LSE and former vice-president of the World Bank Baroness Minouche Shafik joins Ros Taylor to unpack inflation.
“COVID has caused upward inflation because of how it has affected global supply chains.”
“The Bank of England can only control the demand, not supply, side of the economy.”
“To get inflation under control, you have to have a period of restraint.”
“Inflation is a regressive tax on the population that hurts the poor most.”
“There's more room to grow in encouraging women in work.”
“Rich countries spend 10% of their income on food. Poorer countries spend as much as 75%.”
“The last time we had an economic crisis, we saw mass unrest.”
“The term recession is used very loosely. But regardless, we have a difficult year ahead.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Lionesses’ victory in the Euros inspires a generation of girls. Can it transform football… and society? Meanwhile Sunak flails to out-loon Truss. With popular culture pulling in one direction and a regressive Tory gerontocracy pulling in another, is there any space for a unifying national story any more? Historian Alex von Tunzelmann – author of Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Changed History – is our special guest.
“The Labour Party loves nothing more than hating the Labour Party… A fight between left and right has to happen every new moon.” – Marie le Conte
“No wonder Truss and Sunak are promising anything and everything. They are dealing with a membership of Home Counties mad bastards with an average age of ‘ghost’.” – Ahir Shah
“If you want to sort the two halves of Britain easily, just ask the question ‘Would you bring back hanging?’” – Alex von Tunzelmann
“Anyone who spends 24 hours in France while not being white will know that no, France is not better at decolonising than Britain…” – Marie le Conte
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Marie le Conte and Ahir Shah. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Reset the Years of Hurt Clock… England’s women bring football home at last. Have the Lionesses changed football forever? Meanwhile Rishi Sunak goes down in the most craven manner possible, Johnson aims to pack the Lords with cronies, and everything’s on fire. But never mind! The football! The football! Gavin Esler puts aside his Scottishness for a moment to revel in the pure joy of an historic victory with Andrew Harrison.
Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB
“As someone who is male, Scottish, and a bit jaded about football, the final restored my faith in the Beautiful Game.”
"Maybe male spectators will learn that booing the other teams’ national anthem isn’t a good look."
“The scandal is that we allowed Boris Johnson to happen… he is taking advantage of a system full of weaknesses.”
“There’s no such thing as Conservative values any more. They’re just what you say to make headlines.”
“The lasting legacy of the Johnson years is that you can say anything because no one believes that you mean it.”
Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On episode 666 of The Bunker, we’re talking all things Satan. Where does our idea of the Devil come from? And why are we so obsessed with him? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Erin Cülff of the Myth Monsters podcast and Dr. Michael David Barbezat, a research fellow at Australia Catholic University, to explore Satan in pop culture, from the snake in the Garden of Eden, via Dante’s Inferno and heavy metal, to a modern gay icon.
“Villains are always easy to work with in storytelling.” – Michael David Barbezat
“You see the Devil as an anti-hero in a lot of the stories we tell.” – Michael David Barbezat
“I think everyone likes a bad boy.” – Erin Culff
“Some of the business we see with devils and demons is also reinvention.” - Michael David Barbezat
“The Devil has been drafted to serve many functions of social control." - Michael David Barbezat
"Angels are hes, Demons are shes." - Michael David Barbezat
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop culture fix: Will Renaissance be a rebirth for Beyoncé? Amazon’s small-town sci-fi mystery Paper Girls, adapted from the cult comic – can it out-strange Stranger Things? And superior newsroom drama in The Newsreader, on BBC2 and iPlayer now. Telegraph TV critic Michael Hogan is our special guest. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469ef
“Beyonce records get freighted with sociopolitical weight, yet she's shrugged that off for a fantastic pop record.” - Michael Hogan
“Paper Girls has out-strangered Stranger Things.” - Sian Pattenden
“The Newsreader isn’t empty nostalgia. This is, Who remembers when work was like this, and it was awful?” - Andrew Harrison
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listen back to an edition from our archives with The Bunker Gold. This week, after Tory leadership hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss went head-to-head in fiery TV debates, we’ve chosen an episode from December 2021, Harsh Reality – How TV Shaped Modern Britain.
We treat TV as the most disposable art form – but for decades it has shaped our world more than we know. From Big Brother to Shameless to Little Britain and Benefit Street, television chose the winners and losers of consumer capitalism, made it OK to sneer at the underclass, and then allowed that underclass a token comeback or two. Author Phil Harrison explores television’s innate cruelty, class dynamics and political subtext in The Age Of Static: How TV Explains Modern Britain. Has TV made our politics worse? And should it just give up on live political interviews altogether?
“A show called Britain’s Hardest Worker pitted benefit claimants against one another. You wouldn’t have written that in a dystopian fantasy.”
“Maybe the BBC needs to be in that permanent state of conflict or it’s not doing its job of challenging what we think.”
“When Mentorn took over Question Time they promised ‘adrenaline-fuelled Thursday nights’. Is that the purpose of a serious news show?”
“Nadine Dorries as a kamikaze Culture Secretary scares the hell out of me.”
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
English football might be doing well on the pitch, but are we seeing the return of hooliganism off it? Since lockdown eased, there’s been a spate of incidents we thought had been left in the 1980s, so what’s going wrong in football at the moment? Professor Geoff Pearson of the University of Manchester joins Justin Quirk to discuss football’s crowd trouble problem, and what can be done about it.
“These are fans who’ve been in lockdown, hitting it a bit harder now they can go to football again.”
“The disorder seen at the Euros final was a perfect storm.”
“Ultimately, good policing is one of the main pillars behind managing football crowds successfully.”
“For the first time the Government is looking at the whole legislative framework around football. It would be nice to see an overhaul.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Covid cases on the rise in Britain, how worried should we be about its resurgence? Tom Chivers, science writer for the i, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the latest uptick in coronavirus cases, what we know about the new variants and the role Covid could play in our lives in the years ahead.
“Vaccines are significant when protecting against severe disease, but not reinfection.”
“The virus doesn’t have to change very much to avoid your antibody immunity.”
“We’ll still get the virus periodically, but our body will become better at fighting it off.”
“We’ve only had two winters of covid so far, by 2030 it may well become part of the normal cycle.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Truss and Sunak set out their economic plans, we discuss the viability of ‘Trussonomics’ and ‘Hedge Fund socialism’. Plus, what will the next Prime Minister mean for Britain’s standing on the world stage? And ten years after the London 2012 opening ceremony, our panellists look back on the last time the UK felt like a place to be proud of.
“Every time they talk about tax cuts, that’s less money for public services.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh
“Sunak talks a more credible game, whereas Liz is away with the fairies.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh
“Tory politicians don’t care what they do with power, they just want to get their hands on it.” - Tom Peck
“The only hope for the country now is Tory defeat in two years time.” - Tom Peck
“I can imagine the international reaction to Sunak and Truss is ‘who?’.” - Arthur Snell
“The opening ceremony projected Britain at its best. We’ve now fallen so foul of that.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell, Miatta Fahnbulleh and Tom Peck. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Tory leadership contest rumbles on as Sunak and Truss go head-to-head on TV. Who is destined to win out, and who is on the ropes? Plus, transport logjams at Dover and Folkestone look likely to repeat over the summer, a tentative deal to release Ukrainian grain is reached, and Monkeypox vaccines are rolled out across the UK. Justin Quirk and Alex Andreou set out the days ahead. Support us on Patreon for early ad-free editions, merch and more: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
“Tory members are risk-averse after the Johnson period of chaos, so my sense is they’ll go for Sunak.” – Alex Andreou
“The whole Government has checked out… They all know their jobs won’t last past 5th September and none of them care any more.” – Alex Andreou
“If you're planning on travelling, take a large lunch and a bottle to urinate into.” – Justin Quirk
“Everyone’s assessing the consequences of sanctions for Europe. Nobody’s assessing them for Russia – which are penury.” – Alex Andreou
Presented by Justin Quirk and Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What are young people talking about these days? And what do the unusual words they say mean? In a bid to understand Gen Z, Jacob Jarvis speaks with Olive Pometsey and Jade Wickes of The Face magazine to decipher the latest slang, and to ask how it comes about and why it’s so popular.
“What sets us apart is that we’re the first generation to grow up with smartphones.” – Jade Wickes
“Nothing is that serious, it’s all just self-deprecating humour.” – Jade Wickes
“At its core slang is just like a shorthand and it takes on a life of its own.” – Jade Wickes
“Everyone's blending together and that’s a very Gen Z thing, you want to be a bit of everything.” – Olive Pometsey
“The Gen Z humour is very ironic and dry and self-referential which is reflected in the slang.” – Olive Pometsey
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Paper Cuts: How I Destroyed the British Music Press and Nige Tassell’s surprisingly warmhearted indie odyssey Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids? Plus we bathe in the glow of euphoric 90s comedown music with ‘Fell From The Sun: Downtempo And After Hours 1990-91’.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listen back to an edition from our archives with The Bunker Gold. This week, after Britain recorded its highest temperatures on record, we’ve chosen Will We Be OK? Facing the Climate Emergency, first released in September 2020… Could there be cause for optimism on climate change? Do individuals have power over our planet’s future? Paul Behrens, author of The Best Of Times The Worst Of Times, tells Ros Taylor about the best and worst climate scenarios, why women’s rights are the key to a manageable future, meat, flying, renewables… and how to avoid falling into impotent despair about tomorrow.
“We might have been able to save ourselves with minor changes once. Now we need a complete overhaul in the way we live our lives.”
“The carrying capacity of a planet of carnivores is very different from a planet of vegetarians.”
“There’s a clear path from eco-anxiety to hope, through action.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Nicola Sturgeon’s fight for indyref2 continues, will she get the vote she wants or is she running out of road? What will Boris Johnson’s departure mean for Scotland’s First Minister? Gavin Esler unpacks these issues with journalist Iain Macwhirter, author of Disunited Kingdom: How Westminster Won a Referendum But Lost Scotland.
“Nicola Sturgeon has real problems in the party.”
“Sturgeon is going to turn the next election into a de-facto referendum.”
“Boris Johnson is the one Englishman you are allowed to hate, he’s extremely unpopular in Scotland - but of course he is gone now, and this poses a problem for the SNP.”
“Boris Johnson has been the SNP’s greatest recruiting sergeant.”
“Sturgeon is using this theatre of the courts to create more controversy in the run up to the next general election.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Gavin Esler. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic, Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Uber has transformed how we travel around cities – what do newly leaked documents tell us about its meteoric rise? The explosive ‘Uber Files’ give an insight into the tactics the taxi giant used to become a household name. Justin Quirk unpacks what these reveal with lecturer Dr. Jimena Valdez, who is working on the project Über-State: The Political Economy of Platform Capitalism.
“The three most striking things are: the utter disregard for the law, the connections to political power, and the very little value they attach to drivers - that they call them ‘supply’.”
"Suddenly, we feel like we can't live without our Ubers."
"Uber has become this tag for everything that is wrong, but it's tech companies more widely."
"Politicians and consumers thought that Uber was so cool, that it should be treated differently."
“This is part of the servant economy.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic, Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a heat-defying lo-fi edition, we discuss the latest blue-on-blue clashes as the race to replace Johnson comes to a head. Did a least-worst candidate emerge? We talk to guest Jamie Susskind, author of The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century about how to regulate the internet. And did those cosmic images from the Webb Telescope make us feel tiny and insignificant… or pretty damn important?
“The debates gave me a sinking feeling of despair… It’s just a bunch of angry people talking over each other” – Jamie Susskind
“The country’s entering a time of great crisis and the one thing we’re going to need is a Prime Minister with a grip.” – Jamie Susskind
“We don’t count or matter in the Conservative Party leadership elections.” – Gavin Esler
“It’s not a tenable position to be against net zero. Human-induced climate change is impossible to ignore.” – Yasmeen Serhan
Presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The heat is on in the Tory leadership contest. Two finalists are expected this week but could we even have a new PM by Friday? Plus, we look at what will happen in Parliament in the last days before recess. And, we brace for what could be the hottest day on record in Britain. Alex Andreou joins Andrew Harrison to chart the days ahead.
"The more I see the more depressing it gets.” – Alex Andreou
“I suspect Johnson will find a way to get out of his last PMQs.” – Alex Andreou
“It says a lot about Johnson’s fall from grace that nobody wants to be associated with him.” – Alex Andreou
“The momentum is now with Sunak, ironically the least ‘fresh start’ candidate available.” – Alex Andreou
“There’s a Tory hustings at 2pm in an unventilated room. Good luck with that.” – Alex Andreou
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Tory leadership hopefuls pledge tax cuts galore, we ask if this would make any sense. What impact would these moves have? What else could they do instead? Andrew Harrison speaks to Giles Wilkes, a senior fellow from the Institute for Government and former special adviser to Theresa May on industrial and economic policy.
“I suspect they’re hoping the Tory membership don’t have a memory of the 70s and 80s.”
“These people running for the leadership are thinking in a three month timescale.”
“It’s a terrible idea to pump money into the economy right now.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we listen to the force of nature that is Lizzo and her brand new album Special. Will it top 2019’s storming Cuz I Love You? Plus OFFICE POLITICA - film critic Linda Marric joins us to watch workplace drama The Good Boss movie with Javier Bardem directed by Fernando León de Aranoa. And BOO! We listen to Working Men’s Club’s second album Fear Fear. Plus we see Unstuck in Time, Curb Your Enthusiam director Robert Weide’s documentary about American literary icon Kurt Vonnegut.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Presented and produced by Siân Pattenden and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why have we been told there isn’t a magic money tree? And could such a thing actually exist? Alex Andreou discusses this question and unpacks modern monetary theory with L. Randall Wray, a senior scholar at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College who has authored several books on the subject.
“For a very long time we've had a view that finance is a scarce resource.”
“What we have is this belief that the Government is just like a household and it could run out of money.”
“There appears to be no limit to the private financial sector’s ability to layer up more debt.”
“Politicians are scared to death of inflation… politically, it is a huge issue.”
“We argue we should focus on resource availability and the public purpose.”
“The economy decides what the deficit will be – it takes two to tango.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
BMW, Volkswagen, Allianz and Dr. Oetker are all household names – but how did these German businesses get to be so wealthy? The reality of collaboration, collusion, and the active championing of Hitler and the Nazi regime – during World War II, and beyond – by corporations remains “happily ignored”. So how have global powers let them get away with it? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to financial journalist David de Jong, author of author of Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthiest Dynasties.
“The businessmen that I write about pressured Jewish businessmen to sell assets far under their value or there would be more dire repercussions.”
“The vast majority of Germany’s business community went through this very flawed legal process called de-Nazification. This saw millions of criminals get off scot-free for their crimes.”
“There were farcical legal proceedings that saw Nazi war criminals exonerated.”
“The allied thinking that they needed to have a financially West Germany also led to those businessmen keeping their assets.”
“Most of the characters in my book are sheer opportunists.”
“As we get further away from the atrocities of the Third Reich, this history is receding.”
“As consumers the bare minimum we should expect from these families is that they’re transparent.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Tory leadership hopefuls try to outdo each other on culture war clout and tax cuts, we assess the would-be PMs. Plus, with Big Dog turning lame duck, the panel looks at what Johnson might do in Downing Street until he is ejected from the building. And as Conservatives set out their stalls, who’s won the battle of the launch video?
“He wanted to be Churchillian and his tenure is one of the most embarrassingly short tenures.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Penny Mordaunt’s pitch is that she’s very telegenic, was in the army and voted leave.” – Marie le Conte
“Grant Shapps’ entire pitch is ‘you will keep your jobs if you vote for me’.” – Ahir Shah
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Ayesha Hazarika and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the nation heats up, so too does the Conservative leadership race. There are 11 people in the running so far, what can we expect from them? Plus, the nation’s economic woes continue – we look at what more turmoil is to come. And, could we see record-breaking temperatures this week? Ros Taylor is joined by Naomi Smith to lay out the days ahead.
"If I’m not maniacally laughing at the farce of it, I’m just depressed.” – Naomi Smith
“We’ve got Conservative leadership candidates all promising to cut taxes, so how are they going to fund their levelling up agenda?” – Naomi Smith
"New trade deals are not compensating at all for the trade that we’ve lost with the European Union.” – Naomi Smith
“I think we are running into a long hot summer of very hard times for families.” – Naomi Smith
"There are so many female candidates, and so many ethnic minority candidates, and yet everyone is right wing." – Ros Taylor
"Labour's never had a female leader, whilst the Conservative Party might have had three Prime Ministers." – Naomi Smith
"Whoever you want Penny Mordaunt to be, she can be." – Ros Taylor
"Tax cuts on certain groups have no impact on economic growth whatsoever." – Naomi Smith
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Johnson’s going and his emphatic collapse in office was no less shameful than expected. But historically, just how abnormal was it? Jacob Jarvis speaks with Rock & Roll Politics host Steve Richards to discuss endgames of the past and where the latest Prime Minister’s ranks in the grand scheme of things – all recorded immediately in the aftermath of Johnson’s Thursday speech.
“Johnson wants to be a Churchillian figure. Instead he will go down as someone who blew a big majority, and he will hate that.”
“When Johnson lost Javid and Sunak, I knew we were going to reach the end quite quickly.”
“When choosing a Prime Minister, you have to look beyond whether they can win an election.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
THOR BLIMEY! We talk about Taika Waititi’s latest Marvel creation Thor: Love and Thunder, starring Chris Hemsworth. Techno titans Paul and Phil Hartnoll of Orbital join us to discuss their retro-future-spective album 30 Something, plus the latest from London indie trillsters Superorganism, World Wide Pop. And we watch Sky’s new parenthood horror series The Baby. Where’s the kid come from, what’s he doing, and why is disaster never far away?
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“The Baby is right up our street. An evil baby killing people? That's funny.” – Orbital “Thor is the most metal Marvel movie yet.” – Andrew Harrison
Presented and produced by Alex Andreou and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hearings on the Jan 6th attacks have produced some of the most explosive testimony ever heard in Washington – and put Donald Trump in the frame for criminal activity. But what do they actually mean? And what will the fallout be? Dorian Lynskey talks to Julie Norman, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics, about the latest revelations and their potential ramifications.
“We are seeing a person who was not acting in the best interests of the country on that day.”
“I think you’ll start hearing more the question of electability among Republicans.”
“Most people who are watching this with an objective lens are actually quite impressed with what this committee has done.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the world looks to alternative sources of energy, are we ready for the growth of nuclear power? Do we understand the risk that comes with atomic technology? Historian and author Serhii Plokhy joins Arthur Snell to discuss his new book Atoms and Ashes: From Bikini Atoll to Fukushima, which looks at six nuclear disasters that shook the world, and the lessons we can learn from them.
“The history of nuclear disasters is very relevant to us today.”
“Every nuclear accident produces a pause in the industry as people get scared.”
“If we are not prepared to tolerate nuclear accidents then we have to look for alternative energy sources.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tory sleaze rumbles on as opera becomes a new frontier in the Culture War and Chris Pincher MP lives down to his name. We unpack the current political turmoil and the latest class row between Raab and Rayner. Plus, the reversal of Roe v. Wade prompts women in the US to delete period tracker apps. What does it tell us about Big Health Data? And as the Fred Perry polo turns 70, we talk about the politics of clothes. Our guest this week is tech journalist and author of Social Warming, Charles Arthur.
“I think it’s quite a safe bet to assume there will be another vote of confidence within a year of the last one.” – Marie Le Conte
“Codes of class are so nuanced in Britain, but if you haven’t grown up here it probably makes no sense.” – Justin Quirk
“I don’t think the Tories have ever been the party of upward mobility.” – Charles Arthur
“Every office in the country has a woman like Angela Rayner in it, but in Westminster she stands out.” – Justin Quirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie Le Conte and Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tory sleaze is in focus yet again – how will Boris Johnson handle the backlash this week? Amid the Chris Pincher scandal, can Number 10’s line on the matter stand? Plus, on July 4, we look across to the United States and the latest political fallout there. And what action is needed to tackle the rise in COVID cases? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to lay out the week ahead.
"There are a lot of allegations of sexual misconduct involving Tory MPs." – Alex Andreou
"There is a deep desire on the part of Number 10 to say, ‘This matter has been settled.’” – Yasmeen Serhan
"There are so many allegations facing the Conservative Party that you could start to think it was normal." – Yasmeen Serhan
"The Supreme Court has historically been seen as an ahistoric institution, but no longer." – Yasmeen Serhan
“You should brace yourself for running into COVID again." – Yasmeen Serhan
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
MPs are increasingly held in contempt by the public. How can Parliament improve its standing? Dr Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Government and author of Held in Contempt, joins Ros Taylor to discuss what’s wrong with the House of Commons, and how Westminster can repair its reputation in the wake of recent scandals.
“It only dawned on me over the decade I worked there how Parliament wasn’t a normal workplace.”
“There’s a small minority of MPs who don’t treat staff well, and there are no consequences for that.”
“Most people don’t have much idea of the difference between Parliament and Government.”
“The Prime Minister’s main job was to tell the country the rules, if he didn’t understand them he should’ve sorted that out.”
“Society has changed a lot, but the Palace of Westminster hasn’t.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop-culture update: Russia hacks the UK in C4’s The Undeclared War. Does the drama bring the software to life? My Life As A Rolling Stone: new takes on Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie? And where’s Bill? Plus we talk to Lord Chancellor of chillout William Orbit, and V**gra Boys’ “brilliantly stupid” new album stands proud against cave-dwelling conspiracists.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“It's terribly difficult to dramatise hacking and counterhacking…” – Sian Pattenden “Cave World is like being on motorway with all the traffic coming towards you.” – Sian Pattenden
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Britain entering a new era of crisis? And what can we learn from the previous ones? Phil Tinline, author of The Death of Consensus: 100 Years of British Political Nightmares, talks to Dorian Lynskey about the previous occasions when Britain’s ruling consensus broke down, and if current turmoil will force us to change course once again.
“When it comes to political futures, we always think of the worst-case scenarios.”
“The nature of consensus is that it is a messy compromise.”
“There are things Labour is now prepared to advocate because it has lost four general elections.”
“In America there is such a consensus on support for Ukraine, perhaps more than most European countries.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The rise of online clothes shopping has also led to the rise of the return. What actually happens to the items we send back? In the last year, 51% of British shoppers sent back items they purchased online - but these goods don’t always end up back on the shelves. Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Dana Thomas, European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, host of The Green Dream with Dana Thomas, and author of Fashionopolis, and Dr Mark Sumner, Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion at the University of Leeds.
“Fast fashion is like fast food. We consume it quickly, then we're hungry for more.” - Dana Thomas
“Most brands work hard to get clothes refurbished and back on sale.” - Mark Sumner
“Just because it's more expensive, doesn't mean it's more sustainable.” - Mark Sumner
“I'm an advocate of fast fashion - which might seem perverse, as a sustainability lecturer.” - Mark Sumner
“There is a whole generation of fashion brands that are strictly online.” – Dana Thomas
“Luxury brands will try and retain exclusivity by burning stock, by throwing stock away, ensuring nobody can use those returns.” – Mark Sumner
For more, listen to The Bunker Daily: Wild Wild Waste — How the West litters the world with Ruth Michaelson.
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fashionopolis-Price-Fashion-Future-Clothes/dp/1789546060 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Does the fallout from last week’s by-elections show that Boris Johnson is losing touch with reality? Plus, the panel explore what the G7 Summit means for the conflict in Ukraine, how the Supreme Court ruling on abortion will affect American women, and why RMT leader Mick Lynch is the left’s latest pin-up.
“The world's two oldest parliaments are in Iceland and the Isle of Man. Neither have anything to do with the Magna Carta.” - Arthur Snell
“The whole property market is so out of whack that a treehouse to get little Wilf on the ladder might not be a bad thing.” - Ahir Shah
“Johnson has escaped once again, but his problems are far from over.” - Yasmeen Serhan
“Since 2016, America has been embarking on the great backslide.” - Yasmeen Serhan
“It's not theories and ideologies that are clashing here, but fundamental world views.” - Yasmeen Serhan
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell, Ahir Shah and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the US Supreme Court strikes down abortion rights, what does the ruling mean for women in America? The fallout from last week’s by-elections and rail strikes continue, where next for the Tories? And G7 leaders meet in Germany this week, with Ukraine, climate change and food security on the agenda. Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to set up the week ahead.
“Abortion access being limited doesn’t stop abortions, it stops safe abortions.” - Naomi Smith
“The right to abortion now sits with state legislators.” - Naomi Smith
“Johnson will cling on, it now depends on if the cabinet move.” - Naomi Smith
“400 million people rely on Ukrainian food supplies, the world will not see an end to rising prices any time soon.” - Naomi Smith
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Justin Quirk with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week is a little bit special, as we are joined by Andrew and Siân live from Glastonbury 2022! Keeping it strictly music, we went along to see Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic Elvis, with our special guest Linda Marric. Could we not help falling in love with it or did we get the G.I. blues? And, staying with the festival theme, Jelena and our producer Jade head to Margate Dreamland Leisure Festival, to catch up with its organisers and line-up stars HighSchool. Was the rollercoaster more highs than lows?
“The trailers for Elvis are quite bland and dead. They do the film a great injustice” - Alex Andreou
“I think Austin Butler was born to play Elvis” - Linda Marric
“Elvis is the apex of Baz Lurhmann’s artistic style” - Jelena Sofronijevic
“The film really tries to tell a wider story of US consumerism in music” - Jelena Sofronijevic
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b Presented and produced by Alex Andreou and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Geoff Dyer talks to Dorian Lynskey about his career and new book The Last Days of Roger Federer: And Other Endings. In this, he examines the matter of final performances and pieces, through the tales of artists, sportspeople and writers. The pair also discuss how Dyer’s work takes shape, and how he reflects on his own writing.
“The sense of not being ideally qualified to write about a subject has been quite enabling for me.”
“Write the book only you could write is the mantra I repeat.”
“Some genre defying stuff now feels a comfortable genre in itself.”
“I think I’ve managed to turn the lack of a readership into some sort of freedom.”
“If you can turn your weaknesses into some kind of strength, that’s a very happy outcome.”
“The writing life has gone hand in hand with the continuation of my self-education.”
“If you're able to engage the reader's curiosity and interest they’ll keep on reading.“
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Days-Roger-Federer-Endings/dp/1838855742 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can China control what its authors write as tightly as President Xi might want? Writers have found dazzling ways to sidestep the “literary president”’s clampdown on free expression. China expert and Times book desk veteran Megan Walsh tells Andrew Harrison how the Chinese are reading everything from world-beating subversive science fiction… to lurid pot-boilers with titles like ‘My Dangerous Billionaire Husband'… to anarchic works of online fiction that often run longer than the Bible. What does it tell us about the world’s rising superpower?
“Xi Jinping has put himself forward as literary president.”
“People don't think that fiction from authoritarian regimes is worth reading… but they’re wrong.”
“Chinese readers are very good at reading between the lines.”
“We expect Chinese writers to always be political, but that’s not always why people write.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you heard this podcast before? Or are you experiencing Déjà vu? Catherine Loveday, neuroscience professor at the University of Westminster, joins Alex Andreou to explain the strange sensation that you've already experienced something, even when you know you never have, and why for some people it can become a serious problem.
“Déjà vu is the conflict you feel when you don’t remember something but feel that you must.”
“The feeling of familiarity helps us find our way in the world. When it goes wrong it can be quite disturbing.”
”Our brains are fantastic prediction machines.”
“Déjà vu is a temporary aberration of our memory system.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From ethics to Northern Ireland to the ECHR to a mysterious disappearing story about his wife’s job prospects, Johnson is mired in legal and culture war battles. But why doesn’t anything stick to the PM? Plus, rail strikes: this is the age of the strain. And as Internet Explorer bows out, what are our fondest memories of the early Internet? Law and policy commentator David Allen Green is this week’s guest.
“I don’t think law is a particularly lefty profession, but the work lawyers do is being politicised.” - David Allen Green
“The only reason the Government tried to force this through was performative cruelty.” - David Allen Green
“If you’re younger than 50, there isn’t that reference point that Labour equals strikes.” - Justin Quirk
“I’ve decided to start calling this the Procrastination Madness Government.” - Marie Le Conte
“The Government wants to create division and it wants the strikes to go ahead.” - David Allen Green
“I remember the internet being a tool for checking false claims. That hasn’t quite worked out…” – David Allen Green
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Justin Quirk and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With 1970s-style strikes due this week, what can we expect the fallout to be? The Conservatives are trying to shift blame anywhere it might stick, while they also face tests in two by-elections. Plus, we look at the Ukraine latest and unpack France’s election results. Andrew Harrison is joined by Gavin Esler to chart the week ahead.
"We’ve had 12 years now of Conservative government. Are we any better off?” – Gavin Esler
"We are under government by slogan.” – Gavin Esler
"Boris Johnson might be Nicola Sturgeon's greatest weapon." – Gavin Esler
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Music education in the UK is in a perilous place, with the largest cuts in spending per pupil for 40 years, falling teacher recruitment numbers, and huge drops in GCSE and A-Level uptake. With a new National Plan for Music Education imminent, will it be enough to ensure music matters? Jude Rogers talks to Chrissy Kinsella, Chief Executive of the London Music Fund, about transforming under-served communities, if learning tunes are really less important than science and tech for career prospects, and why some people still think music is more a luxury than a necessity.
“Classical music will always be full of elite, old, white people unless we change it.”
“The problem always is and always will be funding.”
“Wouldn't it be amazing if every primary school had a music teacher?”
“We often focus on academic attainment, but we should also be celebrating music for the joy of music.”
“There's such a lack of joined up thinking from central government.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your pop-culture update: Is the MCU’s first Muslim superhero saga Ms Marvel really a cape-fest or a family comedy in disguise? Will Baltimore crime drama We Own This City match up to its creator’s classic creation The Wire? DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy serves up a Balearic breakfast and on the 40th birthday of ABC’s Lexicon Of Love, guest Clark Collis helps us choose THE greatest albums of all time. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“I had to have three vodkas before seeing The Joker. And four afterwards.” – Clark Collis
“Defining Balearic is like trying to define jazz…” – Cosmo
“I can very much empathise with not wanting to go to Comic Con with your parents…” – Clark Collis
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You can’t discuss Turkey’s politics without mentioning its strongman president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. What does he want? Gonul Tol, founding director of the Middle East Institute's Turkey program and author of the upcoming book Erdoğan’s War, talks to Alex Andreou about Erdoğan’s journey from reformer to autocrat, how his 19 years in power have changed Turkey, and what the future holds for the country and his leadership.
“When Erdogan came to power in 2002 he was a different man, or so he said.”
“Erdogan appealed to segments of the country that would traditionally be reluctant to support an Islamist leader.”
“Institutions do not matter in today’s Turkey.”
“Turkey is a problematic partner for the West, but important in the Ukraine crisis.”
“If Turkey held free and fair elections today, Erdogan would lose.“
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who decides the value of a piece of art? And how do they come to their conclusions? In May, Andy Warhol’s 'Shot Sage Blue Marilyn' sold at Christie’s for a record £158 million, making it the most expensive painting of the 20th century – but it is merely the biggest wave in an international tsunami of art sales. Jelena Sofronijevic speaks to Mary-Alice Stack, Chief Executive at Creative United, and Erling Kagge, polar explorer, former politician, and author of A Poor Collector's Guide to Buying Great Art, to discuss placing a value on creativity.
“The price is reflective of the market, not the value of the artwork.” – Mary-Alice Stack
“Now, we don't talk about art, we talk about the art market,” – Erling Kagge
“Art fairs are the least best place to buy an artwork.” – Mary-Alice Stack
“There was a time when galleries felt like the preserve of the moneyed classes.” – Mary-Alice Stack
“There's a sense that if you need to ask the price, you can't afford it.” - Mary-Alice Stack
“Fantastic art is being made every day.” – Erling Kagge
“The auction houses are competing against themselves.” – Mary-Alice Stack
“What matters to artists is the creation of the work in the first place.” – Mary-Alice Stack
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://uk.gestalten.com/products/erling-kagge-buying-great-art Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The disappearance of British reporter Dom Phillips and indigenous people’s campaigner Bruno Pereira has shown how serious the threats to journalists in Brazil are. It appears that the worst fears of Dom’s family may be true and he and Bruno will not be found alive. In tribute to a former colleague of ours and a brave and formidable reporter, here is the podcast that Dom made with Dorian Lynskey in May 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic. It has not been edited. To donate to Dom and Bruno’s families please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dombruno-missing-in-the-amazon-rainforest Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We assess our Groundhog Day Government’s self-imposed Brexit drudgery and unconvincing housing plans. Will the NI protocol wrangling ever end? Are Johnson and his Cabinet of calamity trying to divert from other problems? Plus, we unpack the various aspects of America’s gun violence problems. And, we unpack new cigarette and vape regulations – is the end of smoking nigh?
“If you believe this is going to solve the housing crisis, come walk with me over the Garden Bridge.” – Gavin Esler
“Some of this is just a desperate Boris Johnson trying to come up with clever wheezes.” – Arthur Snell
“This is an English nationalist government." – Gavin Esler
"I could give up avocados and frothy coffees and I still wouldn't be able to afford a house." – Yasmeen Serhan
“When you kill journalists, you kill the truth.” – Andrew Harrison
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell, Gavin Esler and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government is courting controversy again with deportations to Rwanda to take place and more NI protocol drama. As legal wranglings continue, deportation flights are due to depart on Tuesday. What will happen next? Plus, as the cost of living crisis worsens, will there be any tangible moves to deal with it? Justin Quirk is joined by Alex Andreou to chart the week ahead.
"I think the Home Office will manage to get that flight to take off, even if it just has two people on it.” – Alex Andreou
"These are emergency moves to ground the flight, not stop the process." – Alex Andreou
"Johnson is so weak that any lever he pulls will damage his position in the party." – Alex Andreou
“There is a really hard year coming ahead.” – Alex Andreou
“The chaos we are experiencing right now is in part deliberately confected.” – Alex Andreou
"How can you claim that the legal mechanism never works if you've never tested it?" – Alex Andreou
"Some will claim that Ukraine is trying to use the emergency to bypass the traditional accession process." – Alex Andreou
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Justin Quirk with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We refer to measurements almost constantly – but are we truly aware of the power they hold? And why do we accept these rigid measurements of time and space? Ahir Shah speaks to James Vincent about his book Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement, which looks at how we came to define dimensions.
“We still have a flexible approach to measuring time.”
“You get a lot of measurements that are taken from the human body for example.”
“Over time central authorities take the control to define units of measurement.”
“If we couldn’t measure, we couldn’t trade, we couldn’t build cities and we couldn’t do scientific research.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We Super Troop down to East London to witness the ABBA VOYAGE live experience. Have any of us been the same since we saw it? Legendary founder of folk rock titans The Waterboys, Mike Scott joins us to talk about about new album All Souls Hill, plus the importance and history of working men’s clubs with Beer Boffin Pete Brown. And FINAL CUT - we watch Swan Song, an indie pic about a retired hairdresser who must undertake the most important hairdo of his life.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Presented and produced by Siân Pattenden and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/clubland-how-the-working-mens-club-shaped-britain-pete-brown?variant=39584522010702 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has shone a spotlight onto Russia’s oligarchs. How does the Kremlin exert influence over them? And with sanctions beginning to bite, what does the future hold? Catherine Belton, Russia reporter for the Washington Post, talks to Nick Cohen about the Kremlin’s iron grip on Russia’s elite, and her own run in with oligarchs over her book Putin’s People.
“The state propaganda machine can’t cover up the level of casualties forever.”
“Putin has an inferiority complex. He needs the external trappings of wealth to believe he is Number One.”
“UK newspapers shy away from reporting on these individuals because they know the legal costs are high.”
“These oligarchs are hostages to Putin because he has a monopoly over court decisions.”
“The Yeltsin tycoons have seen 30 years of empire-building undone in one fell swoop.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Nick Cohen. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Netflix’s share price plunged after it announced the loss of 200,000 subscribers in Q1 of 2022. What has gone wrong? And how can the platform get people subscribing again? Alex Hern, Technology Editor for The Guardian, talks to Justin Quirk about why Netflix’s growth turned static, and what the streaming service should be doing to get viewers back onboard.
“This is a company and an industry that expects subscriber numbers to go up.”
“The reason Netflix lost those subscribers is because they pulled out of Russia.”
“Other streaming services are now able to compete in areas where Netflix was once miles ahead.”
“A service with adverts could help Netflix recover some market share.”
“Many households don’t even know they have access to Amazon Prime”
“I don’t see a painless way out of the hole Netflix has put itself into.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Johnson has clung on to power, but with 148 Tory rebels voting against him how long can he continue as leader? What’s next for him and the Conservative Party? In a late-night recording, the panel assess a dramatic result. Plus, Romeo Kokriatski, co-host of the Ukraine Without Hype podcast, shares the latest from Ukraine amid concerns the war is turning in Russia’s favour. And, after the Jubilee festivities, the panel discusses British eccentricity and the future of the Monarchy.
“It comes back to a fundamental personality problem about Boris Johnson.” – Marie Le Conte
“The booing came from what Johnson could have reasonably expected to be a home crowd.” – Justin Quirk
“The enormous elephant in the room is that a large part of your party has essentially tried to eviscerate you.” – Justin Quirk
“From the country’s point of view, Johnson staying on is disastrous.” – Justin Quirk
“If they keep promising this gigantic reshuffle, who is going to move in order to make space?” – Marie Le Conte
“The bigger issue is that there is a total policy vacuum.” – Justin Quirk
“Things will have to change, the Monarchy will have to change.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“There’s a huge space now for Labour to just say very explicitly, ‘What is it that you actually like about this country?’” – Justin Quirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ayesha Hazarika, Marie Le Conte and Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After being jeered over the Jubilee weekend, will Johnson now be jilted by his party in a no confidence vote? With this due to be held on Monday evening, how will the results play out? Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell give their thoughts as they tee up the week ahead. Plus, they ask what’s next for the monarchy after the weekend’s celebrations, discuss the Ukraine latest and cast an eye over the Atlantic.
“We will know by the end of today whether or not Boris Johnson has survived this round of attempts to get him.” – Arthur Snell
"Surviving a no confidence vote doesn't mean surviving as PM, as Theresa May can tell us." – Arthur Snell
"It wasn't breaking the law in Downing Street, or any other scandals, but being booed at the Jubilee." – Arthur Snell
“Johnson is somebody who will cling on to the absolutely last moment possible.” – Arthur Snell
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pulitzer Prize-winner Margo Jefferson tells Dorian Lynskey about her wide-ranging career as a critic. She discusses shedding light on the lives of everyone from Tina Turner to Michael Jackson, being the first Black woman book critic at Newsweek, and writing on race, class and gender at the New York Times. They also discuss her new book, Constructing a Nervous System, and ask can you ever separate art from the artist?
“We're all curating our personal cultures.”
“Classical music will always be full of elite, old, white people unless we change it.”
“The problem always is and always will be funding.”
“Wouldn't it be amazing if every primary school had a music teacher?”
“We often focus on academic attainment, but we should also be celebrating music for the joy of music.”
“There's such a lack of joined up thinking from central government.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602237/constructing-a-nervous-system-by-margo-jefferson/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we move into virtual surroundings able to be anywhere, anyone or anything, how will that affect our minds? As the line between online and offline fades further, we look at how our personalities could shift across spaces. Dr. Alison Attrill-Smith, head of psychology online at the University of Wolverhampton, joins Alex Andreou to discuss the potential psychological impact of the metaverse.
“We've had iterations such as second life, and every time something new establishes itself there seems to be a flocking to it.”
“Who goes online will depend on what they're wanting to achieve.”
“Everything in psychology is about goals and what people want to achieve.”
“There's loads of research that shows that people project online the persona that they aspire to.”
“Whether we'll be able to replicate real life interaction in the digital landscape is really debatable.”
“The Proteus effect happens when people project their online persona offline.”
“We’re already moving towards a world where digital access is a right, whether that becomes a human right, I'm not sure.”
“To some extent we are already living in this virtual world and the metaverse is just an extension of that.”
“I like to think that virtually reality has actually increased acceptance of who we really are.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production and original music by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do you know the world is real? How do I know I’m real? As virtual worlds expand, our concepts of reality warp. NYU philosopher David Chalmers – author of Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy – talks to Ros Taylor about the etiquette of virtual living, why video game characters deserve moral rights, and how we can know what we think we know.
“Simulated beings could end up outnumbering non-simulated beings. So the odds that YOU are simulated could be high…”
“If we’re living in a simulation, all this is still real – and our lives are still full of meaning.”
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/reality-virtual-worlds-and-the-problems-of-philosophy-9780241320716/9780241320716 https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic, and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production and original music by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can you enforce laws in cyberspace like you can in the real world? Facebook, now Meta, has struggled to moderate its massive platforms for over a decade, battling with national governments over how it should be regulated. Now, it's preparing to be the biggest player in a new arena - the Metaverse. Lorna Woods, professor of Internet Law, joins Ros Taylor:
“The one thing we can say about the metaverse, is that it won't be what we think it is.”
“Have we thought about how this service can be misused? Rather than sitting in a phase of techno-optimism about the whole thing.”
“The transient nature of the content might be good, as you won't have those long shadows cast over you.”
“If we want to see this freeing capacity of the metaverse then we don't want to be tied to one identity.”
“We're going to have to think more broadly about how we're going to safeguard.”
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Alex Rees. Original music by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What would a normal day look like inside the metaverse? When would we plug in, and would we ever switch off? Charles Arthur, former technology editor of The Guardian and author of Social Warming: The Dangerous and Polarising Effects of Social Media, joins Ahir Shah to talk about the upsides, downsides and the practicalities of striking a virtual to real-world balance.
“The day in the metaverse will be a lot of meetings, a bit like zoom.”
“Travel might be a lot better than slogging through a train and people generously giving you their colds.”
“Well, everything gets used for work and porn in the end.”
“We’ve all been on Twitter, everyone's all mouth and no trousers.”
“Maybe everyone will want to wear their headset all day long and sit in little cubes.”
“Where we start to blend the real world and cyber, is augmented reality, which is where you put on glasses and you have an overlay for the real world.”
“How much extra value will you get from a metaverse meeting over a zoom meeting? If that gets unlocked, then it'll all start happening.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We explore whether Rishi Sunak’s cost of living package is enough to address the long term hardship faced by millions. Or was it yet another political manoeuvre amid Tory turmoil? Plus, we unpack the issues faced by democracies across the globe with our guest Yascha Mounk, political scientist and author of The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure.
“If Johnson can make it to the long summer break, where MPs have weeks away, that might allow people to calm down a little.” – Arthur Snell
“I think the really difficult economic stuff is going to be next winter. It goes from something you worry about to something that fundamentally changes the way you live your life.” – Arthur Snell
"The government has a tendency to respond too late." - Yasmeen Serhan
“A lot of discourse would be improved if people were forced to watch one focus group per week.” – Yascha Mounk
“You make better arguments when you know what your opponent means as well.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“I would distinguish between the angry minority and the majority of people.” – Yascha Mounk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees, with research by Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With yet another party allegation, how will the PM deal with another twist in this neverending scandal? With a further inquiry being called for – how might this play out in the coming days? Plus, America’s gun debate remains at the fore across the Atlantic. And in Northern Ireland, can Stormont break the deadlock and nominate a speaker? Alex Andreou talks to Naomi Smith about what we can expect to happen this week.
“Apparently people are beyond accountability now.” – Naomi Smith
"It doesn’t look like we’re heading anywhere to where the gun lobby doesn’t have a vice-like grip on American politics.” – Naomi Smith
“People are suffering from all sorts of things other than Brexit in Northern Ireland.” – Naomi Smith
“Businesses are crying out for visas to be handed out to people with all skills and none.” – Naomi Smith
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Africa is made up of 54 different countries – so why is it so often talked about as one singular place? Dipo Faloyin, a senior editor at Vice and author of Africa is Not a Country, joins Jelena Sofronijevic to discuss the continent’s diversity and how that’s been erased in everyday discussions. What led to the condensed view of today and how can we properly engage with the region?
“People would rather see the entire region as a singular monolith, instead of a region that can be anything.”
“Too many people have grown up with this idea of Africa as a singular monolith.”
“Often when we talk about Africa we look at it from 1,000 miles up in the air or we look at it through the lens of safari, and that isn’t the reality for people on the ground.”
“It’s always just so sad to hear that people when they think of Africa they see it as a problem.”
“It’s hard to get people to see Africa in a different way when they’re still bombarded with images of babies with flies around their head.”
“The most important thing is that we start to see vast stories of success, failure, love. That’s something that’s really missing across the pop culture landscape.”
“The history of Africa is also the history of the UK.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 years after the original, Tom Cruise returns for Top Gun: Maverick, plus we don our parkas as we listen to the new album from Liam Gallagher, Come On You Know. Legendary music writer and broadcaster Paul Morley, joins us to talk Island Records, Factory Records, and ALL records, and we get comfy in our nests, to watch the latest major Sky adaptation of The Midwich Cuckoos. And Jelena heads out to the Southbank Centre to speak to International Booker Prize shortlister, Mieko Kawakami. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b Presented and produced by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic and Elina Ganatra. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Islander/Chris-Blackwell/9781982172695
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monkeypox has hit the headlines with its spread in Europe. What is it? How do we deal with it? And should we be worried? With people on high alert to illnesses due to COVID, we unpack the differences and put context around what’s really going on. Dr. Charlotte Hammer, a fellow in emerging infectious diseases at Downing College Cambridge, explains the virus to Jacob Jarvis.
“Monkeypox actually does not come from monkeys, it comes from rodents in central Africa.”
“The symptoms are pretty unspecific. A fever, backache and muscle pain, progressing onto a rash are all common.”
“In medical terms, monkeypox is a mild but unpleasant disease.”
“At the moment, there is very limited risk to the general population.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As scientists seek extraterrestrial life, what would we do if we actually found it? How would we manage first contact, and could we even communicate with aliens? Franck Marchis, a senior planetary astronomer from the SETI Institute, unpacks the prospect with Andrew Harrison – and the idea aliens might already know we’re here, but we’re too boring for them to care.
“The most important question is intelligent life.”
“This discovery will not be a big surprise for a lot of humans on this planet.”
“If we find a civilisation slightly more advanced to us, maybe 100 years, they may be much more intelligent in terms of technology.”
“We may not see them because perhaps their technology is invisible to us.”
“We have been visible as a civilisation for at least 100 years, so they know we are here if they have slightly better technology.”
“I believe that there is microbiological life everywhere, but the key thing is the I in SETI - intelligence.”
“It's obvious if you analyse our planet that there is a civilisation there.”
“Maybe the future of our civilisation is purely mechanical or technological rather than biological.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Prime Minister is caught red wine handed, we discuss the crises facing Britain alongside the partygate furore. We unpack the further issues looming as the cost of living situation goes from bad to worse. Is there an end in sight? Plus, why do we still pay so much attention to newspaper front pages? Lord Peter Ricketts, former national security adviser and ambassador to France, is this week’s guest.
“I don’t know why you would bring someone along to photograph your crime.” – Ahir Shah
“The only reason I can see for the Government not introducing a windfall tax is that it’s Labour’s idea.” – Ahir Shah
“It’s always popular with the Tory right to cut the Civil Service.” – Peter Ricketts
“There’s one person who sets the culture in Government and that’s the Prime Minister.” – Peter Ricketts
“The world is beset with a whole series of different crises.” – Peter Ricketts
“Those who are going to carry the blame for this are the civil servants, they’ve been lined up as scapegoats here.” – Peter Ricketts
“We’ve got a very rocky few years ahead.” – Peter Ricketts
“The frontpage is a news outlet's way of signalling to its readers what they should be paying attention to.” – Yasmeen Serhan
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees, with research by Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sue Gray’s final partygate report is due, meaning a long week ahead for Boris Johnson. What can we expect it to contain? Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis continues to deepen. Is a windfall tax on energy companies inevitable? Plus, we discuss Australia’s new Prime Minister and the latest from Ukraine. Justin Quirk is joined by Alex Andreou to tee up the days ahead.
“It’s damaging the Government all the time because it has reversed all their soft ratings.” — Alex Andreou
“The charge of dishonesty is really difficult to get out of.’ – Alex Andreou
“A windfall tax is entirely logical.” – Alex Andreou
“Scott Morrison's loss is a blow to Johnson's government." – Alex Andreou
"The notion that you're a shyster getting away with stuff sticks with the public." – Alex Andreou
Presented by Justin Quirk with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
NEW PODCAST: In a brand new 6-part series, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey explore the histories of the most misrepresented ideas in politics. Here’s a taster of the first episode: McCarthyism. Was it really a crusade against communists or just a grifter’s opportunity that got out of hand? How did a witch-hunt morph into a way to denounce any critic, no matter who? And did Joe McCarthy really write the rulebook for Trumpism?
Get the full episode here: https://kite.link/OS1McCarthy Back Origin Story on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/originstorypod
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Jade Bailey and Alex Rees. Music by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Blows to the head are commonplace in a range of sports – why do the risks often go unspoken? What happens to the brain when athletes take these knocks? Alex Rees speaks to Hana Walker-Brown about her book A Delicate Game: Brain Injury, Sport and Sacrifice, in which she chronicles degenerative brain disease, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, and the tragedies which have gone under the radar.
“There are things that are changing, but they’re changing very slowly.”
“The rules need to come from above and be implemented.”
“It’s important to note, concussion is a brain injury.”
“To consider that sport might have to change gets people’s backs up.”
“There’s something about the thrill of watching people get hurt.”
“The brain needs to be protected.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by TBC. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pop culture roundup: Can we plumb the depths of Kendrick Lamar’s dazzling, disturbing Mr Morale & The Big Steppers? Has Harry Styles squared the teen idol/suave-pop circle? UK hip-pop talent Murkage Dave joins us. The songwriting genius of Michael Head. And Night Sky, an Amazon drama about the portal to outer space in Sissy Spacek’s back garden. Really. Journalist Johnny Davis of Esquire and The Face rounds out the panel.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic and Elina Ganatra. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Authoritarian leaders are dominating 21st century politics. How did this new generation of strongmen rise to power? Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times, joins Nick Cohen to discuss his new book The Age of The Strongman, which covers the rise of the modern-day dictator, and what their leadership means for the world.
“There was always going to be a backlash against the ‘end of history’ way of doing things.”
“With the West having gone through the financial crisis, it wasn’t hard for China to say ‘we are the future’.”
“For the key period of getting Brexit done, Boris Johnson did follow the strongman tradition.”
“If Putin had won a quick victory in Ukraine, it would’ve been a huge boost for the strongman ideal.”
”Trump changed the rhetoric of America. He embraced Putin’s arguments.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Nick Cohen. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Eleven of the fifteen postwar Prime Ministers went to Oxford. How did their privileged upbringing change the U.K? The FT’s Simon Kuper talks to Ros Taylor about how the entitled atmospheres of Oxford and Eton shaped modern Britain, detailed in his latest book Chums.
“Boris Johnson was probably the best known person at Oxford in his day.”
“It’s a great advantage in politics to have a recognisable brand, and Eton encourages that.”
“Johnson learnt all his debating tricks from the Oxford Union.”
“The problem with being Prime Minister is you have to offer substance, and Johnson can’t do that.”
“Daniel Hannan is the Karl Marx of Brexit. He is one of the most important figures in British history.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We look at the Government’s culture war push as people are told to just work harder to beat the cost of living crisis. What bargain bin policies are being used to shift attention from the hardship so many are facing? Plus, as those struggling are told to budget their way out of poverty, we look at the ludicrous money saving advice being dished out. And finally, the panel marks the end of the iPod. Freelance writer and columnist Hannah Fearn is this week’s guest.
“All politicians, no matter how charmed, reach a point where their luck runs out.” – Justin Quirk
“A lot of aspects of poverty have been rendered invisible.” – Justin Quirk
“What I find weird is Britain's fetishisation of poverty.” – Marie Le Conte
“Any government that doesn't care that children are growing up in poverty shouldn't be a government.” – Hannah Fearn
“People are thinking about how to feed their children, not the Brexit election strategy.” – Hannah Fearn "
“Blaming Brexit for what's happening at home won't cut it.” – Hannah Fearn
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees, with research by Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Finland and Sweden look to join Nato, we unpack the latest from Ukraine as Putin faces consequences for his invasion. How will the Russian leader react amid signs of defeat? Then at home, we discuss the latest Brexit wranglings over the Northern Ireland protocol. Plus, questions of Keir Starmer’s leadership persist. Is he really in trouble? Ros Taylor is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to tee up the week ahead, and glance back at the weekend’s Eurovision contest.
“Ukraine has exceeded people’s wildest expectations.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Putin has created a larger and more attractive NATO.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“With the protocol it feels like we are back in 2019 again.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“I was primed for the UK to not win any points because that’s what I’d been told always happens.” – Yasmeen Serhan
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Biden’s poll ratings have been underwater for months. What is the state of his presidency? Dorian Lynskey speaks to Dr. Thomas Gift, founding director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics, to discuss the Democrat’s tenure so far. Is a Trump rematch on the cards, and could Biden win again? And if not him, could anyone else come to his party’s rescue in 2024? Plus, what will the prospect of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade mean for the Democratic leader?
“If I look at the democratic field right now, I can't see a very deep bench.”
“If Trump does run again it becomes less of a referendum of the last 4 years, and more about who voters prefer - Trump or Biden?”
“There have also been factors outside of Biden's control that have contributed to his low polling numbers.”
“The notion of Trumpism, and what this represents, is just so strong.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
This year’s Eurovision is upon us – but is it full of Boom Bang-a Bangers or a bit of a Waterloo? Linda Marric and Michael Hogan join us to chew on this year’s line up, and new albums from Florence and The Machine AND Radiohead offshoots The Smile, and Conversations with Friends, the latest Sally Rooney adaptation from the BBC
Plus, you wait years for a Multiverse and then two turn up at once - we wrap our minds around new reality-bending epic Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, and chat to directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels.
Join Siân’s Eurovision Live Draw here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Sian-Superman-livedraw More What Does Eurovision Mean To You? here: https://twitter.com/sturdyAlex/status/1524695837078654976?s=20&t=EuEE-DWL0IZmrA1KU6mN0g
“Scott Mills is like a really bad Graham Norton tribute act and it shouldn’t be allowed.” – Michael Hogan
“How often do we see a film being taken in by younger generations, with a heroine over 40?” – Linda Marric on Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
“I was cracking my knuckles, expecting to get into it and shred it to pieces, but it's annoyingly good.” – Michael Hogan on Dance Fever
“It tasted exactly how you would expect a cocktail with 2/3 Radiohead and 1/3 Sons of Kemet would taste like.” – Alex Andreou on A Light for Attracting Attention
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do we talk to radicals and terrorists who are bent on reshaping society through violence? Charlotte McDonald-Gibson was at Brussels Airport during a terror attack in 2016, and wanted to understand what drives people to such acts. She joins Justin Quirk to discuss her book Far Out: Encounters With Extremists, where she finds out what lures people into fringe groups.
“The human emotions that lead people to these groups are universal across ideologies.”
“Everybody in the book was under 25 when they went through that radicalisation process.”
“The feeling of alienation remained the same, whatever the circumstances were.”
“Self-radicalisation happens online now.”
“We can’t ignore people who’ve been drawn to extremist beliefs.”
“I don’t think we’ve seen the full impact of COVID on extremism.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://granta.com/products/far-out/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the prospect of Roe v. Wade being overturned, we unpack the movement against abortion rights in the United States. A leaked draft Supreme Court decision indicates the landmark decision is set to be struck down – what would that mean for American society? Iowa-based writer Lyz Lenz joins Ros Taylor to discuss how the country reached this moment of reckoning, and what could happen next.
“Since 1973 we have seen a slow erosion of the ability to access abortion services.”
“There has been a Conservative plan to appoint judges that would overturn Roe v. Wade.”
“The justices are pushing a minority viewpoint in overturning Roe v. Wade.”
“Other rights could be up for debate, such as the right to gay marriage.”
“A lot of Americans were very comfortable and thought this day would never come.”
“Being able to access the pill saved my life and my career.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What was spicier, Starmer’s curry or its aftermath? We discuss the Labour leader’s standing and his bluff-calling gamble. Plus, who were the real local election winners and losers? Then, as the cost of living bites, the panel unpacks just how out of touch the Government is with working people. Jamie Driscoll, the Labour Mayor of the North of Tyne, is this week’s special guest and Belfast-based journalist Amanda Ferguson also drops in to unpack the Northern Ireland assembly results.
“People don’t trust Johnson, but there is also an element of them not trusting anyone at all.” – Jamie Driscoll
“Labour are one-nil up at half time, but the Tories might be about to take their captain off.” – Jamie Driscoll
“Two million people had to skip meals last month, but here we’re talking about a guy having a curry.” – Jamie Driscoll
“The scenarios aren’t all good for Keir Starmer, but they are good for Labour.” - Marie Le Conte
“What people want is some hope, they want a way out.” – Jamie Driscoll
“I heard Boris Johnson is cutting back and he’s only going to have silver wallpaper now.” – Jamie Driscoll
“The alternative to saying ‘try own-brand products’ is telling people ‘you’re on your own’.” – Ahir Shah
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Ahir Shah and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brexit tensions spike in the wake of Northern Ireland’s assembly elections – what will come of the fallout? Plus, Putin is to address Russia on the nation’s Victory Day – how will he look to reframe his ongoing invasion of Ukraine? Then, back at home, the Queen’s Speech is due this week. Andrew Harrison is joined by Gavin Esler to tee up the days ahead.
“This has all been done as part of Boris Johnson’s Brexit derangement syndrome.” – Gavin Esler
“If you really think Boris Johnson has built 40 hospitals, then come walk with me over the Garden Bridge.” – Gavin Esler
“Starmer didn’t go to Durham to have his eyes tested, like somebody else.” – Gavin Esler
"Culture wars are about creating, not solving, problems." – Gavin Esler
"Putin's regime is rotten to the core." – Gavin Esler
“It would be hardly surprising if whatever Putin says is a pack of lies.” – Gavin Esler
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
News of Elon Musk buying Twitter has enraged some users – but what could he actually do with the platform? Could he break it in the ways some fear? Alex Andreou is joined by Charles Arthur, former technology editor of The Guardian and author of Social Warming: The Dangerous and Polarising Effects of Social Media, to discuss what the billionaire tech mogul might do with the site.
“You have to distinguish between the Musk you see on Twitter and the one who's in business.”
“Twitter does have enormous value to it, but no one has found a way to extract that value.”
“Don't listen to what he says, watch what he does.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In our pop culture roundup: Does the new Dr Strange go a multiverse too far? Reunited Deutsche electro legends xPropaganda join us as our special guests. New albums from sophisticates of seediness Soft Cell and the Smiths you can dance to, Dubstar. And does Mike Myers’ conspiracy comedy The Pentaverate hit the spot? And Katie Puckrik of The Word fame joins the panel too…
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“You need a PhD in Marvel to understand what’s going on in Dr Strange – but luckily I have one.” – Andrew Harrison
“This is the best album Dubstar have made. The production is perfect and feels timeless.” – Siân Pattenden
“I absolutely love this xPropaganda album. I’ve been listening to it non-stop.” – Katie Puckrick
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You may have heard of China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, but what actually is it? And what are Beijing's underlying motivations? Jelena Sofronijevic speaks to Eric Olander, co-founder and managing editor of The China Africa Project, and Raffaello Pantucci, a co-author of Sinostan - China’s Inadvertent Empire, to uncover the truth about Chinese economic investment abroad.
“The BRI, in many respects, is like a Rorschach test, where you can see anything you want into it.” - Eric Olander
“If you had to boil it down to one central idea that defined the BRI, I'd have to say connectivity.” - Eric Olander
“The BRI is China's way of expressing its foreign policy.” - Raffaello Pantucci
“China's saying, let’s all just make money together. And underlying that, there’s an idea that has worked at home, that if we can make everyone rich and prosperous we can all get stability.” - Raffaello Pantucci
“What bothers me a lot about the discourse surrounding Belt and Road, is that we take all the agency out of the host country.” - Raffaello Pantucci
“China looks at Africa in far more political terms than economic terms.” - Eric Olander
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the Tory tractor bogged down in scandal, can diversion tactics help them at the local elections? We look at the latest Westminster sleaze and whether Boris Johnson’s party is set for a reckoning. Plus, we cast an eye to Russia and unexplained explosions amid their invasion of Ukraine. And, with an open call for new emojis – what does our panel think is needed? This week’s guest is Daily Mirror senior political correspondent Rachel Wearmouth.
“The expectation management from all parties is insane.” – Rachel Wearmouth
“The briefings are all just ridiculously dramatic.” – Rachel Wearmouth
“They’re supposed to be the party of law and order, the Tories, and the Prime Minister broke the law.” – Rachel Wearmouth
“I think Labour will win Wandsworth and that will be the story.” – Rachel Wearmouth
“There is this feeling that ‘they’re all as bad as each other’ and that could cut through.” – Rachel Wearmouth
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk and Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees, with research by Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We assess the latest political rumblings as local elections loom. How will the latest scandals sway public opinion? Will the results be a litmus test of Boris Johnson’s campaigning clout? Plus, certain news outlets’ obsession with Angela Rayner and Keir Starmer, the PM’s upcoming address to Ukrainian parliament and cast an eye to Supreme Court controversy in the United States. Alex Andreou and Yasmeen Serhan tee up the days ahead.
“It’s going to be a performance review on both leaders.” – Yasmeen Serhan
"The local elections will be a big stress test for the Conservatives." – Yasmeen Serhan
"The Conservatives are more vulnerable to lose in cities." – Yasmeen Serhan
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Someone has to pick up the pieces after a disaster. What’s it like to deal with the aftermath of a catastrophe? Siân Pattenden talks to Lucy Easthope about her new memoir When the Dust Settles: Stories of Love, Loss and Hope from an Expert in Disaster. Lucy has been first at the scene of countless major crises over the last twenty years, from 9/11 to the Grenfell fire. She discusses planning for emergencies, and her belief most of the world's tragedies can be prevented.
“I'm not letting people off the hook, disasters are often a source of state or agency failure, and they can be prevented.”
“Grenfell was a return to those dark days, it was a systemic failure that never should have happened.”
“Fukushima was the first time I really saw proper fear in my colleagues' eyes.”
“I am a child of the indomitable city of Liverpool, where tragedy and activism are wired into the blood.”
“Austerity really does start to bite on a service that people don't know about.”
“The world has always been perilous.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/lucy-easthope/when-the-dust-settles/9781529358247/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ahead of the local elections, we look at the key political battles across Britain. Could a bad set of results force Boris Johnson out? Sir John Curtice, politics professor at the University of Strathclyde and BBC election night expert, joins Ros Taylor to discuss what to keep an eye on, and who the likely winners and losers might be.
“Not all of the England is voting, and that is crucial.”
“If Boris Johnson had to pick a set of elections to defend, this would be it.”
“The Lib Dems principle challenge is to hang onto what they’ve got.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees and Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our pop culture roundup. This week, time twists in new Apple TV+ thriller Shining Girls with Elizabeth Moss. How hip hop producer J Dilla turned music itself inside out. New cosmic explorations from electronic explorers Röyksopp. And much more. Breakout star of British science fiction Adrian Tchaikovsky is our special guest.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Start reading Adrian Tchaikovsky with Dogs Of War. Buy Dan Charnas’s Dilla Time. Watch Röyksopp’s ‘Profound Mysteries’ films here.
“This is science fiction music.” – Adrian Tchaikovsky on Röyksopp
“I have no idea where it's going to go, and I absolutely love it.” – Andrew Harrison on Shining Girls
“German hip-hop music videos are having a renaissance of really bizarre, innovative visuals.” – Adrian Tchaikovsky
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Atrocities in Ukraine have sparked calls to prosecute Vladimir Putin for war crimes. Could that happen? Dr. Maria Varaki, lecturer in international law at King’s College London, talks to Alex Andreou about what constitutes a war crime, and the complex system of international courts that could bring the Russian president to justice.
“Civilians have immunity from targeting, but in Ukraine they have been targeted.”
“Crimes against humanity can be committed both in peacetime and wartime. This is a major difference with war crimes.”
“What’s going on in Mariupol where civilians are trapped, this is an indication that some war crimes might have been committed.”
“The Ukrainians were extremely active in collecting evidence from the very first moment.”
“This war, like every war, is a victim of disinformation and misinformation.”
"We have to be realistic, but I would expected arrest warrants to be issued.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emmanuel Macron may have defeated Marine Le Pen – but that doesn’t mean France’s far right is finished. Where is the nation headed now? Emile Chabal, author of France, dials in from the country’s south to talk to Ros Taylor about why some Brits are so fascinated by the French President, what’s next for his defeated rivals, and what became of the gilet jaunes protests.
“I struggle to imagine a far right in France that isn't attached to the name Le Pen.”
“The gilets jaunes movement has evaporated.”
“The French are very demanding when it comes to their politicians.”
“It's better to think of Mélenchon as a unity left figure, despite himself.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.amazon.co.uk/France-Polity-Histories-Emile-Chabal/dp/1509530029 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s panel show out early for Patreon people…
What’s worse about the Mail’s attack on Angela Rayner? The sexism or the clumsy vindictiveness? Plus, Macron squeaks the French presidential election. Should we think twice before ordering Deliveroo? And exactly what sort of country is Britain becoming?
Political journalist Moya Lothian-McLean – who’s written for Gal Dem, the New York Times, the BBC, The Guardian and VICE – is our special guest for the week.
“If Basic Instinct is your sexytime reference, I mean, come on. I’m getting a strong Alan Partridge vibe from this story.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“We’re in the age of cut and paste politics. They can’t even write their own excuses any more.” – Gavin Esler
“We depend on the good chaps theory… but we haven't got good chaps in government.” – Gavin Esler
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika and Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In France Emmanuel Macron has won again. What challenges will he face in his second term? And what does the result mean for Britain and the rest of Europe? Meanwhile, the UK continues to shirk responsibility over Ukrainian refugees, and the Mail reaches new lows with a disgraceful article about Angela Rayner. Ros Taylor is joined by Arthur Snell to look at the week ahead.
“This is a story about the success of a liberal, internationalist politician in arguably the most important country in Europe.”
“Macron’s big challenge for his second term is to look after those left-behind voters.”
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Brexit came as a shocking nadir in British politics for many people – but looking back, was it really a surprise? In his latest book, All In It Together: England in the Early 21st Century, historian Alwyn Turner weaves politics and popular culture from the Millennium through to the EU referendum. He talks to Nick Cohen about the UK’s long hangover after Cool Britannia, why UKIP wielded such influence, and the impact of the internet and social media.
“Often at the beginning of a century there is a sense of confusion and people feel they need a new version of faith.”
“The internet started to create its own identity, social media changed everything.”
“Nigel Farage had a bigger impact than any politician elected to Westminster during this period.”
“Devolution was brought in to buy-off the Scottish nationalists, but it went wrong and has changed the country forever.”
“England is not a Labour country and it never has been.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Nick Cohen. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pop culture polemic with guests folk-pop-chanson visionary Kathryn Williams and journo Jude Rogers, whose new book The Sound Of Being Human shows how music hardwires our brains. Will Russian Doll Season 2 match its timewarping predecessor? Steve Coogan’s Chivalry sails close to the #MeToo wind. Smart female-powered pop from Let’s Eat Grandma… and a lot more
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
Jude’s book The Sound Of Being Human: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-sound-of-being-human-how-music-shapes-our-lives/9781474622929
“I thought I was the first teenager to write songs, read Oscar Wilde and listen to The Smiths in cemeteries” – Kathryn Williams
“Elbow patches at literary events are my niche porn.” – Kathryn Williams
“Chaise Longue is the Culture Bunker’s unofficial anthem.” – Sian Pattenden
“I didn’t hate Chivalry, but it made me feel quite… tired. It got me an hour closer to death.” – Kathryn Williams
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do we tackle new international threats from terrorism to forced migration as people flee climate change? Does diplomacy still work? How has big tech changed the game for global security? Former British ambassador, Oxford University Principal, and The Naked Diplomat author Tom Fletcher talks to Arthur Snell about his new book, Ten Survival Skills for a World in Flux… and why old school “maps and chaps” won’t cut it any longer.
“The diplomatic system has been orphaned by Trump, and vandalised by Putin.”
“We should stop analysing Putin as some master strategist. He’s just willing to out-kill us.”
“COVID has forced young people to make fewer, but deeper, relationships on campus.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees and Martin Bojtos. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/ten-survival-skills-for-a-world-in-flux-tom-fletcher?variant=39456637714510 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Priti Patel cements her position as honorary Minister for Outrage while Johnson apologises, but doesn’t, once again. We pick apart the Rwanda asylum scheme and assess the PM’s outrageous display in the Commons. And as the cost of living crisis bites, which streaming services will be first to go? Comedy writer Jason Hazeley is our guest this week.
“If everyone had behaved like Downing Street behaved, you’d be looking at another 50,000 people dead.” – Alex Andreou
“As more penalty notices pile up, Johnson just starts to look like the Archbishop of Bullshit.” – Jason Hazeley
“All of these contortions are to do with the UK trying to evade its responsibilities under international law.” – Alex Andreou
“This looks like it will cost an enormous amount of money, and not work.” – Alex Andreou
“Number 10 made me feel like a mug and I’m not the only one.” – Ahir Shah
“We’re in an abusive relationship with our Government.” – Jason Hazeley
“All of these contortions are to do with the UK trying to evade its responsibilities under international law.” – Alex Andreou
“We are going to have elections very soon where I think Boris is going to get a massive electoral kicking.” – Ahir Shah
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Alex Andreou’s review recommendation.
Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou and Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees, with research by Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The PM faces a partygate reckoning amid the Rwanda refugee plan backlash. What more Government chaos is due this week? Boris Johnson will be in the Commons for the first time since his fine was confirmed, while Priti Patel is yet again courting controversy. Naomi Smith and Andrew Harrison unpack the latest and tee up the days ahead.
“It’s one thing to have attended a party. It’s another to have destroyed evidence about it.”
“Priti Patel is probably pretty close to being reshuffled.”
"Sending refugees to Rwanda is not a value for money policy."
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Bridgen article: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dishonest-mp-bridgen-lied-about-conduct-in-family-dispute-hplmlxmmx
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The BBC: nest of woke lefty propaganda or tame right-wing mouthpiece? Or something more complex? As the BBC marks its 100th birthday and Nadine Dorries tries to kill off the Licence Fee, Simon Potter – author of This Is The BBC: Entertaining The Nation, Speaking For Britain? – talks to Andrew Harrison about the Corporation’s tangled roots, clouded future, much-contested purpose… and why politicians from left, right and centre always seem to hate it.
• “Once you let broadcasting into politics, you’ll never get politics out of broadcasting.” • “The BBC has a mission to expand its empire into every single media possible.”
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How did Britain come to be one of the largest gambling markets in the world? Rob Davies, investigative journalist and author of Jackpot: How Gambling Conquered Britain, talks to Nick Cohen about how technology, advertising and liberalised laws combined to target some of the most vulnerable in society, the influence of the gambling lobby in British politics, and the urgent reforms the industry needs to make.
“In a world where technology was evolving rapidly, gambling regulation simply wasn’t fit for purpose.”
“For every person who is a gambling addict, six other people are affected by that.”
“People get huge amounts of hospitality lavished on them when they can be relied on to lose thousands of pounds.”
“For some people, the dopamine rush of putting their money at risk is irresistible.”
“The gambling lobby has MPs in the contact book like you wouldn’t believe.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Nick Cohen. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On our pop culture round-up: Special guest Will Young tells us about the art of mind maintenance, a life in pop, and more. Plus hard-bitten Dublin rock’n’roll from Fontaines D.C., Catherine Tate’s Netflix prison comedy Hard Cell splits the panel, and futurist feminism in new Apple TV+ sci-fi anthology Roar. Journalist Craig McLean of The Face and the Telegraph joins Siân and Alex in The Bunker.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“My desert island mental health advice is don’t expect something from people they're not willing or capable of giving.” - Will Young
“My therapist also said, if I was your boyfriend I’d dump you’ - Will Young
“As a man, watching ‘Roar’ I felt uncomfortable, but in a good way.” - Alex Andreou
“For me, this wasn’t a ‘Roar’, more like a squeak.” - Craig McLean
“I'm a bit disappointed with Skinty Fia as the rattling punk energy in the first two records is gone… maybe they’ve lost some of their spark since moving away from Dublin.” - Craig McLean
“The main thing about ‘Hard Cell’ is that I just didn’t find it funny; it falls a bit flat.”- Siân Pattenden
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny is the man Vladimir Putin fears most. Now a new documentary tells his story. Director Daniel Roher joins Arthur Snell to discuss his latest film Navalny, which tells the story of one man and his struggle with an authoritarian regime, and what the future holds for Russia and Putin in light of the invasion of Ukraine.
“Navalny’s people were just waiting for that knock at the door.”
“How can this guy who does this dangerous work not think about his mortality? The rest of the of the world does.”
“Navalny showed the Russian people that they don’t have to be afraid of Putin.”
“Navalny reminds us that we must not be apathetic. Evil proliferates when good people do nothing.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We live in a culture obsessed with the spectacle of youth. One in five Britons will be over 65 by 2030 – with the fastest-growing age group being the over-85s. What are the implications for us as a country with an increasingly ageing population? What are the issues that need challenging and policies that need changing? And how should we think about ourselves as ageing people? Tim Whitaker, Vice-Chair of Positive Ageing London, talks to Jude Rogers about the future of ageing.
“When you're 100, you normally get a letter from the Queen. That will have to change.”
“Older people contribute to society in different ways than younger people.”
“There's a danger of ghettoising older people by sending them into care homes.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Johnson’s hit job on Sunak distracting from a Tory brand that’s falling apart? Does the West have the stomach for sanctions that will really bite on Russia? New Statesman editor Jason Cowley goes in search of the must mysterious country on Earth: England. And while Channel 4 is still around, what are the C4 programmes we love? Zoe Williams of The Guardian and Justin Quirk join Andrew Harrison for this week’s roundtable Bunker.
“How is it sexist for Akshata Murthy to be asked to pay taxes in our own country? The sexism defence is just a ju-jitsu deployment of our own values against us.” – Zoe Williams
“It was legally correct for Sunak’s wife to have non-dom status, ethically dubious – and politically ridiculous.” – Jason Cowley
“It’s really puzzling what it takes for the British public to riot, and what it takes for the authorities to take it seriously.” – Zoe Williams
“What Gareth Southgate showed is that you don’t have to choose between Englishness and tradition.” – Jason Cowley
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk and Zoe Williams. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the far right’s Marine Le Pen runs off against Macron, could France fall to extreme populism? Plus the briefing war against Sunak, Johnson’s photo op visit to Kyiv and Russia resets its war aims. Gavin Esler sets up the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.
“A Le Pen presidency in France would be another victory for Putin.”
“The real scandal in British politics is not what is illegal, it’s what is allowed.”
“It is possible that Le Pen could win if the French decide, like America did, that they just want a bit of entertainment.”
Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain now removes more children from their parents than ever before. Is it possible to mend broken families? Polly Curtis, journalist and author of Behind Closed Doors, talks to Ros Taylor about complex factors that lead to families being split up, how the system fails both mothers and fathers, and what can be done to make sure it works for everyone.
“We probably all know someone who has had a brush with the social services system.”
“A lot of these kids don’t want to be separated, they just want their parents to change.”
“There is going to be a new leap in transparency in the family courts, and that will open our eyes to these cases.”
“Being told by the state you’re a failed parent is laden with the most horrific shame.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On our pop culture round-up: BBC2’s “genuinely moving” Paul Gascoigne documentary, reggae legend Horace Andy returns, and is Apple TV+ spy drama Slow Horses a Tinker, Tailor for the 21st Century? Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake joins us along with legendary beer writer Pete Brown – new book Clubland: How the Working Men’s Club Shaped Britain available for pre-order now.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“I found ‘Gazza’ incredibly moving and upsetting. I was watching it in tears.” – Pete Brown on ‘Gazza’ “The best part of ‘Gazza’ is you see that this gift is really a curse.” – Andrew Harrison on ‘Gazza’ “It’s the sound of a band knowing they’re creating something glorious but not sure that they can control it, like the wheels could fall of at any minute” – Pete Brown on New Order’s Temptation
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Money makes the world go round, but how does it actually work? With economies across the globe in flux, understanding cash, currencies and crypto has never been more important. Gavin Jackson, lead writer for the Financial Times, joins Ahir Shah to talk about his new book Money in One Lesson: How it Works and Why, which covers the most important questions about money and how it shapes our societies.
“Money is something we all believe in, but we’re not entirely sure why.”
“We didn’t start with barter, the first money was actually made out of clay tablets.”
“Hyperinflation only happens when a government decides something is more important than stopping hyperinflation.”
“Bitcoin is an attempt to opt-out of the banking system we’ve become used to.”
“Deflation, when prices fall, is actually a lot worse than inflation as our debts don’t change.”
“If you’re interested in people, you should be interested in money. It tells us so much about who we are.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For millions of people, social media isn’t a source of entertainment or information, but a way to reinvent themselves. So what if you could stop being a loser of our economic system by winning the internet’s attention? Channel 4 reporter Symeon Brown talks to Justin Quirk about his book Get Rich or Lie Trying, his gripping expose of fraud, exploitation, misogyny, environmental destruction, and the dodgy financial traders of Instagram.
“Anyone promising guaranteed returns is almost certainly a scammer.”
“The Wolf of Wall Street is just hip hop in a film.”
“Influencer traders rule the platforms, and the platforms are almost unable to respond.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/get-rich-or-lie-trying/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Russia’s withdrawal from some areas of Ukraine has unveiled new depths to the atrocities committed under Putin. With horrific images showing civilians’ bodies in the streets of Bucha, the panel unpacks what will come of these revelations. Plus, we look at how the cost of living crisis is biting those who might have been insulated so far. This week’s guest is The Independent’s political sketch writer Tom Peck.
“All the cards are not in Putin’s hands. Putin has got immense problems.” – Gavin Esler
“Putin has put himself in a trap of his own making.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“It’s hard to imagine seeing worse images than the ones we saw in recent days.” – Yasmeen Serhan
"The battle for Ukraine is not being won or lost on the front pages of British newspapers." – Tom Peck
“Historically, when things get difficult for the middle classes, things get difficult for the Tories.” – Tom Peck
"When you cut Universal Credit, you clobber the powerless and the voiceless." – Tom Peck
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Gavin Esler and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Russia accused of massacring civilians in Ukraine, we look at the world’s reaction, and what will come next. How can nations push harder to punish Putin? Plus, we unpack the Hungarian election results, with Viktor Orbán having won a fourth term. And back home, partygate continues to rumble on. Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell look at the week ahead.
"Billions of Euros are sent to Russia for gas. Banning it would have a huge impact on Russia’s economy in the medium term.” – Arthur Snell
“One hoped that Orban’s closeness to Putin might have changed the outcome of the election.” – Arthur Snell
“If you’re in a town which doesn’t vote for Orban, then you’ll find yourself starved of resources.” – Arthur Snell
“I don’t think the British public have moved on over partygate.” – Arthur Snell
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is life like for Hong Kong activists detained then forced into exile after daring to defy Beijing? Simon Cheng was imprisoned in 2019, and fled to Britain later that year, establishing the expat group Hongkongers in Britain. He talks to Ros Taylor about his brutal experience in detention, his new life and the threat to democracy in his home city.
“Increasingly the younger generation in Hong Kong don’t think they are Chinese.”
“Provided the regime isn’t changed, I have no chance of going back to Hong Kong.”
“I miss my hometown, my friends and my family, but I need to be able speak out freely.”
“One day if the regime changes, we could be back in Hong Kong with democracy and freedom.”
“I will continue to speak out for those people who can’t speak in Hong Kong.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We welcome indie-rockin’ winger Pat Nevin (Chelsea, Everton, the Camden Falcon) to talk music and his new book The Accidental Footballer. Plus Wet Leg’s long-awaited debut album, Marvel’s Egyptological psycho-drama Moon Knight, Oscar-winning deaf family dramady Coda, an erotically-charged Ruth Wilson in True Things AKA 9½ Weeks In Ramsgate… and much, much more.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“I once managed to fit four Camera Obscura references into one sentence of commentary.” – Pat Nevin “Ruth Wilson’s character feels like a real woman… If not yourself then definitely someone you know.” – Anna Smith “The truly ignorant person is the one that thinks they know everything.” – Pat Nevin
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jacques Peretti’s mother, Alina, survived World War Two in Poland, Siberia, and finally, Auschwitz. They talk to Siân Pattenden about their book, Little Bird of Auschwitz, coming to terms with how Alina understood the Holocaust as a child, finding the courage to put harrowing memories to paper …and how the investigative journalist learned more about the woman who would never let him call her “Mum”.
“My mum took a Zhivago-esque Odyssey across Europe.” - Jacques Peretti
“I wasn't brave enough to write this book myself, but my son gave me the opportunity.” - Alina Peretti
“People assume that the Holocaust was a Jewish experience. But the degenerate category extended to anyone the Nazis didn't like.” - Jacques Peretti
“The debate between Hitler and his officers happened right in front of my mum.” - Alina Peretti
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/jacques-peretti/little-bird-of-auschwitz/9781473646438/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Loneliness is something we’ve all felt at some point in our lives, particularly throughout COVID. But it can also have great value for society. Philosopher and social human rights expert Professor Kimberley Brownlee guides Ros Taylor through the important questions about being alone. Is solitary confinement an effective form of punishment? Have isolation policies been effective during the pandemic, or have they exposed care homes as “warehouses” for the elderly? And is loneliness really a moral injustice?
“Our social needs are needs with a capital N. We thirst for connection.”
“In China, children have a legal duty to visit and engage with their elderly parents.”
“We risk becoming socially malnourished without even being aware of it.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What a difference a week makes. Rishi Sunak’s stock has plummeted dramatically, how far can it fall? We unpick the Chancellor’s sorry Spring Statement. Plus, while COVID cases are rising, free tests are being ditched in England. What could possibly go wrong? And with three-time grand slam champ Ash Barty retiring from tennis, we weigh up the pros and cons of quitting while you’re ahead.
“Sunak had an absolute shocker. Day one the headlines were awful from both sides.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“I don’t think Sunak expected this backlash, which shows how out of step with the country he is.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“I think this is worse than the Osborne years.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“It’s very easy to get popular shoving money into people’s mouths.” – Ahir Shah
“We’re seeing the real Rishi Sunak, and people are horrified.” – Ahir Shah
“Hospital workers having to pay for their own tests to make sure they’re safe to work is insane.” – Justin Quirk
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Miatta Fahnbulleh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As fallout from Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement boosts tensions in Government, we look at how this might unravel further. And with Zelenskyy suggesting Ukraine could consider Russia’s neutrality demands, is there hope for an end to the war? Plus, rising COVID cases, Prince William’s reflections on his Caribbean tour and a controversial night at the Oscars. Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou look at the week ahead.
“This seems like a very slow-moving war of attrition, that Russia is losing." – Alex Andreou
"Even allies on the same side of a war have different objectives." – Alex Andreou
"The UK still sees itself as the dominant entity in the Commonwealth." – Alex Andreou
"Will Smith's actions have overshadowed the achievements of other people." – Alex Andreou
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Just 9% of all the plastic ever produced on planet Earth has been recycled. So where does the other 91% go? Despite our demand for disposable goods, the UK is hardly a plastic mountain. From litter on the Turkish littoral, to the second-hand textiles that flood Africa’s markets and South America’s deserts, there’s a chasm between where environmental damage is created, and where its impact is most destructively felt. Istanbul-based journalist Ruth Michaelson tells Jelena Sofronijevic about how we can tackle the West’s problem with waste, without simply outsourcing the climate crisis overseas…
“There is a whole global chain of underpaid labour that suffers when you put your plastic bottle in the recycling bin.”
“If we were not exporting our plastic waste, we would have to think about what we are doing with it.”
“There's a whack-a-mole quest to find new destinations for plastic waste.”
“The countries that claim to recycle the most also export the most waste.”
“Environmental responsibility should fall on individual companies, not countries.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s pop culture review: Aldous Harding’s couture cocoon-pop, bizarre Betamax horror in new movie Broadcast Signal Intrusion, and Sky doc Super Greed charts the fiasco that was the European Super League. Journo, DJ and football fiend Anthony Teasdale helps Siân and Andrew run the VAR van of entertainment.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“Somehow the horror is more horrifying because it taps into childhood fears.” – Sian on Broadcast Signal Intrusion
“What’s more rebellious and punk rock than building a warm and furry barrier against the outside world?” – Andrew on Aldous Harding
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How can historical fiction be relevant to today’s society but faithful to the facts of the past? Author Laura Shepherd-Robinson joins Nick Cohen to discuss her approach, as she talks us through her novel Daughters of Night, a crime thriller set in the brothels of Georgian London.
“When writing my books I choose to focus on issues that still have great resonance today.”
“Many MPs declared that their main reason for going in Parliament was to defend slavery and those who practiced it.”
“An average prostitute in Georgian London could make in one night what a housemaid made in a year.”
“The Georgian period was a time when we were turning our minds towards liberal democracy.”
“Working in politics you see power dynamics close up, and that helped when writing this book.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Nick Cohen. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The pandemic and a decade of underfunding has ground courts to a halt in England and Wales. How can this be fixed? Joanna Hardy-Susskind, of Red Lion Chambers, joins Ros Taylor to unpack the issues. As criminal barristers prepare to take industrial action over levels of legal aid funding, they address the implications for those in the legal system, and what the Government needs to be doing.
“This is not action criminal barristers want to take, and we don’t take it lightly at all.”
“The backlog in the justice system has created a perfect storm, with many barristers now leaving.”
“It’s a ticking time bomb, this profession could easily slip backwards in terms of diversity.”
“We don’t have enough barristers, there are trials taking place where the defence or prosecution chairs are empty.”
“Sometimes I represent people who are innocent, and the wait for justice is crippling.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is discussed, could Vladimir Putin’s word possibly be trusted? Is his sway both in and outside his nation waning? We look at the chances of an agreement and what one might look like. Plus, we assess economic crises and talk about the prospect of more prescriptive healthcare in a world changed by COVID. Dr. Marc Berenson, senior lecturer at King’s Russia Institute, is this week’s guest.
"It’s hard for Ukraine to give anything up because they haven’t done anything wrong.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Putin has solidified the unity of the EU.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Ethics don’t pay the bills, and governments around the world are seeing gas prices soar.” – Yasmeen Serhan
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With ongoing devastation in Ukraine and a biting cost of living crisis here at home, the outlook remains bleak. The Government remains under ever-increasing scrutiny – is there any indication of positive change, or just hints at political manoeuvres? Will those in need continue to face the brunt of the hardship? Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to look at the week ahead.
“We’re failing refugees the world over, I’m afraid.” – Naomi Smith
“In organisations with a bad culture, a bad output, the fish rots from the head.” – Naomi Smith
“We have seen precisely nothing of a substance that will help to level up the country.” – Naomi Smith
“We need an intervention that isn’t just about tax cuts but also help for those on low incomes.” – Naomi Smith
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/ Presented by Justin Quirk with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whatever you think of him, Nigel Farage has been one of Britain’s most influential politicians. His campaign to take the UK out of the EU went from a fringe viewpoint to government policy, but how did he do it? Political journalist Michael Crick joins Dorian Lynskey to discuss his latest book One Party After Another, which takes a deep dive into the life of one of Britain’s most controversial political characters.
“Farage is the most important politician of this century.”
“I wouldn’t write off the idea of this net-zero referendum happening.”
“You can understand why Farage admires Vladimir Putin, he uses many of the same methods.”
“The Conservatives were terrified of Farage getting into the House of Commons.”
“Farage’s GB News contract has meant fewer appearances on other broadcast outlets.”
“Farage is addicted to public attention, he would rarely turn down an interview.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Dr Catherine Anne Davies, AKA Welsh multi-instrumentalist The Anchoress, joins us on the rerelease of The Art of Losing – and for an album whose central theme is loss, there are as many bangers as you can wave a stick at.
Plus, death on the installment plan - podcast producer Rob Fitzpatrick talks about series two of Upload on Amazon Prime, and Classic Objects, the new album from Norwegian musician and novelist Jenny Hval. And there’s a buzz around Balkan cinema, as Siân and Jelena see award-winning Kosovan post-conflict movie HIVE.
“My songs are not Nick Cave mournful ballads, but Dylan Thomas rages against the dying of the light.” - Catherine Anne Davies
“I thought that rock stars couldn't have PhDs. But I'm also proud of myself for my lyrics rhyming Monopoly and misogyny.” - Catherine Anne Davies
“Amazon Prime series often poke fun at the platform that sustains them.” - Sian Pattenden
“Religion was the way we made sense of life and death, and now we do it with TV.” - Catherine Anne Davies
“I found a sonic freedom and enjoyment in Jenny Hval's Classic Objects.” - Rob Fitzpatrick
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why is Britain so accommodating to the super-rich? Oliver Bullough, author of Butler to the World talks to Ahir Shah to discuss how our nation came to assist kleptocrats to the extent we see today. As question marks over oligarchs’ riches hit the headlines, we look at how we got here.
“There is this deeply ingrained service industry that helps anyone with money do anything.”
“Whoever they are, if they’ve got money, we’ll take their money and help them solve their problems.”
“We don’t stop people doing things, we help people do things.”
“The problem isn’t Russian money, it’s money. And if it wasn’t Russian money it would be someone else’s money.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cultural organisations are becoming more assertive in boycotting Russia. But how effective are their sanctions? Can these moves compare with economic clampdowns? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Professor Andrew Bertoli about how sports influences international security, whether sanctions hurt individuals more than states, and whether these actions are really useful for Ukraine.
“The IOC and FIFA have had very cosy relationships with Putin in the past.”
“The three times Putin has launched an invasion have always followed the Olympics.”
“Even weaker or mixed signals from international organisations will be stronger than those sent by individual states.”
“Cultural sanctions don’t stop military action directly, but they do signal support to those affected.”
“For big organisations, the damage that would come from remaining neutral far outweighs the damage that stems from taking a side.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government has been bounced into doing more for Ukrainian refugees, but are new plans just shifting responsibility? Plus, we discuss how Russia is trying to win the information war – and dissect the facts from fiction. And finally, we take a look at what’s going on with Spotify, after a major outage and dip in subscribers. Mathilda Mallinson, of the Media Storm podcast and co-founder of Refugee Media Centre, is this week’s guest.
"There's such a bad faith approach in the right-wing media reporting on refugees." – Arthur Snell
"This is a very racist lesson as to why we haven't been treating other populations as refugees." – Mathilda Mallinson
“What we have in Calais now is a two-tiered system.” — Mathilda Mallinson
“I imagine a lot won’t be able to go home… for many it will be because the lives that they had are not available for them to return to.” — Arthur Snell
"For all Russia's craziness inside Ukraine, I still don’t think they're crazy enough to do something inside a NATO country." — Arthur Snell
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The horror of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to shock the world. Is more involvement from the West inevitable? What might that look like? Meanwhile, the UK’s position on refugees is shifting, while sanctions have also been bolstered. But is the Government doing enough? Alex Andreou is joined by Gavin Esler to look at the week ahead.
“One stray missile lands in Poland and who knows where we’ll be.” – Gavin Esler
“Putin must be asking what success looks like now, and I don’t know the answer to that.” – Gavin Esler
“The Government is hamstrung by its own rhetoric over migrants and channel crossings.” – Gavin Esler
“Russia is a country of incredible cultural riches, and it’s become a money making machine for certain people.” – Gavin Esler
“It seems to be that Putin has lost the international information battle.” – Alex Andreou
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nuclear war is back in people’s minds after Vladimir Putin put Russia’s deterrent on high alert. How real is the threat? And if an atomic conflict did break out, what would it look like? Dr Matthew Harries, Senior Research Fellow in Nuclear Policy at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), joins Ros Taylor to discuss the likelihood of atomic warfare, and what Putin’s threat really means.
“Russia is a nuclear armed state, so we have to take escalation very seriously.”
“Vladimir Putin knows nuclear weapons are scary, and talking about them is a tactic designed to intimidate.”
“A no-fly zone would NATO in direct conflict with Russia. They would respond.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our pop culture review: Dancefloor existentialists Electribe 101, Microdisney mastermind returns with Telefís, Netflix comedy sci-fi The Adam Project and more with guest Grant Nicholas of Feeder.
Journalist and author of Leaving the Building: The Lucrative Afterlife of Music Estates Eamonn Forde joins Grant of skate-surf rock-punk survivors Feeder to discuss a great lost album of British dance music, “theocratic electropop from the Irish diaspora”, Netflix’s attempt to do Spielberg… and much much more.
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
“Not only did the Catholic Church control the country, but so too did RTÉ…” – Eamonn Forde on Telefís
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We often hear that laughter is the best medicine. But healthcare providers in Bristol have taken the message seriously and are now prescribing comedy courses to help people recover from PTSD. It’s just one case of “social prescribing” that’s sweeping throughout practices across the country. Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Professor Gurch Randhawa and former service user Debs Teale about what constitutes “social medication,” why there’s no magic pill for long-term problems in politics and big pharma, and how housing and education impact health today.
“Social prescribing will only be successful when it is rolled out in a consistent way.” - Gurch Randhawa
“The beauty of social prescribing is that it can be anything creative.” - Debs Teale
“I get nervous when systems privilege the medical model of becoming unwell and receiving a prescription to manage it.” - Gurch Randhawa
“It's not a National Health Service, it's a National Sickness Service.” - Gurch Randhawa
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Western coverage of the bloody civil war in Syria might indicate that the conflict is over. But in the northwest, rebels are still fighting back against Bashar al-Assad, and the war crimes against civilians committed by his deadly regime. Ammar al Selmo is a member of the White Helmets. He dials in from northwest Syria to tell Arthur Snell about the organisation’s humanitarian efforts, how working as a first-responder is “like a drug”…and why continued Western support is critical for the region. This edition recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Now that the regime is using drones and laser targeting, they can't claim that attacks on civilian targets like hospitals and schools are accidental.”
“What's happening in Syria affects what's happening in Ukraine. We are connected.”
“Those who physically survive the war in Syria still have psychological rubble.”
“We must remember these war crimes to keep history alive, and hold people accountable.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Among Putin’s missteps has been underestimating the support Ukraine would muster. Why is he losing the information war? Meanwhile, Russia faces a raft of sanctions from the West. We analyse the wider impact of those actions, and the moves taken by our Government. Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, of King’s Russia Institute, and Tatton Spiller, the founder of Simple Politics, are this week’s guests.
“Zelenskyy is the most media trained President in history.” - Tatton Spiller
“Since 2014, Putin has portrayed Ukraine as having a fascist government.” - Gulnaz Sharafutdinova
“Where the UK is falling short is sanctions that target individuals.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh
“In Russia, prices on electronics have risen by 30% due to sanctions.” - Gulnaz Sharafutdinova
“Putin is fighting two wars, one in Ukraine and one in Russia.” - Gulnaz Sharafutdinova
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Miatta Fahnbulleh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Harrowing scenes of families fleeing Ukraine have seen the Government pressured to do more for them. Will it? As Russia’s bombardment persists, it emerged the UK had only issued 50 visas to refugees escaping the invasion. Home Secretary Priti Patel has faced pointed criticism – are there any excuses? Will new proposals be enough? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to look at the week ahead.
“Kyiv is still standing, it’s still Ukrainian, but it’s an incredibly dire situation.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“People don’t want to leave their homes, people want to go home… but they also want to be safe, they also want to live.” – Yasmeen Serhan
"The resolve of the Ukrainian people and government has been incredible to witness." – Yasmeen Serhan
"The government is underestimating the extent to which Brits would be willing to help." – Yasmeen Serhan
Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Imagine an app able to dictate social media trends at the click of a button. Digital researcher Ayushman Kaul talks to Alex Andreou about ‘Tek Fog’ – software he reports can do exactly that. They discuss corrosive impacts already seen in India, tracked in a nearly two-year long investigation for The Wire, and worrying implications for democracies the world over.
“Operators who use this app can manipulate social media trends en-mass, including on Facebook and Twitter.”
“There is a global industry emerging in this grey space between tech and politics, where disinformation for profit services are being offered.”
“Using platforms like Tek Fog, you can target people in a way that you could never target them before.”
“I wish there was a silver bullet to cure this disinformation epidemic that we’re facing.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
After a sneaky single drop from their new album A Bit of Previous, Scottish indie pop megastar Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian joins us to talk about making floating music festivals and his Sundance Award-winning film.
Crime writer par excellence William Shaw speaks to Siân and Jelena about The Dropout on Disney Star starring Amanda Siegfried as disgraced biotech billionaire Elizabeth Holmes, and The Weather Station’s latest album, How is It That I Should Look at the Stars, and Andrew Harrison and Linda Marric go to see The Batman.
Plus, we listen to the the new Butcher Boy anthology 'You Had A Kind Face'. It’s available to order at https://needlemythology.tmstor.es/ - and the first ones in get a limited edition postcard set.
“Songwriting is moaning to music - and I've been doing it for 26 years now.” - Stuart Murdoch
“We're in the age of the newsroom drama. It's a new kind of history-making.”- Jelena Sofronijevic
“My Buddhist nun appeared to me in a dream, and helped me pick the songs from the album to turn into singles.” - Stuart Murdoch
“This Weather Station album sounds like it's recorded in a room where's she afraid of waking the neighbours.” - William Shaw
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cryptocurrencies have boomed in recent years, but are they here to stay? Amy Castor, an independent journalist whose work focuses on cryptocurrency and financial fraud, talks to Justin Quirk to explain some of the myths around crypto, if e-currencies really can work as an alternative to the normal financial system, and the strange world of NFTs.
“Crypto was designed as an e-currency, but it’s mainly used for speculation.”
“There is mind-boggling amounts of money going into this space, in the hope more will come in.”
“Bitcoin is a cult, there are those who believe it will save people in Argentina.”
“The people that will lose in this are the unsophisticated investors who join the game too late.”
“Those who invested in Bitcoin in November have already lost half of their investment.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What’s the situation like on the ground in Ukraine? Nearly a week after Russia invaded, veteran war correspondent John Sweeney dials in from Kyiv to give Arthur Snell the lowdown on Europe’s first ground war since 1945, and why Putin’s gamble might have backfired.
“From day one I thought Putin had made a mistake, and this invasion is not going well.”
“This feels to me like Twilight of the Gods, Putin has made a miscalculation.”
“Putin is pulling the military levers and they’re not working.”
“Putin is a rational actor, blundering around in a dark bunker of his own making.”
“It feels like this war is very 20th century. Putin is a Tsar, entirely out of touch with his people.”
“I think Putin is finished. His regime has reached the beginning of the end.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is a humiliated Putin even more dangerous than a victorious Putin? Can the incredible bravery of the Ukraine and President Zelensky win out? And how many fronts can Putin fight on, at home, globally and in the economic sphere? In a week where Russia tried to pin a potential nuclear war on Liz Truss, ex-diplomat and security expert Arthur Snell, The Atlantic’s Yasmeen Serhan and former Labour spin doctor Ayesha Hazarika join Alex Andreou to get the latest on the most serious crisis in Europe since the Second World War. Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
“It’s being widely said that Putin can’t win this war without committing atrocities.” – Arthur Snell
“Putin is acting on emotion and that’s really worrying.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Ironically for someone who funded the Brexit movement, Putin has done wonders for EU integration.” – Arthur Snell
“Liz Truss looking like she’s got under the Russia’s skin will be a huge help for her leadership campaign.” – Ayesha Hazarika
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika, Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Setting up the week ahead: Putin threatens nuclear war, EU sanctions bite Russia, French presidential elections. Would Putin really use a nuclear weapon to salvage his collapsing war on Ukraine? Will EU sanctions and plans to supply weapons to Kyiv damage the Russian regime’s plans? Plus the French presidential elections, the Policing Bill and more. Arthur Snell and Ros Taylor set up a worrying week.
“Putin has deeply underestimated Zelensky… He has proven to be a formidable wartime leader.”
“If Putin can’t take Kyiv on a small scale, will he simply pulverise the city?”
“Putin is smart enough to know that using nuclear weapons could mean the end of Russia within days”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey and Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Eugenics might be considered a horrific relic of the past, but the concept still has its advocates today. Dr Adam Rutherford, science writer and author of Control, talks to Dorian Lynskey about efforts by the powerful to dictate reproduction throughout history, the legacy of eugenics in our language and literature, and present day conversations about tinkering with the DNA of unborn children.
“Winston Churchill drafted numerous bills which included mass sterilisation.”
“If you only engage in science to the point where your political views are reinforced, then you’re not doing science right.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faster-Stronger-Smarter-Troubling-Eugenics/dp/1474622380
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s pop culture review: Untold tales of British metal, the star of the National Theatre’s astonishing Wuthering Heights, new Johnny Marr and more.
Journalist and author of Denim And Leather: The Rise And Fall Of The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Michael Hann tells untold tales of rock’s most unfairly despised genre. Actor and cabaret phenomenon Lucy McCormick on her stunning role as Emily Brontë’s original riot grrrl of the moors Cathy in Wuthering Heights. And what’s Johnny Marr’s new album like?
Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b
"All extreme metal comes from Venom." - Michael Hann "I love haunting the stage. It feels so goth." - Lucy McCormick "These metal bands did it all for themselves right up until the record labels signed them." - Michael Hann "Death and comedy is basically my thing." - Lucy McCormick
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We live in a world of chaos, with Western democracies facing overlapping geopolitical, economic, and political crises. How did we get here? Professor Helen Thompson is co-host of the Talking Politics podcast – and she was Ahir Shah’s Director of Studies at University. They unpack her new book Disorder, how the fault lines in the Sino-American relationship, NATO, and the EU have all been decades in the making, and the “crisi-tunities” for years to come.
“Most of the commentary on Brexit and Trump was far too superficial.”
“So long as oil has a place in our energy supply, then the geopolitics of oil come with it.”
“There's a genuine political fear in Washington that the geopolitical winner of green energy will be China.”
“We're living in a world where supply and demand is much more complicated.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Beijing 2022 was the first Winter Olympics to rely almost exclusively on fake snow – at great cost to the environment. But is it possible to make sports more sustainable, and will we even be able to have the Winter Olympics in the future? Dr. Madeleine Orr is a sports ecologist at Loughborough University London, and the founder of The Sport Ecology Group. She tells Jelena Sofronijevic about why pollution impacts competition, how international organisations exercise total control over local laws and taxes…and whether 2022 was really the “greenest and cleanest” Games yet.
“When we think about sports, we’re not thinking about the environments where they take place.”
“The more we use artificial spaces, the more original biodiversity loss.”
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This edition recorded before Putin’s speech and the Russian incursion into Ukraine. “Levelling up” is a mantra for Boris Johnson, but what is his government actually doing about it? Our special guest Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire and former MP, joins us to discuss tackling inequalities between regions. Plus, we discuss moves to tackle “legal but harmful” content online. What does that mean? And what career best prepares you for politics? Spoiler alert: it isn’t being a Telegraph columnist.
“The government must stop putting metro mayors into beauty competitions to bid for small pots of money.” – Tracy Brabin
“Michael Gove is a bit of a disruptor who wants to deliver. But his levelling up plan has no new money and the same old story.” – Tracy Brabin
“MPs are completely in the thick of online abuse on every form of social media… they get the worst of the internet every day in their inbox.” – Marie Le Conte
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk and Marie Le Conte. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Recorded by Jade Bailey, audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still looming. Can further diplomacy prevent war? There are reports of a summit between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden. What could it achieve? Plus, COVID restrictions are due to be ditched in England, and MPs return to Parliament after a recess. Where will their focus be? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to discuss the week ahead.
“It feels like we’re waiting for someone to blink. There’s a lot of mixed narratives.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Any diplomacy is better than the alternative.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“If you are serious about living with COVID, the monitoring aspect of it is key.” – Alex Andreou
"Johnson has squashed the scandal sombrero by stretching out these inquiries." – Alex Andreou
"The government has to focus on crises closer to home – like the weather." – Yasmeen Serhan
www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What will China do in 2022? Cindy Yu, The Spectator’s broadcast editor and host of the Chinese Whispers podcast, joins Alex Andreou to take a look at the direction of travel for the world’s most populous nation. What does a policy of ‘zero-covid’ mean for China? How will relations with America and Russia turn out? And is Xi Jinping lumbering up for conflict with Taiwan?
“Sport has always been a good way for a controversial government in China to build bridges.”
“Zero-covid is another barrier between China and the rest of the world.”
“Putin and Xi share values when it come to how they run their countries.”
“If China is going to invade Taiwan, what’s happening in Ukraine will not affect that.”
“The idea of China overtaking America is too simplistic. Very rarely do you have a unipolar world.”
“The more the West bashes China, the more the Chinese media whip that up into an anti-China narrative.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. The Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. The Lead Producer is Jacob Jarvis. The producers are Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Lakeland poets of “high church rock’n’roll” Sea Power play songs from their magnificent new album Everything Was Forever and explain how it felt when they dropped the word “British” from their name, to the ire of GB News. And Mojo magazine’s Ian Harrison joins us to discuss new waxings from Half Man Half Biscuit and Metronomy plus new Apple TV+ series Severance – what The Office would be like if created by Aldous Huxley.
“People are pretty sceptical of any band that puts too much thinking into their lyrics…” – Yan from Sea Power
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Our rolling playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunk And now Tidal too: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How did a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the century, become the fastest growing religion today? Pentecostal Christianity has 600 million followers, with 35,000 new adherents a day. So what’s behind the remarkable rise of this religious movement? Elle Hardy, author of Beyond Belief, tells Arthur Snell about her mission to report its rise across twelve different countries, from South America to Africa and Australia, how Pentecostalism provides community to the rootless and marginalised in a fragmenting world…and its toxic connection to populist authoritarianism.
“There will be more Pentecostals than Catholics in Brazil in the next ten years.”
“Anyone can become a prophet in Pentecostalism.”
“You can fit six Vaticans in the biggest Pentecostal church in Nigeria.”
“Pentecostalism is the ideology of the new right in America.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/beyond-belief/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A strong accent can lead us to make many assumptions about a person. We ask why, and the impact of these judgements. Linguistics experts Dr. Alex Baratta and Dr. Dominic Watt join Jelena Sofronijevic to explore whether RP has been replaced with a new “standard” accent, why some professions are still demanding flat accents…and if the Queen’s English is really dead.
“Your accent is a flag or badge of your social standing." - Dominic Watt
"We exist in an accentist society." - Dominic Watt
“Right at the top of the social pinnacle we have people who more or less speak the same as each other. - Dominic Watt
“Accent bias is more of an issue in certain professions, the reason is it goes back to certain perceptions.” - Alex Baratta
“I think there’ll always be a perceived need to have a standard accent.” - Alex Baratta
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Russia’s threatening moves on the borders of Ukraine have led to a frantic diplomacy blitz. Can Vladimir Putin be urged back from the brink? Plus, as COVID rules are due to be ditched in England, is that the right call? Or simply a distraction for Boris Johnson? And, with Futurama returning to and Neighbours leaving our screens, we choose the TV shows we’d like to resurrect and others to scrap. Financial Times journalist and author of Britain Alone: The Path from Suez to Brexit Philip Stephens joins our weekly panel.
“Nobody knows what Putin wants.” – Arthur Snell
“The City is well-known as the London Laundry, and the Russians are the best users of that.” – Philip Stephens
“There aren't many big beasts left prowling in the Tory forest.” – Philip Stephens
“More Brits have been vaccinated than watched the Euros final.” – Yasmeen Serhan
Support The Bunker on Patreon for early, ad-free episodes and more: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Yasmeen Serhan. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following Cressida Dick’s resignation, we look at the looming clashes over who will become the next Met police chief. What are the priorities for whoever gets the role? Plus, the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine persists. Is war imminent? And after Boris Johnson was handed a police questionnaire over Partygate, what can we expect next? Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to discuss the week ahead.
“The fish rots from the head and a bad leader… is one that will mean that awful culture pervades and that cascade happens through an organisation.”
“We’ve got to hope and pray that we can have a force we can be proud of.”
“Changing the culture within an organisation can take years, and the Met will be no exception.”
“After Brexit and Trump, Putin knows that the West isn’t as united as it has been.”
“Much of the left in Western politics have a blind spot when it comes to Russian imperialism.”
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Justin Quirk with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We all want control over our lives. But as we make more decisions digitally, the impact of algorithms on our choices grows. They help to sort the information presented to us and limit the options we see – shaping the products we buy, films we watch and even the partners we end up with. Andrew Harrison discusses the future of such technology with Kartik Hosanagar, author of A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control.
“Many people believe that algorithms are just providing us information and we comb through that and make our own choices… research shows otherwise.” – Kartik Hosanagar
“They are not just helping us make the decisions that we would have anyway made… they are also influencing the decisions themselves.” – Kartik Hosanagar
“These algorithms could be making choices in more personal and more important aspects of our lives, and also they could be making them autonomously.” – Kartik Hosanagar
“Let’s make sure that for high stakes decisions, they are made by human beings.” – Kartik Hosanagar
“Individually, it’s hard for us to stop this algorithmic tsunami.” – Kartik Hosanagar
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Writer, director, actor, singer, dancer - THE NOTORIOUS RBB Rikki Beadle-Blair joins us to talk Riot Act, LGBT+ History Month, and a lifetime of activist art.
Jelena, Alex, and Siân don their scrubs for This is Going to Hurt, the BBC’s new med-drama with Ben Wishaw. And the meat goes on with Pam and Tommy on Disney, and two new mega-shows - Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois – for this week’s Art Corner special on BEASTS.
“Equality means equality of opportunity to be idiots.” - Rikki Beadle-Blair
“The constant self-portraiture on Instagram is irritating.” - Rikki Beadle-Blair
“This is Going to Hurt makes the NHS feel so fragile. It made me ask what I can do to help the Adam Kays of this world.” – Siân Pattenden
“The talking penis in Pam and Tommy felt weirdly Disney to me, like something out of Beauty in the Beast!” – Alex Andreou
Written and presented by Alex Andreou, Siân Pattenden, and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With environmental destruction threatening our oceans, what might a fresh plan to protect them look like? Chris Armstrong, political theory professor at the University of Southampton, joins Ros Taylor to discuss his new book A Blue New Deal, which outlines a manifesto for protecting our seas.
“Our reliance on the ocean has diminished, before air travel we had to use it to get to the other side of the world.”
“Although the ocean absorbs most the carbon we emit, it has limits and we are reaching them.”
“We need to engage in radical thinking in order to save our oceans.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Christine Lee’s recent designation as a Chinese agent of influence by MI5 has breathed new life into calls to reassess the country’s influence in Westminster. Yet as the world’s second-largest economy, China is widening its reach across the globe – and democratic nations are complicit. Journalist Joanna Chiu, author of China Unbound, tells Arthur Snell about its murky “United Front” and New Silk Road projects, whether Western ignorance equals wilful involvement in China’s authoritarian regime…and why Chinese immigrants should be better protected overseas.
“Chinese politicians are expected to self-report.”
“You have to feel sympathy for anyone trying to work within the Chinese legal system.”
“China has designed laws to make its businesses complicit in its security regime.”
“Western leaders created a narrative to justify and excuse their engagement with a foreign, authoritarian power.”
“Chinese immigrants aren't welcomed for their expertise. They're treated with suspicion.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/china-unbound/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amid a profound and worsening cost of living crisis, we discuss whether the Government is rising to the challenge. Is the public being shortchanged? Plus, with the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a huge courts backlog, Evening Standard courts correspondent Tristan Kirk joins us to talk about the pressures on the justice system. And after Facebook reported its first ever drop in daily users, what’s next for the social media giant?
“It feels like the Chancellor, with all his riches, hasn’t understood the gravity of the situation.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh
“If you want a quick way to solve this issue, increase Universal Credit and don’t raise the cap as much.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh
“If Sunak doesn’t get into Number 10 before the pain arrives, then he might miss his moment.” - Tom Peck
“Myself, and I assume the Downing Street police officers, would think No.10 would be following their own rules.” - Tristan Kirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Tom Peck and Miatta Fahnbulleh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Boris Johnson’s senior team in chaos, we discuss what comes next as we brace for yet another calamity-packed week. Letters of no confidence continue to be sent – but will the number hit the 54 needed to spur a vote? Meanwhile, ongoing border check disagreements are causing turmoil in Northern Ireland. And on her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen kept busy, declaring her wish for Camilla to become Queen consort. Andrew Harrison is joined by Alex Andreou to forecast the days ahead.
"February 2022 to February 2022 doesn't look great on a CV."
"Satisfaction will turn into dislike very easily."
"The mess of Downing Street is leaking into the legislature."
"This is political, not constitutional. The DUP are drowning in the polls."
"The Queen is in a process of tidying up the Royal Family."
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Northern Ireland has been plunged into political turmoil following DUP first minister Paul Givan’s resignation over Brexit border controls. What does this mean for Stormont? And how will it affect May’s assembly elections? Belfast-based journalist Amanda Ferguson joins Naomi Smith to explain the crisis, and what could happen next.
“The DUP will say this is about the protocol, the other parties will say this is about the election.”
“The only way Northern Ireland’s position in the UK can be changed is if people vote for it.”
“While some people are supportive of the DUP, a lot of the public are aghast at what they’ve done.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
EMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award winning composer Howard Goodall tells us about his new remembrance cantata ‘Unconditional Love’, a career of composing pretty much every memorable British comedy theme tune ever, Brexit’s effect on musicians and much more.
Howard joins guest Sophie Harris plus Alex and Jelena (for the first time) to explore the many folds of Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II – a movie about a movie within a movie about a movie, Cate Le Bon’s latest album, Pompeii, plus we head into the Courtauld to find out what’s behind their new exhibition Van Gogh Self-Portraits.
“Streaming should have democratised music. But there's very few people at the party.” – Howard Goodall
“Cate le Bon’s Pompeii refers to a life interrupted. It's the perfect lockdown album.” – Sophie Harris
“Young people have sacrificed a lot to keep us alive during COVID. Now we must pay them back by listening to them.” – Howard Goodall
Written and presented by Alex Andreou and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The car is one of history’s most important inventions, but with changing ownership patterns and the climate crisis, will the vehicle we’ve all grown up with survive the next few decades? The FT’s Motor Industry Correspondent Peter Campbell and futurist Rohit Talwar join Andrew Harrison to discuss the direction of travel for cars, from electric vehicles, to ones that drive themselves, and maybe even some that are capable of flying…
“We’re dealing with completely new technologies, and there’s no guarantee the big manufacturers are going to be the winners.” - Rohit Talwar
“Demand for electric cars is being driven by regulation, rather than consumer choice.” - Peter Campbell
“Last year electric car sales overtook diesel cars. That was unthinkable a couple years ago.” - Peter Campbell
“Changes in the car industry could bring down governments.” - Rohit Talwar
“People say the car industry is at a fork in the road, it’s rather at the entrance to a labyrinth.” - Peter Campbell
“The winners in this new marketplace might be those who can find value in the data, rather than manufacturers themselves.” - Rohit Talwar
“The car that you’ll drive in 20 years time may well be from a Chinese brand you’ve never heard of before.” - Peter Campbell
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the global population set to hit 8 billion in 2022, are we really in the midst of a new population crisis? Or do climate change and migration mean the problem today is underpopulation, not overpopulation? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to anthropologist Anna Walnycki and Bryan Walsh of Vox’s Future Perfect about the dark, discriminatory debates over birth rates, why governments are cutting migration just when we need more people than ever before…and how pro-natal policies are curbing human rights in Hungary, Poland, and China.
“We're seeing anti-immigration policies at the time when immigration is more important than ever in balancing out the global population.” - Bryan Walsh
“Overpopulation doesn't happen in countries, it happens in cities.” - Anna Walnycki
“Scenes of overpopulation are really scenes of poor planning.” - Anna Walnycki
“Governments should be making it as easy as possible to be a parent with pro-family, not pro-natal policies.” - Bryan Walsh
“Scandinavia is simply a better place to be a parent and a child.” - Bryan Walsh
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Boris Johnson’s apology after Sue Gray’s “update” on Downing Street parties was followed by a shameful bout of obfuscation from the Prime Minister. While he dithers and delays, something he’s bemoaned in the past, can his crumbling defences hold? And with the Winter Olympics due to start in Beijing, amid suggestions the event may serve as a “sportswashing” exercise, we look at the collision between the games and politics. Andrew Harrison is joined by Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan for a much-needed session of group catharsis.
“I’m continually surprised by quite how low he can go … some of it just seemed deeply, deeply odd.” - Ahir Shah
“Much of Johnson’s strategic calculation seems to be ‘I can stay defiant longer than you can stay angry.’” - Justin Quirk
“China is trying to whitewash Xinjiang as a Winter Wonderland." - Yasmeen Serhan
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The wait for the Sue Gray report goes on–with the word “imminent” having been redefined of late. If it is finally released, what impact might it have? As Boris Johnson faces consistent pressure and splits within his party, the government wants to shift focus with pledges for so-called “Brexit freedoms.” What’s the reality, compared to the rhetoric? Meanwhile, Russia-Ukraine tensions persist, with further interventions due from the Prime Minister and foreign secretary Liz Truss. What can we expect? Alex Andreou and Gavin Esler take a look at the week ahead.
“This is not a government which does governing, this is a government which does marketing.” - Gavin Esler
“If Sunak were to quit over National Insurance then that would be the end for Johnson.” - Gavin Esler
“Liz Truss does not want to be seen as the one who caused Johnson to fall, as there’s a political price to that.” - Alex Andreou
“The idea that Boris steps in and saves the Ukrainian people from the Russians is nonsense.” - Gavin Esler
“Putin cannot accept a democratic Ukraine becoming richer than Russia.” - Gavin Esler
Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Conservative minister Lord Agnew’s dramatic resignation due to his dissatisfaction over efforts to tackle COVID loan fraud drew stark focus to the issue last week. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been forced to defend his handling of pandemic support schemes, amid mounting criticism. Financial journalist and executive director of TaxWatch, George Turner, joins Alex Andreou to explain the problem, the consequences for the Government, and why such concerns need to be taken more seriously.
“HMRC has always had a policy of ‘pay now, check later’, but they didn’t have the capacity to check with Covid.”
“For HMRC, going through with Brexit in the middle of the pandemic was madness.”
“We need to invest a lot more in law enforcement for fraud, and the Treasury has a big role to play in that.”
“We never thought about fraud as a big problem, the pandemic will hopefully change that.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. The Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. The Lead Producer is Jacob Jarvis. The Producers are Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk A mash-up of Burt Bacharach, Scott Walker and Michael Nyman for the modern day, Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy tells us about his new best of album Charmed Life, 30 years in pop, and lovely horses. Neil joins guest Hannah Verdier plus Sîan and Andrew to discuss Guillermo del Toro’s grand guignol fable Nightmare Alley, the joy of angst on the new Eels album, and low-key suspense movie Framed on Amazon Prime. And comedy writer David Quantick tells us about his friend and hero Barry Cryer who died this week.
“I started a radio show because I wanted to force my musical tastes down the public’s throats.” – Neil Hannon
“I thought I missed all the fun in the 90s, but I preferred leaving parties after an hour and coming home to a sherry in front of Frasier…” – Neil
“So many films are now like pop videos, but Guillermo del Toro really dwells on his scenes.” – Neil on Nightmare Alley
“Olly Alexander is one of those pop stars who would be great Smash Hits fodder.” – Hannah Verdier
“Who wouldn’t love a song that rhymes ‘Colin Firth’ with ‘earth’?” – Neil on Eels
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From drone pilots and prison guards, to the undocumented migrants who man industrial slaughterhouses, it takes an army of workers to carry out modern society’s most morally problematic jobs. But where are these hard-to-access workplaces, and who are the people toiling within it? Eyal Press, author of Dirty Work, joins Justin Quirk to discuss his meetings with prison guards from America and Abu Ghraib, why big tech won’t necessarily make the world a more equal place…and the awful conditions facing animals and workers in the food industry today.
“The United States has the largest prison system in the world, but it's pretty much entirely hidden from view.”
“The largest mental health services in the United States aren't hospitals, but prisons.”
“We effectively still have a system where wealthy people can pay poorer people to fight their wars for them.”
“It was easier for me to access prisons than industrial slaughterhouses.”
“Technology alone doesn't clean this work or sort out social inequalities.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
ENDS
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Eyal-Press/Dirty-Work--Essential-Jobs-and-the-Hidden-Toll-of-Inequality/26073447 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Despite Dishy Rishi’s best intentions, restaurant culture has been hit hard by COVID. Lockdowns and cancelled reservations, social distancing and staff absences, have stirred up a toxic cocktail for many businesses - one garnished with post-Brexit labour and supply chain shortages. So has our relationship with restaurants changed forever, and what’s next on the menu? Corey Mintz, author of The Next Supper, and Eater London’s Adam Coghlan join Jelena Sofronijevic to chew on why haute cuisine is cooling off, whether takeaway food is really so democratic…and if COVID has called time on the all-you-can-eat buffet.
“Restaurants were told to diversify and prepare themselves for the rise of takeaways. But they didn't until the pandemic.” - Corey Mintz
“The major delivery companies in the UK are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable.” - Corey Mintz
“Today I discovered, ordered, and ate the food from a new restaurant within 30 minutes. Once you've tasted that, you can't go back.” - Adam Coghlan
“If you hired an architect to build a restaurant today, they'd ask you where you'd like the Instagram wall.” - Corey Mintz
“The £6k given to restaurants which closed over Christmas was mere chicken feed.” - Adam Coghlan
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we await Sue Gray’s report, the scandals continue to pile up for the Government. With allegations of blackmail and Islamophobia over the weekend, how will this play out for Number 10? Also, as Russian troops amass on the Ukrainian border, are we about to see the first ground war in Europe since 1945? And with Jeff Bezos ploughing money into a new anti-ageing start up, does our panel really want to be forever young?
“Nadine Dorries, who has eaten ostrich anus on TV, has accused Wragg of attention-seeking. The jokes write themselves.” – Alex Andreou
“The 2019 intake have been compared to untrained puppies pissing on the carpet.” – Marie Le Conte
“I was speaking to someone connected to the ERG today, and they said Johnson will be gone by the end of the week.” – Emma Kennedy
“There are shades of Trump with Boris Johnson.” – Emma Kennedy
Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Russia is accused of plotting to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine, what will NATO’s next move be amid the ongoing standoff? And with the results of Sue Gray’s inquiry looming, will Boris Johnson face a tangible reckoning over the myriad scandals surrounding Downing Street? Or will he persist in clinging on? Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell set up the week ahead.
"No NATO alliance, even the most hawkish, wants to get into Ukraine."
"The EU still has some sanctions on Russia. The question is whether they are effective?"
"I'm not sure how much space there is in the public consciousness for the huge number of scandals around Boris Johnson."
"If aid doesn't flow in major quantities, we're looking at a major famine in Afghanistan."
Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you’ve been on Twitter in the past month, you might have heard of ‘Wordle’, the new Mastermind meets Scrabble game taking the world by storm. Over 300,000 now play everyday, but how did it become such a phenomenon? C. Thi Nguyen, philosophy professor at the University of Utah and author of Games: Agency as Art, talks Alex Andreou about why Wordle has proven such a hit, from its simple design to the joy of shareability.
“A lot of the most interesting games are confined.”
“The thing that makes Wordle so unique is the shareablility.”
“I was seeing people sharing these square stacks and wondered what it was.”
“Games are an activity and a struggle, but they’re a struggle that we shape for our own enjoyment.”
“The real effect of the ‘one-puzzle-a-day’ is the social effect. You can see and feel how others found the puzzle.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. The group editor is Andrew Harrison. The Lead Producer is Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
As Yard Act Overload us with new tunes, Jim Butler and Linda Marric join us to unpack the post-punk rockers’ latest album. Disney’s charming animation, Encanto, has Alex Andreou in a spell, but what will the panel make of it? Plus, Linda shares her top films of 2022, and we unpack Netflix’s new Japanese newsroom thriller, The Journalist.
“Nightmare Alley is del Toro's best film since Pan's Labyrinth.” - Linda Marric
“If you come from a large family with a strong female lead, you will love Encanto.” - Alex Andreou
“Yard Act don't have to paint themselves into a post-punk corner. They could go down an LCD Soundsystem route.” - Jim Butler
“The lyrics on Rich are worthy of Edward Lear.” - Alex Andreou
“You're hammered over the head from the opening scene that The Journalist is important.” - Jim Butler
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Producer: Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production: Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Arab Spring rippled across the Middle East, many looked to the relative calm of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates for a roadmap to stability. But how much of a moderniser is Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE? Matthew Hedges was arrested, interrogated and sentenced to life imprisonment whilst studying for his PhD in the UAE. He tells Arthur Snell about his harrowing experience, and new book, Reinvented the Sheikhdom, on MBZ’s authoritarian regime and security strategy.
“Sheikh Zayed lived in a world rife in internal conflict. He made the UAE's tribes work together, at the expense of their autonomy.”
“MBZ has an illiberal, undemocratic, and socially conservative worldview that puts the state first and foremost.”
“MBZ and MBS are more similar than they are dissimilar.”
“Your SIM card is linked to your ID, and they have the money to watch you at all times. These are tools of social control.”
“The UAE wants to be seen as forward-looking, not a Bedouin tribe stuck in the past.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/reinventing-the-sheikhdom/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hungary’s election on April 3rd is seen by many as the last chance to rid the country of autocratic leader Viktor Orbán, and to reverse the democratic backsliding seen during his time in office. Péter Krekó, senior researcher for the Center for European Policy Analysis, and Dávid Dorozs, Atlantic Council fellow and former MP, join Yasmeen Serhan to discuss Orban’s eroding of democracy, and the opposition alliance seeking to usurp him.
“We are into the last minute before midnight for Hungarian democracy.” - Peter Kreko
“If Orban wins again, you can expect an even stronger crackdown on democratic institutions.” - Peter Kreko
“Orban’s media team will use every smear in the book to bring us down.” - David Dorosz
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Yasmeen Serhan. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What will be sacrificed to protect self-designated Big Dog Boris Johnson: the BBC, migrants, a swathe of civil servants or our God-given right to get drunk at work? On the anniversary of Joe Biden’s accession to the US Presidency, has he already blown it? And is Russia really going to invade Ukraine? Special guest and legend of investigative journalism John Sweeney – of Panorama, Newsnight and the Hunting Ghislaine podcast fame – explains it all… and tells us about the time he ate kebabs in a mammoth museum with Vladimir Putin.
“Having a Royal Family puts a lot of dead-end, right wing rubbish in the cul-de-sac. All they need to do is keep their noses clean.” – John Sweeney
“You should throw the red meat to the dog, not the other way around.” – Marie le Conte
“The worst thing about the BBC is that faced with the Bullingdon approach they go straight into pre-cringe, cowering mode.” – John Sweeney
“We’re seeing the Bullingdonisation of British society – where you never get caught and you never pay the consequences.” – Arthur Snell
“When I met Putin his face was plastic, like one of the Autons from Doctor Who.” – John Sweeney
“I thought, Oh God, I’m going to projectile vomit over Vladimir Putin.” – John Sweeney
Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Marie le Conte and Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
So much for Veganuary. It’s Red Meat Week, apparently, as the Government throws the BBC, migrants and their own staff under a hard right bus in order to save Boris Johnson’s flea-bitten skin. Can you pull a workable plan to slash the BBC’s funding out of Nadine Dorries’ ear and expect it to work? Will Red Wall and Blue Shires alike see through Johnson’s desperate pandering? Alex Andreou sets up the week ahead.
“Once the Emperor is naked, it’s very hard to clothe him again.”
“The Conservative Party has already decided that Johnson can't go to the next elections. The only debates are who replaces him, and when?”
“I’ve never seen legislation give such a wide remit to the police. It effectively gives them carte blanche to break up any protest, of any size, anywhere.”
“If we have a system that puts our politicians up for sale, then we can’t get picky about who buys influence.”
Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Robots make our cars, deliver our food, and soon they’ll be commonplace in our homes and at work, but what will this future look like? How will the robot-human dynamic play out? MIT researcher, expert on robot ethics and author of The New Breed Dr Kate Darling talks to Andrew Harrison about the emotional connection between human beings and life-life machines, if we’re going to face a robot rebellion, and why robots will need rights, just like animals…
“People tend to treat robots as if they’re alive, even though we know they aren’t.”
“Robots pull on our heart-strings because we project ourselves and our emotions onto them.”
“Sci-fi loves to create robots that look and act just like humans, but we are not at the stage that yet.”
“We’re gradually starting to see robots come into our workplace and homes which is really exciting.”
“I see lots of problems with integrating robots into our society, but they don’t come from robots rising up against us.”
“There are videos online of robots being treated badly, and quite a strong backlash came from that.”
“R2D2 is this glorified trashcan on wheels and yet they are the most loved robot ever.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/309/309409/the-new-breed/9780241352991.html Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Guitar hero, super-producer and long-suffering Arsenal fan Bernard Butler tells us about updating his People Move On album and the secret of producing bands. And TV’s Katie Puckrik joins us to talk over the BBC’s marathon Andy Warhol documentary, Years And Years’ bid for the big pop moment, and internet shaming in the remarkable Indonesian movie Photocopier.
“Football managers’ fashion sense has gone rapidly downhill…” — Bernard Butler
“Andy Warhol predicted people as brands and influencers… He invented reality TV.” — Katie Puckrik
“Warhol used to call his tape recorder his wife.” — Katie Puckrik
“Night Call is a pop music panini: bland, smushed together and probably not that good for you.” — Katie Puckrik
Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Politicians don’t always give us what we want. So why do they get their decision-making so wrong? Polly Mackenzie is the Chief Executive of Demos and former Director of Policy to Deputy PM Nick Clegg. She talks to Ros Taylor about her report, The Humble Policy Maker, why we always think we’re right, how citizens can participate without dull consultations…and how a mouldy orange reveals what’s wrong with the technocracy today.
“If you tell people not to act in their self-interest, you'll end up with a whole load more policy problems on your hands.”
“The police is not the most important thing in keeping crime down, but our relationships with each other in society.”
“Being a citizen is a big, hard job. It's only by participating that we can build up the democratic skillset that enables us to compromise.”
“It's so easy to spend your life with people who are just like you.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rare, endangered animals are under attack from rich, powerful people who operate above the law. But this isn’t a story about illegal poaching in Africa, nor animals being hunted for Chinese medicines. This is happening in the UK. Arthur Snell talks to environmental activist Mark Avery, former RSPB conservation director, co-founder of Wild Justice, and author of Inglorious, about grouse shooting, who really owns our moorland, and ending the persecution of raptors.
“These grouse moors are wildlife crime hotspots.”
“Grouse shooting is seen as a posh, sexy sport. But it's only a sport if the grouses have guns too.”
“So many birds are being poisoned, shot, or disappeared on grouse moors that it's impossible to ignore anymore.”
“If you ever see someone killing a bird of prey, know that that is illegal.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Arthur Snell. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://markavery.info/books/inglorious-conflict-uplands-published-30-july/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why is the NHS struggling so badly if Omicron is less severe than previous COVID wave? And how come the Government wants to tear up COVID testing and mass vaccination when hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed? Health commentator Roy Lilley joins us for a situation report on the pandemic. Plus, can Suella Braverman successfully turn the acquittal of the Colston Four into Culture War fuel? What are we giving up for January? And Michael Gove stars in Die Hard In A Lift.
“The NHS is running up the down escalator… It has no workforce plan, because it doesn’t even get to write its own plan.” – Roy Lilley
“It’s interesting to see who’s raging at Djokovic being kept in the same ‘unacceptable’ conditions that actual refugees are kept in as a matter of course…” – Ahir Shah
“There are more NHS staff sick right now than there are soldiers in the UK army.” – Roy Lilley
“Colston SHOULD set a precedent – that the State should listen to local communities when they want to get rid of these statues.” – Ayesha Hazarika
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika and Ahir Shah. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government toys with pulling free lateral flow tests and mass vaccination. Are they giving in to the hard right CRG without a fight? Plus Liz Truss gets her first threat to trigger Article 16 in early, the horrific costs of Zero COVID in Xi’an in China, and auf wiedersehen to trial by jury. Naomi Smith and Justin Quirk set up the week ahead.
“Johnson being a liar and rule-breaker is completely baked in with voters.”
“The simple fact is, Boris Johnson has lost his power over Cabinet.”
“The story on Johnson is moving from ‘One rule for them, one for us’ to ‘They ain’t levelling us up.’”
“If Liz Truss was your friend at school, you'd be telling her to play a bit harder to get.”
“Who had tennis meets obnoxious populism on their report card for 2022?”
Presented by Justin Quirk and Naomi Smith. Producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Warning! Major spoilers! DO NOT listen unless you’ve already finished Sweet Bobby. How well do you know the person you love? The huge hit podcast Sweet Bobby charts a barely believable story of catfishing and psychological manipulation, in which a British woman called Kirat Assi discovers that her online romance is not what she thought. In a treat for all Bobby-heads, journalist and presenter Alexi Mostrous talks to Naomi Smith about uncovering this astonishing story. How did THAT PERSON do THAT THING and get away with it? And what did the experience do to the woman who lived it?
“This story read like a novel that would have been rejected for being too unrealistic.”
“It's easy to set up a fake Facebook profile. It's harder to set up 35 different phone numbers.”
“Kirat's community wasn't just close, it was closed off.”
https://www.tortoisemedia.com/listen/sweet-bobby/ Written and presented by Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Comedian and actor Omid Djalili joins us to talk about the joy of returning to touring (tickets available now!), taking Iranian visitors to see Chelsea FC when he was only six, and life as TV’s go-to Middle Eastern everyman. Screenwriter Kevin Sampson gives us the story behind his devastating Hillsborough drama Anne, about a mother’s fight for justice for her son. Plus the lost Bowie album Toy, The Tourist on BBC1 and much more.
“When I first saw Bowie, it was like an alien had come down the chimney.” – Kevin Sampson
“When you watch something in a live setting, it has a physiologically different effect on you.” – Omid Djalili
“What TV can do is personalise the experience of human pain.” – Kevin Sampson
“I always thought the ME in BAME must stand for Middle East…” – Omid Djalili
Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How would you behave as the dictator of Turkmenistan? Are bad people the only ones who get power - or does power make people worse? Host of the Power Corrupts podcast – and friend of ours! – Professor Brian Klaas talks to Alex Andreou about their latest book, Corruptible, learning from ski lessons with the likes of Paul Bremer…and what’s wrong with police recruitment videos.
“Serial killers are not successful psychopaths, because they couldn't hide it. They're the ones in the boardroom and the office.”
“Flat societies are not the answer. Western hierarchical societies are some of the safest places for humans to live.”
“Good governance costs, but it’s a price well worth paying.”
“Power corrupts gradually. The longer someone is in office, the worse they will become.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://brianpklaas.com/corruptible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the UK the country’s falling out of love with Johnson, the economy’s in crisis and the Conservative government is falling apart. Around the world there are crunch elections in France, Brazil and Hungary… the threat of a nuclear Iran… and in the USA, a battle for the very existence of democracy. Arthur Snell, Justin Quirk and special guest Antonia Jennings from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies join Andrew Harrison to open the Pandora’s Box that is 2022. Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
“It’s been a stockpilers’ pandemic, and the LFT shortage proves they’re still ahead of the crowd.” – Arthur Snell
“It’s time for Government to invest and stop worrying about the debt level.” – Antonia Jennings
"The only thing left for the Democrats after the mid-terms is to save democracy.” – Arthur Snell
“If Brazil runs a fair election, Bolsonaro’s out.” – Arthur Snell
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does 2022 have in store? It’s crunch year for three massive British institutions that have defined our lives: the BBC, the NHS and the Monarchy. Putin seems determined to exploit the West’s disarray to invade Ukraine. And if Donald Trump makes a comeback, could American democracy itself fall? Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler look ahead to a nerve-wracking year.
• “The challenge for BBC News is, how do you balance people who simply won’t tell the truth?” • “Russia and Ukraine could mean a ground war in Europe for the first time since 1945.” • “We’ve underestimated the way that Putinism and the lies have infected our own democracies… Trump and Trumpism are still here.”
Presented by Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From 1970s Westminster, to the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? scandal, James Graham is one of the UK’s most successful playwrights today. As Best of Enemies opens at the Young Vic, he talks to Dorian Lynskey about dramatising the brutal Buckley vs. Vidal debates of the 1968 US presidential elections, how art engages audiences and tackles polarization, composing playlists in the pub after rehearsals …and why COVID-threatened theatres have to work even harder to “drag people” away from TV, Netflix and Disney Plus.
“I feel a personal responsibility to the story to make it as meaningful and impactful as possible.”
“I don't know what it's like to be in 1960s America, but I do know what it's like to get into an argument on live TV.”
“Queer and Nazi weren't slurs politician had used before on US television.”
“The most radical thing a playwright can do is celebrate the idea of empathy towards different points of view.”
“I was surprised by the resistance from the progressive left to showing Dominic Cummings on TV.”
“Democracy depends on theatre. The Greeks made sense of difficult things by putting people in a theatre and telling stories.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Anyone for cheese and whine? The noble Lord Frost scuttles away from his Brexit mess as it emerges that real hardworking meetings require a chilled Chablis and an agreeable Comte in an exclusive garden. Plus, as 2021 staggers to its ignominious end, we pinpoint the lasting images and a few rays of hope in a year of misgovernance – and highlight what to look out for in 2022. Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Gavin Esler are your panel. Have a fantastic Christmas and thanks for your support. We’ll be back in the first week of January. Until then, have a safe and a happy one. Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
“There’s nothing funnier in the Nadine Dorries story than Steve Baker sending his Bitmoji as he kicked her out.” – Marie le Conte
“The big surprise of the yer was rediscovering that most of us, most of the time, just want to get on with our neighbours.” – Gavin Esler
“Boris Johnson is a person who loves actions, but not their consequences.” – Marie le Conte
“The French presidential elections are currently a bin on fire - but Frenchly.” – Marie le Conte
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Gavin Esler. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s going to be a cold Christmas at No 10, as Lord Frost resigns as Brexit Minister, Simon Case recuses himself over Christmas party investigations - and Nadine Dorries gets booted out of WhatsApp chats. Is jetsetter Liz Truss ready to take up her new position? And what will all this mean for popular compliance with new COVID rules? Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou look at the week ahead, in the last SYW of 2021.
“Is this what purgatory feels like?” - Naomi Smith
“The bookies still have Sunak as favourite to replace Johnson. The bookies don't know their history.” - Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou
“Frost's resignation has strong Steve Baker energy.” - Naomi Smith
“Truss is trying to style herself as a modern day Margaret Thatcher.” - Naomi Smith
“2022 might give you a nasty populist treat in the US midterms.” - Naomi Smith
Presented by Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A festive homage to the fromage… Nothing says Christmas like cheese, so in a sequel to Ros’s insect-eating special she goes for something a little more festive. Cheesemonger Ned Palmer of the Cheese Tasting Company joins her in the studio to chew over Britain’s long history of dairy production, what constituted the “metropolitan elite” cheeses of the 18th century, why a little blue mould goes a long way… plus a live tasting from his festive dinner table.
“We've been making cheese for 6,000 years. We've got lots to be proud of.”
“Philadelphia is the most authentic cheese in the world.”
“Eating this cheddar is like licking the cool stone of an old country church.”
“This cheese is even older than COVID…”
“We were at war with the French when Stilton and Port became trendy.”
The cheeses that Ned and Ros tried were: Edmund Tew. Made by Dave Holton and his team in Kent. Unpasteurised cow’s milk, animal rennet. Baron Bigod. Made by Jonny Crickmore and his team in Norfolk, England. Unpasteurised cow’s milk, animal rennet. Westcombe Cheddar. Made by Tom Calver and his team in Somerset, England. Unpasteurised cow’s milk, animal rennet. Stichelton. Made by Joe Schneider and his team in Nottinghamshire, England. Unpasteurised cow’s milk, animal rennet. Support your local cheesemongers by buying these cheeses here: England: Neal’s Yard Dairy, The Courtyard Dairy and The Fine Cheese Co Wales: The Welsh Cheese Company Scotland: I.J. Mellis Northern Ireland: Indie Füde Ireland: Sheridan’s Cheesemongers
Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leebrun. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk We round off 2021 with more picks of the best of the year. Entertainment journalists Laura Barton of The Guardian and Ted Kessler of indispensable music newsletter The New Cue join Siân and Andrew to choose the best albums, TV, films, tracks and ones that got away. Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We treat TV as the most disposable art form – but for decades it has shaped our world more than we know. From Big Brother to Shameless to Little Britain and Benefit Street, television chose the winners and losers of consumer capitalism, made it OK to sneer at the underclass, and then allowed that underclass a token comeback or two. Author Phil Harrison explores television’s innate cruelty, class dynamics and political subtext in The Age Of Static: How TV Explains Modern Britain. Has TV made our politics worse? And should it just give up on live political interviews altogether?
“A show called Britain’s Hardest Worker pitted benefit claimants against one another. You wouldn’t have written that in a dystopian fantasy.”
“Maybe the BBC needs to be in that permanent state of conflict or it’s not doing its job of challenging what we think.”
“When Mentorn took over Question Time they promised ‘adrenaline-fuelled Thursday nights’. Is that the purpose of a serious news show?”
“Nadine Dorries as a kamikaze Culture Secretary scares the hell out of me.”
Written and presented by Justin Quirk. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’ve all heard of the placebo effect, but what about the Expectation Effect? What we think will happen can change what does happen. David Robson, science journalist and author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World, talks to Alex Andreou about how our way of thinking shapes our everyday lives. Does believing stress is beneficial make you more creative under pressure? And can associating ageing with wisdom really add seven years to your life?
“There’s a lot of pseudoscience that says positivity can solve your problems. This is not that at all.”
“The expectation of becoming ill can actually increase your chances of becoming ill.”
“People who have a positive view of ageing are more likely to live longer than those who have a negative view.”
“Our expectations can shape our perceptions of food.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the leaks about illicit parties and quizzes pile up, and the Tory right wing fly into a rage about COVID passports, is Boris Johnson finally running out of road? And is the Torysphere getting bored with their boy? Plus we talk to Jolyon Maugham of the Good Law Project about the many deep-running scandals behind the day-to-day headlines. And what’s worse, the pressure to be happy all the time – or performative negativity from professional cynics? Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
• “The Government wants to do with the judiciary what it’s done with the BBC. It wants to keep them frit – and remind them of where they are in the hierarchy.” – Jolyon Maugham • “You can never tell if Johnson’s close to physical collapse or if he’s just spent ten minutes backstage mussing up the outfit.” – Justin Quirk • “Social media is a negative space. You don't exist on there until you say something.” - Alex Andreou • “The Met’s refusal to investigate has nothing to do with evidence, and everything to do with avoiding an embarrassing confrontation with Number 10.” – Jolyon Maugham https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Marie le Conte and Justin “Buff Nuff” Quirk. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s Crunch Week (again) for Boris Johnson as he tries to get Plan B Corona restrictions past a mob of increasingly rebellious and COVID-sceptic Tory MPs. Meanwhile the party-that-wasn’t and the world’s most unwise Christmas quiz continue to dog our unfortunate PM. Oh, and there’s the North Shropshire by-election on Thursday too. New PM by Christmas? Ros Taylor alerts you to what’s coming in the week ahead. • “Johnson can’t bring himself to cancel Christmas – even though for lots of people, Christmas is cancelled already.” • “If you see a pack of LFTs around, I would grab it now.” • “Johnson isn't in immediate trouble but honestly, who would want to take over at this point?” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our world is no longer governed by international coordination, with superpowers instead promoting ‘Enduring Disorder’. Jason Pack, non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder, talks to Arthur Snell about why the West has stopped collaborating internationally, and why Libya’s Civil War constitutes the ideal microcosm in which to view today’s geopolitics.
“I see the 21st century world order as characterised by disorder.”
“Were there not the implosion of Syria and Libya, there would be no Brexit.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/libya-and-the-global-enduring-disorder/ Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk The holidays are almost upon us, and we’ve got a gift of a guest – doyenne of the dinner party, Navratilova of the pavlova, NIGELLA LAWSON. As we wait for the final episode of Succession Series 3, we discuss Nigella’s favourite music, books, TV and culture of 2021 – plus what we should be giving each other for Christmas.
“It's A Sin was one of the most wonderful series of the year.” - Nigella Lawson
“Alex, you only love me for my jug of silicon spatulas.” - Nigella Lawson
“My dad being a butcher is like Sadiq Khan's dad being a bus driver.” - Andrew Harrison
Presented by Andrew Harrison, Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly a quarter of the world’s population is Muslim, so if we are to fully understand the modern world, we need to know about Islam. Dr Fitzroy Morrissey, Examination Fellow at All Souls College, University of Oxford, talks to Alex Andreou about his book A Short History of Islamic Thought, which traces through fourteen centuries of Islamic history to discuss questions of interpretation, legacy, the lives of Muslims and how they relate to others. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://headofzeus.com/books/9781789545654 Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last week far-right TV pundit Eric Zemmour announced he was running in next year’s French Presidential election, but who is he? And what does his candidacy mean for Macron and Marine Le Pen? Normandy-based journalist John Lichfield gives Ros Taylor the lowdown on France’s new far-right contender, as well as Valérie Pécresse of the centre-right, the woman who could take down Macron.
“Zemmour is a convicted racist and he rewrites French history to suit his own agenda.”
“Zemmour argued that France fought on the wrong side of the First World War, as they would’ve done better under a German-led Europe.”
“There would be a very aggressive policy of forced assimilation if Zemmour were to win.”
“A lot of the policies that Zemmour wants to implement would destroy the EU.”
“The core of Marine Le Pen’s voters are working class and disaffected, Zemmour’s supporters are more bourgeois.”
“The default position in France is to get rid of who is in power, but I think Macron is more likely to get back in than not.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government announces a performative war on middle class drug users just as cocaine traces are discovered in the Commons buildings. Coincidence? Plus, can tennis really stand up to China over the whereabouts of missing player Peng Shuai. Boris Johnson puts off a decision on Christmas to the very last minute, again. And why do we still put up with people winging it in positions of power? Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday • “Cocaine at work is a much bigger problem amongst the Tories than the Labour Party.” – ZOE WILLIAMS • “I don’t care that Michael Gove did cocaine in his 20s. If someone in Government is doing it, that’s different.” – AHIR SHAH • “The only way Boris Johnson could get into Liverpool is by wearing a police outfit.” – ANDREW HARRISON • “Peng Shuai has exposed China’s elite, and that is something they want to bury.” – GAVIN ESLER https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah and Gavin Esler. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Omicron cases continue to rise, but will new travel rules actually stem the tide of infections, or is it too late? Plus, as ‘crime week’ begins, traces of drugs have been found in Parliament toilets. Will the PM’s hard-hitting announcements fall on deaf ears? And the latest on last years Number 10 party, which did break Covid rules, but it was in the past so it doesn’t matter, right Mr Raab?
“There are so many hurdles to get over in order to travel, this will put a lot of people off.” - Arthur Snell
“The Science of dealing with pandemics has come on leaps and bounds in the last two years.” - Arthur Snell
“If you talk about drug use and the Conservatives, you can list a whole host of names who have taken them.” - Arthur Snell
“My hunch is that Yvette Cooper knows Priti Patel’s brief better than Priti Patel.” - Alex Andreou
“These attacks on ‘lefty lawyers’ are straight out of the populism playbook.” - Arthur Snell
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With The War of The Worlds, H. G. Wells catapulted to international literary success. But how did his adolescence shape the father of science fiction? Journalist and biographer Claire Tomalin talks to Dorian Lynskey about her latest book, The Young H. G. Wells, the author’s complicated love affair with socialism, telling Stalin he was wrong…and how Wells predicted the moonwalk seventy years before it happened.
“The Fabians were thrilled to accept young Wells - then dismayed to find he wanted to revolutionise them.”
“From Lenin to Stalin, Wells knew how to be a literary celebrity.”
“Wells was writing 7000 words a day. But he took a long time off too.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/288/288884/the-young-h-g--wells/9780241239971.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk It’s the first of two Best Of 2021 editions where we choose the best music, TV and films of a turbulent year. Our special guest is cosmic explorer of northern psychedelia Jane Weaver, whose album ‘Flock’ was one of our favourites this year. Plus journalist, DJ and editor of Umbrella magazine Anthony Teasdale joins us to help Siân and Andrew select the best stuff of the year. Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Features ‘Disco Pregnancy (Tonal + Rhythmical)’ by Laima Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last week 27 people tragically drowned trying to cross the Channel from France, and 2021 has seen a record number of migrants attempt to the treacherous journey. Why is this? And how can we prevent more lives needlessly being lost? Zoe Gardner, policy and advocacy manager at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, talks to Justin Quirk about why more people than ever are trying to cross the Channel, and how we can make our asylum system work for everyone.
“We knew this disaster was coming, and we could have prevented it.”
“The UK will never have a fair and decent asylum system in isolation. We need this to be an international effort.”
“There is currently a bill in Parliament which will throw refugee protection out the window.”
“We need to change the narrative that the UK is happy with having deadly borders.”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Laundering the dirty cash of kleptocrats is labour-intensive work. So who are the Western bankers, lawyers, accountants, and realtors enabling corruption across the world? Frank Vogl, co-founder of Transparency International, talks to Alex Andreou about his latest book, The Enablers, cleaning up the City of London, how cash launderers still lurk in the least corrupt countries …and why stunning artworks often conceal the ugliest of transactions.
“We never have petty corruption without widescale corruption in place.”
“The art market is the most opaque of all markets.”
“Enablers aid and abet the kleptocrats to make their investments.”
“The amount of money that Denmark has laundered through Estonia is larger than Estonia's entire economy.”
“Even in countries that are perceived not to be corrupt, the enablers are at work.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s panel show out early for Patreon people… Oh good, there’s a new variant in town. Is this really the way we wanted to learn the Greek alphabet? Special guest Christina Pagel of independent SAGE takes us through what we know about COVID: The Next Generation. Plus, the horrific drownings in the Channel. And how can we clear up the terrible crimewave caused by a female Doctor Who? Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday • “If your family’s not in the UK and you have plans to see them for Christmas, go sooner rather than later.” – CHRISTINA PAGEL • “These are serious times and we have a very unserious Government.” – ARTHUR SNELL • “No-one gives up the best years of their lives for £40 a week.” – CHRISTINA PAGEL • “Relations with France are now at the lowest point in my lifetime. • “South Africa announced the new variant knowing there would be travel restrictions against them. That is the definition of global citizenship.” – CHRISTINA PAGEL • “Pointless needling of the French is a default Government position.” – ARTHUR SNELL https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Marie le Conte and Arthur Snell. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The new Omicron variant is here in Britain, but how worried should we be about it? Will the Government be forced to curb Christmas for a second year running? Plus, as the Channel crisis worsens, will Number 10 take serious action to fix things? And Germany has a new government, what should we expect from Europe’s biggest economy in the coming years? Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan take you through the week ahead.
“It’s a very anxious time for a lot of people and it doesn’t help that the holidays are just around the corner.” - Yasmeen Serhan
“While wealthy nations continue to dominate vaccines, new variants emerging will not be surprising.” - Yasmeen Serhan
“I don’t think people think of unaccompanied children as being on these boats, but sadly they are.” - Yasmeen Serhan
Presented by Ros Taylor with Yasmeen Serhan. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Charlotte Raven was in her mid-30s when she discovered her father was suffering from Huntington’s disease. For her and her family, life would never be the same again. Joined by her doctor Ed Wild, Charlotte talks to Nick Cohen about her memoir Patient 1: Forgetting and Finding Myself, a candid account of her coming to terms with an inherited neurodegenerative disease, how it changed her as a person, and the hope that one day we can eliminate it altogether.
“Everyone in my family insulated me from the brutal reality of Huntington’s”- Charlotte Raven
“I felt like facing this head on would minimise it’s impact later” - Charlotte Raven
“I was exploited by a culture that wanted me to be a controversialist” - Charlotte Raven
“Huntington’s comes on so slowly the first symptoms are often unnoticed” - Ed Wild
“My children have become a recognisable anchor for me” - Charlotte Raven
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
In this week’s show, Madness frontman SUGGS joins us to talk about everything Nutty Boys. Journalist MICHAEL MORAN gives their take on Get Back, the Peter Jackson’s new epic on The Beatles’ Twickenham sessions, and Marvel’s latest series, Hawkeye. Plus THE ITALIAN JOB – film critic LINDA MARRIC unwraps Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, the new release with Adam Driver, Lady Gaga and Al Pacino.
“We liked dressing up, but when it becomes your full time job, it loses its novelty.” - Suggs
“Property has become a commodity, not somewhere to live. It has damaged the soul of London.” - Suggs
“The two things I love in the world are Marvel Comics and Christmas, so Hawkeye was made for me.” - Michael Moran
“House of Gucci's script isn't up to the story. It feels like a telenovela.” - Linda Marric
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over 130,000 people were killed in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, with most deaths concentrated in Bosnia. But 26 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, nationalist tensions are re-emerging between Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and Bosniak President Bakir Izetbegovic. So are we on the brink of another war in the Balkans - and did it ever end in the first place? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to journalist Una Hajdari and Professor James Ker-Lindsay about what we get wrong on ethnicity, peacekeeping, and Serbia’s “strongman” siblingship with Vladimir Putin.
“The ethnic differences that are taken into account by Bosnia's constitution are the same ones that will cause its downfall.” – Una Hajdari
“Russia is playing a spoiling tactic in the Balkans.” - James Ker-Lindsay
“Dodik is clever enough to know an overt declaration of independence would fail. He'd need to rely on Serbia - but they'd avoid supporting him outright.” - James Ker-Lindsay
“This is Bosnia's curse - all levels of its government have an ethnic quota, so it's hard to stray from any politics outside of that path.” - Una Hajdari
“Both Bosnian Serbs and Bosniaks see each other as a fundamental threat to each other's existence.” - James Ker-Lindsay
Written and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Around the world democratic values have been in decline, with Hong Kong’s struggle against Beijing one of the clearest examples. Pro-democracy activist Nathan Law was Hong Kong’s youngest legislative councillor, until he was arrested for speaking his mind. Now living in exile here in Britain, he talks to Arthur Snell about his new book Freedom: How we lose it, and how we fight back, the reasons for our recent democratic recession, and how he’s fighting for Hong Kong from afar.
“The 2019 protests saw over 2 million people marching, over a quarter of Hong Kong’s population”
“When mainland China wanted Hong Kong back in 1997, people were fearful of a return to autocracy”
“I had to continue to speak up for Hong Kong, which meant I had to leave the place I consider home”
“Hong Kong is just one example is the democratic recession we’ve seen across the world”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s panel show out early for Patreon people… And you can hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
The sleaze revelations may be ebbing, but the PM is still under sustained attack from his own MPs. Will a bouncing new Johnson baby save Christmas for the Conservatives? Jelena Sofronijevic joins to discuss what it’s like to graduate into a post-COVID job market and generational tensions in the workplace. Plus, the panel unpack the phenomenon of lockdown pets - vital for our mental health or a CAT-astrophe for the planet?
Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
“If I was a member of the Conservative Party at the moment, I'd be keeping my nose dry between factions.” - Marie le Conte
“Can you imagine if Tony Blair had sent his dad on Newsnight to explain on his behalf?” - Justin Quirk
“We make 17 year olds enter extraordinary financial commitments. No wonder they expect a job at the end of it.” - Ahir Shah
“This generation is acutely aware of the power, and the value, of their identity.” - Justin Quirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Northern Powerhouse trains might be derailed, but as the CBI convenes across the country, levelling up is back on the agenda. Could Keir Starmer be on track to dismantle the Government’s shoddy Integrated Rail Plan? And Austria returns to COVID lockdown, what will this mean for booster shots and mandatory vaccination at home? Plus Priti Patel faces pressure over the rise in dinghys in Dover, and do English Channel crossings really constitute a migrant crisis? Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou take you through the week ahead.
“Johnson hasn't got Brexit done, and he hasn't levelled up the country.” - Naomi Smith
“We needed an Integrated Rail Plan. We got a failure.” - Naomi Smith
“Johnson has done a lot to push people away. Starmer has to try and pull them.” - Alex Andreou
“You're always one step ahead of the next variant if you're not vaccinating the world.” - Naomi Smith
“If you construct a crisis that isn't actually there, it becomes quite difficult to solve.” - Alex Andreou
Presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Running a marathon is no easy feat, but to run one in under 3 hours puts you in the top 5% of runners worldwide. Comedian Paul Tonkinson details his gruelling yet moving journey to break the 3-hour mark in his book 26.2 Miles to Happiness: A Comedian’s Tale of Running, Red Wine and Redemption. He sits down with fellow runner Nick Cohen to talk about the trials and tribulations of beating one of running’s milestone times.
“I wanted to be as honest as possible about the process of running a marathon”
“Running a marathon runs nicely along the line of being really difficult, but also achievable”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk What a difference Adele makes. As Adele’s new album 30 comes out, music journalist EAMONN FORDE joins us to discuss “daydreamers” and “divorce, babes”. Plus film critic ANNA SMITH on THE POWER OF THE DOG, GRUNGE music doc FREAKSCENE, the story of Dinosaur Jr. - and with the re-release of SLADE IN FLAME on deluxe vinyl, we return to the 1974 film.
“Adele is my musical football. Enormously popular, but something I will never ever fathom.” - Eamonn Forde
“Power of the Dog is one of those films where you are absolutely gripped from start to finish.” - Anna Smith
“Slade got famous, but they never wanted to be.” - Eamonn Forde
“Glam rock is as British as boiled meat.” – Alex Andreou
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn and Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COVID may have suspended parliamentary debate, but important decisions were still being taken behind the scenes. So how did we do politics during the pandemic, and how can we do better? Ros Taylor talks to Aveek Bhattacharya, chief economist of the Social Market Foundation, about co-editing his new book, Political Philosophy in a Pandemic, “zombie governments,” and whether COVID shaming is ever acceptable.
“Even if you think you know the COVID guidelines, you might not know the rules around a particular case.”
“We have a zombie government, but we have had no option to vote it out.”
“Democracy isn't just about voting. It's about experience and debating.”
“The rise in tuition fees is a tax on younger people.”
“The boom has only benefitted those who got on the property market in time.”
“We normally think of children as the most vulnerable. But COVID has shown that that isn't always the case.”
“We haven't seen economies behave like this before, so we've have to take calculated risks.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Republican Party might be the party of Donald Trump, but how did it get to this place of uncompromising groups with irreconcilable demands? And is something similar about to hit the Democrats? Professor Samuel L. Popkin, academic, consulting analyst in five Democratic Presidential campaigns and author of Crackup: The Republican Implosion and the Future of Presidential Politics, chats to Dorian Lynskey about the rise of Trump, and what it means for the future of American politics.
“The great divide between the two parties is caused by failures of leaders to curb the extremes of their party.”
“It was made clear to John McCain that he wouldn’t get any money until he changed his position on global warming.”
“If Ted Cruz had acted differently, we might never had seen the emergence of Donald Trump.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The curtain has fallen on Glasgow’s climate conference, but is the overtime pact agreed enough to steer the world away from disaster? Plus, as allegations of sleaze continue to pile up, political writer STEVE RICHARDS joins us to discuss whether this is the Government Britain has ever seen. And with stories and hot takes coming at us from every angle these days, how can we best deal with news fatigue?
Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
• “These are pledges not policies, and the legislation being passed by countries is not as strong as the pledges made.” - Yasmeen Serhan
“It is impossible for China and India to continue with the growth they have made without coal power.” - Arthur Snell
“Historians will look back and say we didn’t do enough, fast enough” - Yasmeen Serhan
“If you want to do a sleaze-o-meter, this Government is right at the top.” - Steve Richards
“Johnson might have a majority of 80, but he has u-turned more than an other Prime Minister.” - Steve Richards
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COP26 came to a close at the weekend, but did India and China scupper an opportunity for real progress on climate change? Does the Glasgow pact go far enough? Plus, a horrific terror attack in Liverpool mars Remembrance Day, what do we know so far? And as sleaze allegations continue to come out, is the Johnson premiership now on a downward trajectory? Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor take you through the week ahead.
“India and China are struggling to understand a future without coal.”
“Alok Sharma was quite devastated, he had invested a huge amount into getting rid of coal.”
“It does feel as though the shine has come off Johnson, but there isn’t an alternative they’re excited to go to yet.”
“Sleaze could be something that is very difficult for the Government to shake off.”
“In terms of levelling-up, cancelling the HS2 link to Leeds does not look good.”
Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In England, 50% of the land is owned by just 1% of the population, but how did such a small minority come to control such a large amount of countryside? And what can we do about it? Guy Shrubsole, policy coordinator at Rewilding Britain and author of Who Owns England, chats to Nick Cohen about England’s dark past when it comes to land ownership, and his manifesto for how to open up our countryside once again.
“Land ownership is one of England’s deepest, darkest secrets.”
“50% of England is owned by just 1% of the population.”
“Ultimately, we all should have a greater stake in who owns England.”
“We think we live in a capitalist society, but we actually still have a lot feudalism.”
“Such a vast area of our land is given to the sport of grouse shooting.”
“To hold onto more red wall voters, something has to give on the issue of home ownership.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk The artist otherwise known as Malcolm Tucker and the Twelfth Doctor Who, PETER CAPALDI, makes an album with pal DR ROBERT of The Blow Monkeys. The Hogarth of the iPhone COLD WAR STEVE joins us to discuss his bleakly hilarious visions of Plague Island. And new albums from DAMON ALBARN and upcoming psychedelic soul star CURTIS HARDING. Buy Cold War Steve’s Journal Of The Plague Year: https://amzn.to/3wFV5sV. Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Albania in the 1980s was the last bastion of Stalinism in Europe. It was difficult to visit, and a place of poverty, executions and secret police, but for LSE politics professor Lea Ypi it was also home. She talks to Alex Andreou about her astonishing memoir Free: Coming of Age at the End of History, which details her childhood in one of Europe’s most repressive countries, what came afterwards, and what it truly means to be free.
“The fall of the Berlin Wall was brushed aside as something that didn’t concern Albania”
“At some point the state slogan was gone and was replaced by a coca-cola advert”
“I’ve spent half my life under socialism, half my life under liberalism… neither of these systems delivered what they set out to”
“To live in real democracy means to have a real say in the laws that are made”
“What we have is not a democracy, but rather a liberal representative system”
https://amzn.to/3HcK7Qw Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you think about the gig economy, you probably imagine an Uber driver. But one in seven Brits are part of the gig economy, including some teachers and doctors. So what’s behind this global phenomenon? Ros Taylor talks to Rest of World editor Peter Guest about their vast report on how workers in the global South get a worse deal, why women get lower ratings than men, and giving a meaningful platform to platform workers.
“There is a great imbalance of power between the platform and the worker.” - 04:00
“You can't be hired and fired in the usual way.”
“There's a ready supply of people waiting to work on these platforms, so the power is always in the company's hands.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
British-born US intelligence analyst FIONA HILL, America’s top Russia expert, became an overnight hero when she demolished Donald Trump’s Ukraine hoax before the House Intelligence Committee in 2019. In a fascinating conversation she tells us what it’s like to go up against a strongman’s political machine – and why Trumpism is still dangerous. Plus, is the tide of populism starting to ebb? And what pop songs changed our minds about politics?
Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday
• “I felt I had to stand up against Trump. Would I just stand on the sidelines and watch all this happen?” – FIONA HILL • “Elections come and go, but grievances are forever.” – YASMEEN SERHAN • “My favourite text message from a Tory MP last week just read ‘Christ’.” – MARIE LE CONTE
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written, presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Marie le Conte. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Johnson scuttles away from the Owen Paterson debacle and fresh sleaze oozes out, will new Commons regulations mean that MPs have to get by on just the one job like some sort of cave dwellers? Plus, brace yourself for trade war as Lord Frost (no doubt with great regret) prepares to trigger the Article 16 he’s been gagging for since December. And is your poppy leaf at the right angle? Alex Andreou flags up the week ahead.
• “The entire Paterson mess is simply because Johnson hates people bothering his Brexiteer mates.” • “What is there to prevent paramilitary violence flaring up in Northern Ireland?” • “Triggering Article 16 will only show that trade power lies with Europe, because it’s seven times the size of the UK.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
George Orwell was a keen gardener, but did his love of nature influence his politics? Inspired by her encounter with the surviving roses planted at his Hertfordshire cottage, writer Rebecca Solnit talks to Dorian Lynskey about her new book Orwell’s Roses, which looks at how Orwell’s involvement with plants was a catalyst for his work as a writer and antifascist.
“When I was young non-fiction was not treated as artwork… Orwell provided a great model for essayism”
“Animal farm is a book that Orwell couldn’t have written if he wasn’t aware of their behaviours”
“I found 1984 very different after discovering Orwell the gardener, Orwell the cheerful even”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
The Wordsworth of Bury GUY GARVEY of Elbow joins us to talk about their transcendent new album ‘Flying Dream 1’, the remarkable story of how he and his wife nursed his mother-in-law Diana Rigg through her last months, and how music fixes everything. And JUDE ROGERS helps us examine that ABBA album, remarkable Netflix drama of racism and identity PASSING, and that weird Princess Di movie SPENCER.
• “When people came back to our gigs, there was a sense of release.” – GUY GARVEY • “When I’m off to bed drunk, the band play Just A Gigolo and watch me spin on my heel.” – GUY GARVEY • “ABBA’s new album sounds like they’ve cleared out their hard drive.” – JUDE ROGERS
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The phrase ‘Net Zero’ has become increasingly prominent in our discourse around climate change, with most countries and businesses pledging to be carbon neutral by 2050. But what will a day in a net zero world look like? What sort of jobs will we be doing? What kind of food will we eat? And how will nights out change?
Journalist Jonn Elledge, editor of New Food Magazine Bethan Grylls and Leeds University research fellow Andrew Sudmant join Naomi Smith for a look into our net-zero future.
“The weekly big shop is dying out because of food waste” - Bethan Grylls
“We’re in this post-pandemic moment where we don’t know how much we’ll be working from home” - Jonn Elledge
“Lots of foods are in danger, we’re going to see a return to seasonality” - Bethan Grylls
“We could witness the end of fridges” - Bethan Grylls
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the world banks its hopes on COP26, we talk live from the conference to the FT’s SIMON MUNDY about his astonishing and sobering book ‘Race For Tomorrow’ – a tour of the frontline of the climate struggle that reads like a thriller. Meanwhile the UK Government concentrates on the far bigger issue of fighting France over FISH. Of course he does! And we watch the BBC’s shocking documentary about the Washington insurrection of Jan 6, ‘Four Hours At The Capitol’.
• “For any reporter, this is the biggest story of the century” – SIMON MUNDY • “How do you fix a country’s climate when international travel is its biggest earner – and its biggest threat?” – ALEX ANDREOU • “If you’re Johnson you make it about the French, not the deal you signed that’s now falling apart.” – MIATTA FAHNBULLEH • “The old climate war was simply denying the science. The new climate war is subtly arguing against any measures to mitigate climate change.” – SIMON MUNDY
Buy ‘Race For Tomorrow’: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Simon-Mundy/Race-for-Tomorrow--Survival-Innovation-and-Profit-on-the-/25601978
Watch ‘Four Hours At The Capitol’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010tff
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Miatta Fahnbulleh and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As climate change becomes a bigger issue, more companies are trying to prove they’re eco-friendly, but are they actually as green as they claim? Alice Bell, climate campaigner and author of Our Biggest Experiment: A History of the Climate Crisis, tells Yasmeen Serhan about the shady practice of greenwashing, where firms mislead consumers about their climate credentials. Which companies are the worst offenders? And what can we do about it?
“Greenwashing has become a developed art… it’s all designed to make the consumer feel good.”
“One person’s greenwash will be someone else’s acceptable strategy.”
“The oil industry has to invest in PR because their reason to exist is in question.”
“The phrase ‘Net-Zero’ has offered huge opportunities to greenwashers.”
“Britain talks about how we’ve stopped using coal, but we import goods made using coal.”
Presented by Yasmeen Serhan. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Climate change is the existential challenge of our time – but do we fully understand the depth and complexity of human influence over the planet’s temperature? In today’s COP26 special, Dr ELLA GILBERT, climate scientist from the University of Reading, takes Justin Quirk into the aspects of global heating that the media seldom foreground, from the cataclysmic impact of the cement industry to the strange and puzzling meaning of… clouds?
“The non-CO2 impacts of aviation may be up to twice as harmful as the CO2 impacts.”
“Ice is melting much more slowly in Antarctica than in the Arctic.”
“Adding in climate pressures can cause tensions to boil over into conflict.”
“Clouds at the tropics have a different impact to those in polar regions.”
“If the cement industry was a country, it would be third biggest emitter of C02.”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As COP26 kicks off in Glasgow, what do you need to know about a summit that’s being described as the “last chance” for global action on climate change? New Scientist chief reporter Adam Vaughan joins Andrew Harrison to talk all about Britain’s biggest event since the Olympics, from the key players and attendees, to the thorny issues and major sticking points.
“COP is very different from other diplomatic meetings like the G7, they are quite chaotic affairs”
“We’re currently have pledges just under 3 degrees which is disastrous, we need around 1.5 degrees”
“This is the biggest event the UK has hosted since the Olympics”
“It would be good if Xi showed up, but the Chinese delegation will be huge, they’re taking it seriously”
“Australia has become a huge outlier on climate change because it relies so heavily on fossil fuels”
Produced and Presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Original Essex Man BILLY BRAGG joins us to discuss how the pandemic changed pop, politics and his haircut, on the very day his new album The Million Things That Never Happened comes out. Plus film critic Linda Marric joins us to look at Edgar Wright’s bizarre West End horrorfest LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, new music from THE WAR ON DRUGS, well-aged psychedelic pop from France, and more.
Presented by Siân Pattenden Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the human race reaches new heights of scientific understanding, why then does it seem to be losing its mind? Are humans inherently irrational beings? Professor Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist and author of the new book Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, talks to Alex Andreou about how irrationality occurs within our society, and why we need to embrace the notion that humans are naturally rational.
“I wanted to explain why a species as rational as ours is vulnerable to so much nonsense”
“There are stupid people who are rational and smart people who are irrational”
“The reason that persuasion is still called for is that not everyone is a dyed-in-the-wool true believer”
“The successful politicians are the ones that have ideas, but also know how to reach people”
“If people are unaware progress has taken place, they could look to turn the clock back”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The COVID pandemic has seen us bombarded with statistics like never before, - case numbers, excess deaths and vaccination rates. But behind the numbers, is there another story waiting to be told? Professor David Spiegelhalter joins Ros Taylor to talk about his new book COVID By Numbers, which shines a new light on the pandemic from the hardest hit countries, to the benefits of different vaccines, and the effect of lockdown on our mental health and the economy.
“Statisticians try to make sense of what’s going on, and there is a lot of demand for that”
“The perpetual daily updates have kept numbers in people’s minds”
“There has been a systematic change in the pattern of deaths, people aren’t going to hospital to die”
“COVID has shone light on big gaps on our knowledge of other people’s lives”
“When the media call out u-turns, it stops people making changes based on new evidence”
“Statistics have been incredibly important, the PHE dashboard had 76 million hits within 24 hours during the 3rd lockdown”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Plan B really happening or what? Does the Government grasp the magnitude of the NHS crisis that’s coming? And is there any way to get the performatively unmasked to mask up again? Plus, as the wheels continue to fall off Facebook, is there any fixing social media? And we look at next year’s Unboxed event, the rebadged, don’t-mention-leaving-the-EU Festival of Brexit. Special guest ZOE WILLIAMS of The Guardian to dig into this week’s political misery.
• “The row over GPs is completely confected… The problem isn’t of face-to-face appointments, it’s that they’re overworked and worn out.” – ZOE WILLIAMS • “Choosing social media villains and giving them a kicking in front of committees is not going to fix this.” – ZOE WILLIAMS • “Very politicised people don’t WANT the platforms fixed. They’re there for the fight.” – MARIE LE CONTE • “You can’t put a picture of yourself breastfeeding on Facebook, but fascist hate is fine?” – ZOE WILLIAMS
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Marie Le Conte and Ahir Shah. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER IS A PODMASTERS PRODUCTION Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Metaphor time! Rishi Sunak strains over a painful Budget while Conservative MPs are hammered for voting to allow raw sewage to be released into the sea. What’s coming in the Budget and will Johnson’s aversion to bad news push Plan B back – meaning that, yet again, the Government acts too late on a rising COVID wave? Alex Andreou starts your week.
“Imagine if raw sewage became the defining issue of your government…”
“Boris Johnson has become invisible, which indicates the Budget will not be a good one.”
“This Budget includes straight-up bribe pots for Conservative Party donors.”
“Sunak, Truss, and Barclay’s constituencies have all done very well from the Levelling Up Fund.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
t’s often said that the crisis in Western democracy is caused by those left-behind, but is the greatest threat to security actually a bored middle-class? University Professor and author of Our Own Worst Enemy Tom Nichols talks to Arthur Snell about why unchecked narcissism is to blame for rising illiberalism, which factors are accelerating our democratic demise, and why building coalitions is our only way out.
“We’ve become used to being hyper-connected to each other, which turns out to be a pretty bad thing for maintaining democracy.”
“The people who vote for populists are overwhelmingly white, middle-class and well-off.”
“In the US anti-immigration feeling is sky-high in areas where there are no immigrants, it’s driven by television.”
“We now have millions of people who have become so detached from reality that it’s impossible to have a rational conversation with them.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
This week: Snooker star turned cosmic DJ STEVE DAVIS tells about his love for out-there avant garde rock and the time he took Frank Warren to see Magma. We review spice’n’sandals epic DUNE and Wes Anderson’s paean to the golden age of magazines, THE FRENCH DISPATCH – and speak to star LÉA SEYDOUX. John Harris explains why ‘Let It Be’ is THE BEATLES’ least-understood record. And a thrilling new album from one-woman pop revolution SELF ESTEEM.
Presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.
Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s COVID Groundhog Day with cases spiking, the Government dithering and the NHS under critical pressure all over again. As Sajid Javid warns of 100,000 cases a day soon, health commentator Roy Lilley tells us why the Government’s“ Plan B” is in disarray. How fast should they move to tighter restrictions? And can they make it stick with a population that believes the pandemic is done?
“What is it going to take for someone in the cabinet to say ‘Yes, we need Plan B’?.”
“Sajid Javid standing up and lecturing the nation with a Union Jack behind him was absolutely ridiculous.”
“Who actually runs the NHS? Is it Sajid Javid or the Daily Mail?”
“Let’s have that firebreak and let’s enjoy Christmas.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is gene-editing – replacing sections of DNA to make plants and animals more fertile or resistant to disease – really our escape route from the threats of climate change and population growth? Since Brexit the British Government has been tearing up tight EU legislation on the practice, with DEFRA now allowing it for crops. But do we really understand the difference between gene editing and modification (GMO), or its complex environmental and social implications?
Alex Andreou chews over gene editing with two experts from both sides of the debate, agriculturalist and member of the Food Ethics Council Patrick Mulvany and Professor Nick Talbot, Executive Director of The Sainsbury Laboratory.
“We need to do something about farming and food production in the face of the climate emergency.” - Professor Nick Talbot
“The status quo in agriculture cannot be maintained.” - Professor Nick Talbot 17:00
“Gene editing should be part of our panoply of food innovations that we need to feed people by 2050.” - Professor Nick Talbot
“We need smaller farmers to have access to these technologies. Agriculture is still dominated by the big multinationals.” - Professor Nick Talbot
“There's no shortage of innovation. Placing all our emphasis on gene editing is not sustainable.” - Patrick Mulvany
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The horrific murder of Sir David Amess has put MPs’ personal security into sharp relief. But should the Government tighten rules for online speech which, however ugly, seems to have little to do with this outrage? Plus, climate change deniers the Global Warming Policy Forum rebrand as Net Zero Watch. Will claiming that carbon reduction is too expensive succeed where denying it outright failed? And why can’t Britain stop harping on about the Blitz Spirit?
“Two MPs have been killed in last five years. We simply cannot say that MPs are safe to do their job.” – Justin Quirk
“Prevent was never designed as a predictive programme… Just because this person was referred doesn’t mean their name would go straight to MI5.” – Arthur Snell
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan, Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Children lost an average of 115 days of schooling under last year’s lockdowns, but that doesn’t capture the scale of trauma and dislocation caused to children by the Government’s bungled handling of the pandemic. Former Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield tells Ros Taylor about the hidden consequences of COVID policy for kids – how the pandemic was an opportunity to exploiters including county lines drug dealers – and why we have to stop seeing the pandemic through the adult-centric prism of shopping, holidays, offices and pubs.
“These school closures will have an effect for years and decades – and for some kids, forever.”
“After the pandemic, children’s mental health has plummeted.”
“I never thought I’d ever have to say ‘Kids need to be in school’. But everything we knew crumbled in a very short time.”
“We’re never going to have real levelling up until we get it right for kids.”
“When you’ve only got a couple of crap phones to work on, that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you need to learn.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A second MP in five years is killed during the performance of constituency duties. Will the death of Sir David Amess change the temperature of political debate? Plus Dominic Raab’s plan to overrule independent courts, the brewing PCR test scandal, and coal-funded senator Joe Manchin destroys Joe Biden’s clean energy programme. Ros Taylor starts your week.
“Police protection at surgeries is all very well, but marginalised people can be very afraid of the police – with good reason.”
“People will always exploit tragedies like these for their own political ends.”
“Kids are still paying the price for adults' failure on COVID.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Anglo-Saxons represent one of the most vital and important periods in English history, but then why do we know so very little about them? Marc Morris, historian and author of The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, takes Nick Cohen on a journey though one of England’s most fascinating chapters, and how their influence is still felt today.
“We’re taught about the Anglo-Saxons as young children, which means we only learn about them in basic terms.”
“Only by the 18th century was Alfred the Great idolised, but there was a lot of the original Alfred which is worthy of admiration.”
“English counties are basically as they were in the 10th century, and a great many villages and towns were founded by the Anglo-Saxons.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’ve got a bit less music on this week’s podcast than we’d like but you can hear it in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk This week: As the third season of dynastic epic Succession begins on Sky, what makes it the most compelling thing on TV? After 40 years in the game, Duran Duran make a genuinely fantastic album: we listen to Future Past. And a real find on Netflix in unreal Chilean horror movie Fever Dream. Entertainment Weekly’s Clark Collis is our guest. Presented by Siân Pattenden, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cities are slowly coming back to life after COVID. But has the pandemic permanently changed our urban spaces, and how we live within them? Co-author of Survival of the City and Harvard University Professor Edward L. Glaeser talks to Ros Taylor about how commuting has always been defined by class divides, whether fifteen minute cities could work…and why we need a “NATO of healthcare”.
“Once we’re healthy again, there’s little chance cities will atomise.”
“There's no Democratic or Republican way to clean the streets. The same should go for fighting pandemics.”
“Teleworking makes cities up their game on cost and quality of life.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669805/survival-of-the-city-by-edward-glaeser-and-david-cutler/
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Enigmatic Californian tech investor and libertarian Peter Thiel is best known for his controversial ‘spy tech’ company Palantir and for enabling Hulk Hogan to sue gossip site Gawker out of business. But as new book The Contrarian shows, Thiel has always had bigger ambitions to use tech to sideline government itself. Author Max Chafkin tells Andrew Harrison about the Randian ideas that propelled Thiel from the “Paypal Mafia” to Trump’s White House – and why we should worry about ‘Thielism’.
“Thiel is both a superhero and supervillain, like Ayn Rand crossed with… Ayn Rand.”
“Thiel is the one person aside from Mark Zuckerberg who is responsible for Facebook’s success.”
“He named Palantir after this all-seeing orb from Lord of the Rings. And Sauron is not the good guy.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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As Britain surges forward into the 1950s, the Prime Minister goes on holiday – again. Will fuel costs, supply chains, staff shortages and reskilling just, you know, sort themselves out? Or do we need to reacquaint ourselves with stagflation? Plus, can the fallout from the sentencing of Sarah Everard’s murderer and the increasing focus on misogyny in society really become a moment of change? Special guest Emma Kennedy joins us to gaze into this week’s political abyss.
“We’re culling perfectly good pigs and importing pork from the EU? This is making Britain self-sufficient?” – Emma Kennedy
“We’ve been expecting disaster for so long that if it doesn’t arrive, the government can fall back on, Hey, the doomsters were wrong again…” – Justin Quirk
“If there was a shortage of baguettes in Paris, the French would burn the place to the ground. The British, sadly, are not like that.” – Emma Kennedy
“The notion of rebalancing the economy by market shock is quite insane.” – Alex Andreou
“Violence against women will never change until we make it as utterly unacceptable as drink-driving… Men have got to step up.” – Emma Kennedy
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Unelected Brexit panjandrum David Frost gets ready to blow up the Northern Ireland deal that he and Johnson sold to the public. Is Poland really shaping up to leave the EU? The first ‘Covid: Lessons Learned’ report looms into view. Plus bizarre elections in the Czech Republic, Facebook in the dock and an old-fashioned nuclear spy scandal. Arthur Snell starts your week.
“Frost and Johnson’s strategy has been to pretend it’s someone else’s deal and that it needs to be renegotiated."
“From a very dark tactical perspective, the return of the threat of violence in Ireland would be to Johnson and Frost’s advantage.”
“Facebook has run out of road, it doesn’t really have any political friends anymore.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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DANGER, SPOILERS! James Bond finally returns to cinemas in a world where questions about sexism, racism and Britishness have seldom been more pointed. Is there a place for a suave, womanising emissary of British power in the modern world? Is it time to reassess the role of Bond in British culture? Regulars and Bond fiends Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell talk to Ian Kinane, editor of the International Journal of James Bond Studies and a senior lecturer in English literature, about their first Bonds and where 007 should go next. Do not listen unless you’ve seen the film.
“Bond offers a parallel universe in which Britain always wins.” - Arthur Snell
“Bond probably has many fatherless children all over the world.” - Ian Kinane
“James Bond is so far from the boring reality of intelligence work, like people staring at databases.” - Arthur Snell
“Shirley Bassey is seen as singing an anthem of Britain's glory days of Empire.” - Ian Kinane
“Bond seems to embody what is properly British, but more often he’s played by actors who aren't British themselves.” - Ian Kinane
Presented by Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Remember you can hear the music from every Culture Bunker in full on our rolling playlist. Joining us for this week’s tour de pop culture are guests J. Willgoose, leader of avant pop band Public Service Broadcasting, and author Jenny Colgan. On the agenda: Could you play the Squid Game? We look at the Netflix breakout hit. Does new documentary The Beatles And India turn the tablas on our ideas of Western pop? And new music from Mancunian electro explorers W.H. Lung. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
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Antisemitism remains one of the Labour Party’s most painful problems. It’s an issue with deep roots, dragged up by Corbyn, and left to Starmer to deal with. Trade unionist Daniel Randall, author of Confronting Antisemitism on the Left, and sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris, join Dorian Lynskey to discuss what distinguishes left from right wing anti-Jewish racism, and what can be done about it.
“The 2007 financial crisis brought antisemitism on the left to the fore.” - Daniel Randall
“Gaslighting and denial is just as harmful as antisemitism itself.” - Keith Kahn-Harris
“In some analyses, capitalism is coded as a specifically Jewish endeavour.” - Daniel Randall
“Antisemitism has a complicated ideology. It's not just, 'Jews bad, non-Jews good.'“ - Daniel Randall
“There's a moralistic element to Corbyn's politics, and it's difficult to situate Jews within that.” - Daniel Randall
“Anti-racism is a lifelong struggle. But Corbyn treated it like a journey where one could arrive.” - Keith Kahn-Harris
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.nopasaran.media/confronting-antisemitism-on-the-left/
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Should we feel more compassion towards men who are send to public schools? And what do boarding school books reveal about the emotions of society’s elites? With fellow students like Boris Johnson and David Cameron, Richard Beard’s latest book, Sad Little Men, explores his time at school. He tells Ros Taylor why private school only gives kids a partial education, how sexist attitudes linger beyond the school gates…and why years of emotional suppression makes private school boys very good spies.
“You're supposed to leave your time at school behind and go on and be successful.”
“When you arrive as a small child, your instinct is to run away back home.”
“There is a conflict between what adults are telling you is good for you, and your emotional experience.”
“This confidence applies to a limited area of life - but one where power resides.”
“It was male opinion that mattered to us, and it remained so when we left school.”
“Parents and children are drawn into this delusion that boarding school is for the best.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Richard-Beard/Sad-Little-Men--Private-Schools-and-the-Ruin-of-England/25942336 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain staggers into another Winter of Discontent but the atmosphere in the Conservative Party Conference is serenely unworried, says our woman on the spot Marie le Conte. Can anything penetrate Boris Johnson’s reality-distortion field? Plus special guest Annette Dittert, London bureau chief of Germany’s TV channel ARD, explains what the German elections really mean – and how Germany thinks Brexit is going. And is the BBC’s schmaltzy Ridley Road really the best way to dramatise real political events?
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte and Gavin Esler. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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As the Conservatives convene for their Manchester conference, are there sufficient supplies of Churchillian cosplay, blather about levelling up and performative woke-bashing to cover up their failings on supply lines, fuel, COVID and the economy? Will anyone dare mention the “B” word? Plus the Pandora Papers lift the lid on big money chicanery, anger over police misogyny grows, and who will win the Nobel Peace Prize? Naomi Smith starts your week.
“There's petrol in Kabul, but there’s no petrol in Brighton."
“Johnson’s performance on Marr was so embarrassing. He's trying to gaslight the nation.”
“How many appalling situations does Cressida Dick have to preside over before something is done?”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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In a groundbreaking study, a team of scientists at the University of Dusseldorf have grown mini brains, each with their own sets of “eyes” that can detect light. Dr Jay Gopalakrishnan, the leader of the project, spoke to Alex Andreou about the extraordinary research going on the field of these “organoids”, miniature versions of organs that scientists can grow in the lab from stem cells, and where this remarkable study could lead us in the years ahead.
“In the last 10 years my lab has made brains, livers, lungs… every human organ type has been made from stem cells”
“My guess is that in 10 years you’ll be able to generate your own cell type for transplants”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Remember you can hear the music from every Culture Bunker in full on our rolling playlist. On this week’s pop culture roundtable we meet John Cooper Clarke, the William Blake of Salford, on the occasion of his new collection of poems – and he reads us one too. Plus, have Apple TV+ successfully filmed the unfilmable with their adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation? Is “all the men are dead” comic book adaptation Y: The Last Man any good? The genius of 80s remixer Shep Pettibone. And Jonny Trunk of Trunk Records on the out-thereness of library music. Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Red Wall has been the backbone of Labour's vote in the Midlands and the North of England. But in 2019, it dramatically turned blue for the first time in living memory. So what do we get wrong about the Red Wall? Nick Cohen talks to the Financial Times’ Sebastian Payne about his new book, Broken Heartlands, his time in ten constituencies across the North, and what Labour needs to do to recover regional electoral support.
“The collapse of the Red Wall has been gradual, then sudden.”
“Brexit broke the umbilical cord between collectivised communities.”
“I couldn't tell you a single soundbite from Ken Clarke's career. But he told a convincing narrative.”
“There is nothing inevitable about demographics in this country.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sebastian-Payne/Broken-Heartlands--A-Journey-Through-Labours-Lost-England/25842557
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For many of us, politics is a hobby. We soak in the gossip, eat up the statistics and tweet our outrage when an unpopular decision is made. But if we want to make change, should we get off our sofas and start to mobilise? Tufts University politics professor and author of Politics Is for Power, Eitan Hersh tells Ros Taylor why we should stop treating politics like entertainment, and the steps we can take for more effective political participation.
“For decades we’ve seen the decline of in-person civic participation.”
“After the 2016 election students were in tears about the result, but they didn’t lift a finger during the campaign.”
“If more people understood how power flowed in their community, they’d know what to do when there was conflict.”
“White Americans are less likely to spend their political time on volunteering than minority communities.”
“Well-educated people know that political engagement is something they should do, but they still don’t do it.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic, Jacob Archbold and Nat Amos. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Out early for Patreon people… When a government fails to deliver the basics – like getting petrol to the pumps – can it ever win back the confidence it has lost? Is Keir Starmer pulling off the relaunch he needed at the Labour conference? We ask special guest Stephanie Lloyd, former deputy director of Blairite think tank Progress, if the Party’s centrists have enough to offer beyond “Not Corbyn Any More.” And can James Bond still be a fantasy of omnicompetent Britishness in an age when Britain is falling apart?
“The Army and the public quite like it when crises like this happen. The military enjoy being the people who clean up the mess.” – Arthur Snell
“We are eighteen months into the pandemic, and five years into Brexit. Where was the planning?” – Stephanie Lloyd
“James Bond allows Britain to see itself as bigger than it really is.” – Arthur Snell
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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They cancel Christmas earlier every year, don’t they? As petrol queues swamp Britain, will the EU lorry drivers we told to get out come back now we need them? (Spoiler: non, nein, όχι). Plus the German election results, Keir Starmer’s big moment at the Labour Conference, and phone hacking is back back back! Alex Andreou starts your week.
“HGV drivers are not short of work in Europe. Offering them a visa is far too little, far too late.”
“We’re now being told that Brexit means we can solve the problems created by Brexit…”
“As Labour voters, we've come too good at punching ourselves in the face.”
“So it’s OK in politics to be a lying scumbag, but it’s not OK for people to say it?”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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With gas prices soaring, and energy companies going bust, is it time for the Government to intervene? And while the Business and Energy Secretary described events as a “perfect storm”, how much of that storm was warned about, and even self-inflicted? Former energy trader and co-founder of one of the UK’s largest green energy suppliers, Amit Gudka tells Alex Andreou why Britain is so exposed to volatile prices, what the Government should be doing to solve the crisis, and if Brexit is to blame.
“This is a sector where there have been very low margins for a while, putting a cap on prices only increases the pressure.” - Amit Gudka
“If you nationalise the supply sector, with the UK being a net importer of gas, you do put yourself at risk to global price rises.” - Amit Gudka
“Moving investment into batteries is the big challenge, but it’s also a big opportunity.” - Amit Gudka
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Hear the music from every edition on our rolling playlist. Our new weekend pop culture roundtable returns with special guest Lynval Golding of The Specials, and their latest album, Protest Songs. Journalist Ian Harrison joins us to chew on new films The Farewell and Sweetheart, and we all listen to Bright Magic, the latest offering from Public Service Broadcasting.
"The history of music can almost be seen as one long protest song." - Sian Pattenden.
"I was born in Jamaica, I am living in America, but England is my home." - Lynval Golding
"Gay men get films set in Lombardy. Gay women get the caravan park in Dorset." - Alex Andreou.
Because of licensing issues we’ll have to use fewer music clips than usual in the main release – but Patreon people, rest assured you’ll get “a few extras” in this version. And all the music is on The Culture Bunker’s rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickenson. Bigmouth is a Podmasters production.
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Are humans really driven by desire for power, money, sex and comfort – or is something even deeper at play? Beneath greed, acquisitiveness, and even altruism and self-sacrifice is an even more fundamental motivation, says science writer Will Storr: the scramble for status. He tells Andrew Harrison about his new book The Status Game: On Social Position And How We Use It, and the hidden social systems that program us to perform acts of great benefit to our fellows, deeds of heroism… and some of the most infamous crimes in human history.
“We're a tribal animal. And once we’ve connected with our tribe, the jostling for position begins.”
“The brain’s basic rule is ‘connect with people and go for status’.”
“Morality is just a way we play for status.”
“Humans are at their worst when they’re deprived of status.”
“Even people who complain about virtue signalling are virtue signalling themselves.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Will-Storr/The-Status-Game--On-Social-Position-and-How-We-Use-it/25325652
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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COVID has transformed the way we work. But not everyone’s a winner, especially women, with many in jobs that make working from home is impossible, undertaking twice as much unpaid overtime, or being pushed back into the office at risk of potential pay cuts. So what can be done to support working women? Naomi Smith talks to Maya Jeyabraba and Rose Lasko-Skinner from DEMOS, who have just published Distanced Revolution, a report all about how COVID caused a revolution in home working - and what needs to happen next.
“Lots of people were excited about the flexibility without recognising the risks of working from home.” - Rose Lasko-Skinner
“Flexible working can help with levelling up. But that too needs a legislative framework.” - Rose Lasko-Skinner
“Even before the pandemic, women were taking on the second shift at home.” - Maya Jeyabraba
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://demos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Distanced-Revolution.pdf
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As gas prices soar and energy providers go out of business, is Britain heading for another winter of discontent? Plus, how is the Republic of Ireland finding Brexit? Is there any sympathy for the UK in Brussels? Tony Connelly, Europe editor for Irish state broadcaster RTE, joins us to discuss. And are the French right to be angry about the new AUKUS alliance?
“On gas providers the Government sounds like Lord Farquaad, ‘some of you may die”' - Marie Le Conte
“Europe is worryingly dependent on Russian Gas, and that is all part of a big geopolitical game” - Tony Connelly
“It doesn’t matter how political you are, if the pound in your pocket gets you less, people will be angry” - Marie Le Conte
“The entire UK political system did not understand the gravity of leaving the single market” - Tony Connelly
“There is little sympathy in Brussels and Dublin for this idea that the UK was bullied” - Tony Connelly
Presented by Alex Andreou with Marie Le Conte and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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As Johnson and Truss head stateside, what will their New York trip mean for the UK’s environment strategy? Could AUKUS prove awkward at the international dinner table? And: why have so many people stopped wearing their COVID face coverings? Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan chew on the new cabinet appointments, gas shortages, and the Great British Bake Off stars to watch. • “A lot of Johnson's New York trip is about making COP26 a success.” - Yasmeen Serhan • “The AUKUS is a direct challenge to China, but it seems to have angered the French the most.” – Yasmeen Serhan • “Wearing masks is such a small thing that we can all do to cut transmission.” - Yasmeen Serhan Presented by Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Nuclear anxiety was an everyday emotion in the 1980s, sparking atomic pop culture and peace camps across the world. September 2021 marks 40 years since the RAF Greenham Common protests, when a handful of Welsh women left their homes to march against the arrival of US nuclear warheads at the base in Berkshire. Professor Jane Holgate and Stephanie Davies, author of Other Girls Like Me, are both former Greenham women. They tell Ros Taylor about their time at the camp, why Greenham was a vital space for women, and what’s next for the anti-nuclear movement.
“We came for the peace, and we stayed for the feminism.” - Stephanie Davies
“You could break UK law to prevent a greater crime. I was trying to protest apartheid in another country,” - Stephanie Davies
“Horrible, smelly lesbians was a phrase used against Greenham women.” - Jane Holgate
“People supported the peace movement and getting rid of the missiles. But as women, we were seen as part of the threat.” - Stephanie Davies
“A lot of women left the camp because they feared losing custody of their children.” - Jane Holgate
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production http://binkbooks.bedazzledink.com/books/books-n/other-girls-like-me/
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Hear the music from every edition on our rolling playlist.
Welcome to the debut of our new weekend pop culture roundtable, as the podcast formerly known as Bigmouth joins The Bunker. This week, special guest Dan Gillespie Sells, composer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie joins us to talk over the musical’s transition to Amazon Prime film. Critic Michael Hann helps us unpack Sex Education Series 3 on Netflix, and The North Water. Plus friend of the podcast Naomi Smith joins to share her pick of the horror flicks out in cinemas now.
"Pop music is something you have on when you're dropping the kids off swimming. Writing for musical theatre is very different." - Dan Gillespie Sells.
"Drag queens are superheroes." - Alex Andreou.
"When I came out, I wore a white wedding dress and sang Don't Cry for Me, Argentina in the town square." - Alex Andreou.
"Sex Education is for people to reminisce about the sex they didn't have as teenagers." - Michael Hann.
Because of licensing issues we’ll have to use fewer music clips than usual in the main release – but Patreon people, rest assured you’ll get “a few extras” in this version. And all the music is on The Culture Bunker’s rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickenson. Bigmouth is a Podmasters production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If Apple Inc. was an economy, it would be the eighth largest in the world. But facing huge lawsuits across the world, it is finally starting to encounter the weight of its success. Has the company abused its market monopoly position in tightening its technological grip? Alex Andreou talks to Brooke Masters, Chief Business Correspondent at the FT, and Reuters Tokyo’s Tim Kelly about big tech battles in India, Japan, and South Korea…and why Epic has merely taken a byte out of the Apple Store.
“Apple generally has a principle that whatever it does applies globally.” - Brooke Masters
“The revenue from Apple's App Store is a huge source of revenue for the company.” - Brooke Masters
“Technology has moved on, but the law hasn't moved as fast.” - Tim Kelly
“Apple's business model is to keep people in their universe and buying stuff.” - Brooke Masters
“If Apple is the subject of anti-trust action, then what does that mean for Google?” - Tim Kelly
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Parties are the engines of democratic politics. But they also pit us apart as people and polities. So what are the new ways of political polarization, and what can we do to tackle them? Alison Goldsworthy, CEO of the Depolarization Project and former Lib Dem deputy chair, and behavioural scientist Alexandra Chesterfield are two of the authors of Poles Apart and the brains behind the Changed My Mind podcast. They talk to Ros Taylor about deconstructing confirmation bias, why facts and stats can cause unintentional polarization - and how Jewish family dinners helped deradicalize a member of the KKK…
“Polarisation isn't always about the extremes. It's about how radically you hold on to your identity.” - Alison Goldsworthy.
“It makes us feel psychologically uncomfortable, even pained, to change our minds.” – Alexandra Chesterfield.
“Reputationally, it doesn't fit the perception of a leader to be inconsistent.” – Alexandra Chesterfield.
“In this government, people are promoted on the basis of loyalty, not talent.” - Alison Goldsworthy.
“The odds are that you change your opinions based on feelings and allegiances, not facts.” - Alison Goldsworthy.
“There's an awful lot you can hold Nick Clegg and the coalition government responsible for. The decision to hold a referendum is not one of them.” - Alison Goldsworthy.
“We saw a member of the KKK, exposed to so-called scientific education, changed his mind.” – Alexandra Chesterfield.
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1119814/poles-apart/9781847942951.html https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/changed-my-mind-a-republicans-journey-to-backing-criminal-justice-reform/
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As we brace ourselves for “permanent” shop shortages and price hikes, we hear from lorry driver and transport expert Tom Reddy and Food and Drink Scotland’s James Withers on what’s behind the HGV driver shortages. Plus: how did hapless Education Secretary Gavin Williamson get to where he is today, and what does it take to make a sporting hero? And from the States, Joanna Walters unpacks Texas’ constitutional battle over abortion.
"The margins in hauling are next to nothing." - Tom Reddy
"I'm only 36, and I'm already tired of lorry driving. Nothing is changing in the conditions of the job." - Tom Reddy
"Eastern European lorry drivers work a lot harder than we do." – Tom Reddy
"It suits Boris Johnson to have an Education Secretary like Gavin Williamson - someone who won't slag him off, or make him look incompetent." - Ayesha Hazarika
"We always think of Texas as being solidly Republican. But the game is still in play." - Justin Quirk
"I still think Gareth Southgate should be Prime Minister." - Ayesha Hazarika
"Women's sports is only now coming anywhere near gender parity." - Ayesha Hazarika
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Ros Taylor with Justin Quirk and Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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As the Government pushes ahead with plans to vaccinate children, is their COVID strategy only guided by the science when convenient? Plus: could Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open success strike back against Priti Patel’s oppressive immigration policies? Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell unpack Afghanistan’s new cabinet, whether the latest lobbying scandals will affect Johnson’s rumoured cabinet reshuffle, and what Westminster will do to quell Sturgeon’s demands for Scottish independence.
“We may be vaccinating people to protect them from catching COVID, not to stop them getting seriously ill from it.” - Alex Andreou.
“If you've already clearly broken the ministerial code and gotten away with it, it will give you a green light to go ahead with it.” - Arthur Snell.
“17 out of the 33 members of the Taliban cabinet are on the UN Sanctions list.” - Arthur Snell.
Presented by Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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When award-winning author and journalist Evan Osnos returned home to America after a decade away, he found a nation gripped by fear and anger, with democratic norms under attack. But how did this happen?
Evan talks to Dorian Lynskey about his latest book, Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury, which chronicles two decades of political fury and disfunction, from the September 11th attacks right up to the January 6th Capitol Siege, by following ordinary people in the places he grew up, as they navigate 21st century America.
“There has been so much deception in U.S. politics, people discount the truth of anything.”
“For most of American history, people were disadvantaged because of who they were. We’re talking about that more now.”
“The effect of the pandemic has been to make more Americans at the top of society aware of those at the bottom.”
“Donald Trump has not been banished from the system by any means, in fact he still holds huge sway over it.”
“In trying to be bipartisan, Biden is appealing to Republican’s interests, not their sensibility.”
“January 6th felt like the inevitable result of cynicism at the top of the GOP, and Trump’s time in charge.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Hear the music from every edition on our rolling playlist.
Welcome to the debut of our new weekend pop culture roundtable, as the podcast formerly known as Bigmouth joins The Bunker. This week, special guest Sarah Cracknell of pop couturiers Saint Etienne joins us to talk over their new album I’ve Been Trying To Tell You. Plus critic John Mullen helps us dissect the new Steve Martin/Selena Gomez/Martin Short crime caper Only Murders In The Building plus new albums from Antipodean punks Amyl & The Sniffers and Art School Girlfriend, the ambient sound of Wrexham.
Because of licensing issues we’ll have to use fewer music clips than usual in the main release – but Patreon people, rest assured you’ll get “a few extras” in this version. And all the music is on The Culture Bunker’s rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk
Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickenson. Bigmouth is a Podmasters production.
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The book index might be an unassuming tool, yet it has a remarkable history - not least because it has shaped the modern world. Author, English professor and book historian Dennis Duncan talks to Alex Andreou about his latest novel Index, A History of the, which tells the remarkable story of our first search engine, from its invention (twice) in the 14th century, to preventing someone from becoming Speaker of the House, right up to our current love for Ctrl-F.
“When we started to use books rather than read them, we needed to navigate them in a different way. that’s where the index came in”
“An index actually prevented someone from being Speaker of the House of Commons”
“It’s an unwritten rule that fiction books don’t have an index, but it hasn’t always been that way”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dennis-Duncan/Index-A-History-of-the/25605199
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Chances are you haven’t willingly eaten an insect. But two billion people are already bugging out on this sustainable source of protein. Could insects offer the perfect solution for our post-Brexit and pandemic supply chain problems? Entomologist Brian Fisher and Imperial College London’s Dr. Tilly Collins join Ros Taylor to chew on how we can change perceptions about insects in the West, how health clinics are battling for cricket powder, and why Welsh schools are already using mealworm mince in their insect bolognaise….plus Ros and Tilly snack on crickets live in the studio.
“With big animals, we only eat a bit of them. With insects, you eat the whole thing…” – Tilly Collins
“Insects are the glue that holds the world together… If we could introduce the Bacon Bug, everyone would love it.” – Brian Fisher
“Do you eat prawns? Why not eat a woodlouse?” – Tilly Collins
“Eating sushi was a huge cultural change. But now it's a popular component of easy, fast food.” – Tilly Collins
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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You couldn’t make it up: the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks coincides almost perfectly with the fall of Afghanistan and the West is left wondering what it was all for. Gavin Esler, former diplomat Arthur Snell and terrorism expert Dr Maria Norris recall where they were on the day the world changed, and ask if we’ve learned the right lessons. Plus, will climate change plus conflict create a new kind of crisis in Afghanistan? And how did 9/11 change pop culture.
“We were told we’d seen the end of history. Then 9/11 happened.” – Gavin Esler
“All war is about resources.” – Maria Norris
“You can draw the cynical politics of the Trump era right back to 9/11.” – Arthur Snell
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Gavin Esler and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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Parliament returns to a family-sized party pack of Government cruelty and ineptitude: a National Insurance hike that hits the lowest-paid the hardest, an end to the £20 Universal Credit bonus for the neediest families, and an Elections Bill that makes it harder for us to vote them out. Business as usual, then. Plus: the Texas Taliban’s war on abortion, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and where in the world is Andrew Neil? Alex Andreou starts your week.
“The message to backbenchers is, stop opposing us and we might just cancel those vaccine passports you hate.”
“Cancelling the extra Universal Credit isn’t just unjust, it’s economically illiterate.”
“If I'd have said 'drink bleach, it's good for acne', I'd have been bundled into the back of a van. So why are the police ignoring COVID sceptics?”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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What stopped Heseltine, Ken Clarke, Dennis Healey and Kinnock from taking the top slot? Why didn’t Barbara Castle become Britain’s first female PM? The Observer’s Nick Cohen talks to the political columnist and podcaster Steve Richards about his new book The Prime Ministers We Never Had… the intriguing factors that prevented these politicians from reaching power… the tragedy of the Miliband Brothers… and the alternate futures we could have seen if these flawed talents had won.
“Those with a formidable past tend not to take the crown BECAUSE of that past.”
“If Heseltine had won the leadership contest in 1990, he would have redefined the Tories as a pro-EU party.”
“The Dennis Healeys and RAB Butlers were TOO good. They alienated their own parties.”
“Ken Clarke used to say ‘My hobby is standing in Tory leadership contests and losing.’”
“Ed Miliband destroyed David – but David destroyed Ed too. Because Ed then lost all sense of who he was.”
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Steve-Richards/The-Prime-Ministers-We-Never-Had--Success-and-Failure-from-Butler-to-Corbyn/26113646
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The Middle Ages are an unloved tract of history, by turns alien and baffling – but these thousand years of violence, crisis and conquest set the foundations for our modern world in the most unexpected ways. Historian, TV presenter and journalist Dan Jones tells Alex Andreou how his new book Powers and Thrones unveils a medieval world few of us understand, the parallels between Millwall and the Middle Ages, and why Dick Whittington deserves more than his panto fame…
“The real Dick Whittington was an oligarch – and a mayor in France.”
“We treat ‘medieval’ as an insult but the medieval world is not that different to our own.”
“The things that animated people in the Middle Ages like climate change and plagues still animate us now.”
“Unlike Empress Theodora, Dominic Cummings won't be that important in twenty years.”
“The Crusades was more than a clash of civilisations – and you don’t learn that at school.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dan-Jones/Powers-and-Thrones--A-New-History-of-the-Middle-Ages/25535694
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The sight of Michael Gove getting his rave on in Aberdeen is the only cheering moment in a week of unremitting grimness. As the collapse of Afghanistan gives way to a growing refugee crisis, why is the UK Government doing the bare minimum for those who helped us? And what will the debacle mean for relations between government and military? Plus the Pen Farthing fiasco and the tyranny of TripAdvisor.
“I am a Dog Fiend, but this Pen Farthing story made me so angry.” – Marie Le Conte
“The Taliban don’t want the world looking too closely. Then they can start their culture war.” – Arthur Snell
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie Le Conte, Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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Schools are back. Will the decision not to vaccinate 12-15 year olds turn classes into superspreader factories – or do we actually want school-age kids to catch COVID and build up immunity? Plus, why the Government won’t provide the catch-up funds that education needs. What the Pen Farthing episode tells us about sentimental Britain. And the shame of Afghanistan is just beginning. Ros Taylor starts your week.
“It’s simple – the Government is pursuing de facto herd immunity by not vaccinating children.”
“The problem with education goes beyond our woeful Education Secretary… We have a perfect storm of public spending”
“It’s hard not conclude that some of the British public care more about a dog than they care about a brown person.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For many he’s the great leader that Labour should have had. Now that he’s left frontline politics, Alan Johnson is trying his hand at writing fiction with his debut thriller The Late Train to Gipsy Hill out now. In a wide-ranging interview, he talks to Andrew Harrison about his love of suspense novels, whether the book’s plot alludes to the Litvinenko murder, Starmer’s first year in charge, Labour’s Brexit turmoil… and that infamous election night monologue against Jon Lansman. Also featuring mod talk, with a special playlist chosen by Alan. • “I never wanted to be Labour leader… neither did Corbyn and it showed” • “I was part of the history of the Labour Party. 2010 was not my time” • “The public are still unsure if we’re in the Corbyn mould. Keir needs to assure them that we’re not” • “If Theresa May’s deal had gone through the Tory Party would’ve torn themselves apart” • “Nobody should go into politics without some real-life experience under their belt” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3q8577kzcw3HVN6XvabFtw?si=4BNgYsoTQTWzVSeRGDfirg&dl_branch=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
British-Turkish novelist and academic Elif Shafak is an international feminist icon followed by legions of passionate readers. She tells Dorian Lynskey about her latest novel The Island of Missing Trees, a story of identity, belonging and love that takes place between Cyprus and London – and how she too finds comfort in two places, her home city of Istanbul and her adopted home in the UK. Listen for a fascinating exploration of the power of fictional escapism and what it means to a citizen of the world. • “Cyprus is a place where the wounds of division are still not healed.” • “Putting yourself in the shoes of another person is a humbling experience, even if just for a few hours.” • “Fiction was my way of belonging, of tasting a sense of freedom.” • “Emotionally I’m very attached to Turkey, but it’s a difficult place to exist when you need freedom to make fun of those in power.” • “I would like to see myself as a citizen of the world, of humanity. That doesn’t make me a citizen of nowhere.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Does the year we were born really shape us people? Are Gen X Snowflakes really battling Baby Boomers in an intergenerational war? Friend of the podcast Professor Bobby Duffy returns with Ros Taylor to discuss his latest book Generations, why age cohorts aren’t so consistent, and how COVID has changed Gen Z forever…
“The cliches around generations are presented as cohort characteristics. But Gen Z are more materialistic just because they’re young.”
“It’s simply a myth that Gen Z are more risk averse.”
“Gen Z are probably having less sex because they're drinking less.”
“Intergenerational separation - not conflict - is the problem.”
“Gen X got a cool name, and some cool bands and films. That's about all we have going for us.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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If we stopped trying to do everything, would we finally get chance to do what counts? Do to-do lists create anything but meaningless pressure? Can we ever really get everything done? Journalist Oliver Burkeman talks to Dorian Lynskey about how to answer the ultimate time management problem – the question of how best to use our brief moment on the planet – in his new book Four Thousand Weeks.
“We’re all drawn to things that we struggle with.”
“There shouldn't be anything embarrassing about the concept of self-help. It has developed a bad reputation on the basis of bad approaches.”
“The action of clearing the decks just adds to the decks."
“Time used to be a medium, not a resource.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Oliver-Burkeman/Four-Thousand-Weeks--Time-and-How-to-Use-it/25942066
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What sort of psychological shock with the fall of Afghanistan cause to the British establishment’s self-image? Will the country again became an incubator of terrorism? And how the hell is Dominic “Sun Lounger” Raab still in a job? Special guest SHIRAZ MAHER is the world authority on militant jihadism. He joins us to explain what the Taliban conquest of Afghanistan means.
“We have a culture from the top down where nothing is a resignable offence.” – Justin Quirk
“A belief set in that the US was the head of the snake. That is when jihad goes global.” – Shiraz Maher
“America is edging away. We have burnt our bridges with Europe. There is no rabbit to pull out of a hat.” – Justin Quirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie Le Conte and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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Recriminations worsen over the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the UK’s indolent response to the refugee crisis. Can Dominic Raab survive as Foreign Secretary – and what does the debacle mean for Joe Biden’s presidency? Plus, get ready for COVID at the centre of healthcare forever. And does the Brexit-COVID logistics crisis mean that Christmas is already cancelled? Naomi Smith starts your week.
“Johnson doesn't want to hold Raab to any standards that he might have to face himself.”
“Afghanistan is an enormous dent in Biden's ability to hold the anti-Trump coalition together.”
“A quick glance at Farage's Twitter feed shows he's thrilled with the refugee situation.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Journalist, filmmaker and author Sarfraz Manzoor grew up in two worlds, a son of working-class Pakistani immigrants who told him he’d never be accepted by the white English – yet he immersed himself in Western pop culture and built a life in it. By 2016 he’d become anxious that the multicultural Britain that made him was falling apart. He talks to Alex Andreou about his powerful new book THEY: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other, and how to dispel the fears that divide us.
“I was expected to have an arranged marriage and stay in Luton. I didn’t end up doing either of those things”
“I don’t want my kids to feel relaxed with their white mum’s heritage but uncomfortable with their Muslim dad’s heritage.”
“In 2016 I got really low. I thought, this doesn’t feel like the country I want to live in.”
“If dating apps existed, I might have married someone that didn’t mean my family boycotted my wedding”
“I might not live like a working class Muslim now, but it will never stop being part of me”
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Intern: Nat Amos. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sarfraz-Manzoor/They--What-Muslims-and-Non-Muslims-Get-Wrong-About-Each-Other/25681127
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What is the situation really like on the ground in Afghanistan, after the Taliban’s astonishingly swift takeover? Our panelist Arthur Snell talks to one of his contacts, presently in hiding in Kabul. We have chosen not identify them for their own safety. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
“Kabul has been left without anything.”
“Everything is closed down. You would think it is the Stone Age in Kabul. You wouldn't have seen this a week ago.”
“This was a win-win for Russia.”
“The Taliban have made fake promises to the international community. Of course they have not changed.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
World War II seemed to mark the end of American conservatism, and a new liberal age. Then Reagan came along – and we’re still living with the consequences. What explains the dominance of conservatism in modern American politics? Historian Rick Perlstein talks to Dorian Lynskey about his new book, Reaganland, the finale of a three-part saga about the cutthroat strategies of the conservatives behind America’s rightwards shift…
“Reagan’s inauguration was a hinge in American history.”
“Before Reagan, conservatism was seen as irrelevant in America.”
1970s America was looking for a hero. They were looking for Superman, not moral ambiguity.”
“Reagan wanted to write a book about how he fought the Reds of Hollywood…he was living a fantasy in his own head.”
“It’s the difference between the dog whistle and the train whistle.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Rick-Perlstein/Reaganland--Americas-Right-Turn-1976-1980/25991906
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The fall of Kabul to the Taliban has placed thousands of people in mortal danger and traumatised the entire Western security establishment. How did we get it so wrong, and what happens next? Also, the future of COVID: Leeds University Global Health Professor Garrett W. Brown joins us to set out the next pandemic and why the “Pasteurian Paradigm” won’t save us. Plus Labour expels Ken Loach, what would Immanuel Kant make of Brexit Britain… and should we stop referring to curry as “curry”?
Apologies for the all-male panel this week, which is down to late changes of circumstance. We do all we can to avoid the “manel” and will restore a more reasonable gender ratio next time.
“There’s a 100% chance we’ll see another pandemic in the next ten to twenty years.” – Prof. Garrett Brown
“It’s as black and white as ‘These people helped us and if we don’t help them they will be killed’.” – Ahir Shah
“Afghanistan shows what happens when we concentrate on the wrong things… We’ve poured all our energy into self-made disputes.” – Justin Quirk
“The selfish nature of the international order today will be its own demise.” – Prof. Garrett Brown
“As an Englishman, they can prise my mild korma from my cold dead hands.” – Justin Quirk
Presented by Alex Andreou with Ahir Shah and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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The Afghan Government’s sudden collapse and the return of Taliban rule have both shocked the international community. What happens next? What can Afghan civilians and women especially expect from their new rulers? And just how big a catastrophe is this for the Biden administration? Arthur Snell, who has spent time in Helmand Province himself, lays out the consequences of a day of brutal reverse for the West – and shame for Britain.
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Will it take a satirist to fix Britain’s busted politics? Armando Iannucci – writer of The Thick Of It, The Day Today and Veep – is looking for emergency fixes in the new podcast series Westminster Reimagined. He and producer Anoosh Chakelian talk to former SPAD Ayesha Hazarika about the forces that are breaking our politics. Why are things so bad? What will it take to fix them? And does Malcolm Tucker seem like an idealist by today’s standards? https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
“The Thick Of It charted the rise of the SPAD – now it’s all about the rise of the NEDs, the Non-Executive Director”
“Malcolm Tucker was the control freak at the centre of Government… but at least he had a plan.”
“Cummings proclaimed that the Civil Service were idiots and had to be replaced by freaks and weirdoes… But all he can do it tear things down.”
“All the mockery is inside politics now. The fake news, the lies… In The Thick Of It we show rules being bent. But what if there are no rules?”
Presented by Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aegean neighbours Greece and Turkey have been rivals for centuries – and both countries are prone to forgetting the “unfortunate episodes” in their relations with the other. Can they ever get past their infamous regional enmity? Alex Andreou talks to Turkish author and columnist Defne Suman – whose latest novel, The Silence of Scheherazade, looks at a flashpoint of the Greek-Turkish relationship, the Great Fire of Smyrna – about historical silences, lost cultures and the way forward.
“It's hard to remove the word ‘invasion’ from the heads of Turkish people.”
“I talk about the Greek ‘administration’, not the Greek invasion.”
“Turkey today is actually not as cosmopolitan as it was during the Ottoman period.”
“Nationalism is the disease of our century.”
“If you don't talk about the past, that wound will kill you.”
“Turkey needs a lot of healing. And culture and storytelling lets us heal ourselves from the wounds of the past.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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For many of us, the warm light of the fridge was one of the few consolations of lockdown. But now we’re living in a harsh new reality of intermittently empty supermarket shelves and farms that are struggling to adapt to Brexit, COVID, and climate change. So how do we make our food supply chains healthier and more secure? Sarah K Mock, agriculture journalist and author of Farm: And Other F Words, and Cambridge University researcher Dolly Theis join Ros Taylor to chew on the myth of conscious consumerism, why climate change means less healthy crops, and how to sweeten the deal of cutting sugar and meat. • “The whole idea of conscious consumerism has been boiled down to a marketing ploy.” – Sarah K Mock. • “It's code red for humanity right now…our crops are less nutritious because of climate change.” – Sarah K Mock. • “We live in a world where being healthy is hard.” – Dolly Theis. • “The pandemic has showed how vulnerable having poor food has made our country.” – Dolly Theis. • “The fact that food is making us sick should serious alarm bells.” – Dolly Theis. Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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As pandemic politics start to ebb away, Johnson’s ratings are down among the Tory faithful and his MPs are growing restive. Is this a time to pick a fight with Rishi Sunak? Plus, will Apple’s photo-scanning tech trap more than child abusers? Spain makes glorifying Franco a crime. And why do we let polls lead politics? Adam Payne, Westminster and Brexit reporter for PoliticsHome, is our guest.
“We have a Government which is absolutely obsessed with public opinion, and a PM obsessed with being popular ” – Adam Payne
“The problem with polls is that the people who don’t answer them in the first place.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Liz Truss has this incredible ability to block out grim reality and tell everyone it’s all fine.” – Justin Quirk
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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This week’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report could signal our last chance to stop the global climate running out of control. Will the world take it? Plus: vaccine passports continue to go round in circles. We try to talk about GCSE and A-level results without saying “grade inflation”. And Labour starts its traditional pre-conference programme of beating itself up. Alex Andreou flags up the big issues in the week ahead.
“In what world are The Telegraph defending working class northerners?”
“The person tipped to replace Sunak is – Lord help us – Liz Truss.”
“The reason we don't have enough HGV drivers is because we’ve spent six years sending them back home.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Recorded at 11pm on Saturday night and already our GB medals toll is out of date… At the end of the most controversial Olympics in almost a century, Financial Times Sports Editor MURAD AHMED calls us from Tokyo to lift the curtain on what it all means. Is the International Olympics Committee finally getting the message on athletes’ mental health and political commitments? Did the “Russian Olympic Committee” successfully pull a fast one on the anti-dopers? Is Britain’s commitment to medals all it seems? And did the Japanese people learn to love the games they wanted to cancel? https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
“The sport has been fantastic, but the pandemic has taken away the Olympics atmosphere”
“People would wave at me on the bus thinking I was an athlete”
“For me, Simone Biles choosing to focus on her mental health was the biggest moment of the games”
“If you think you’ve been watching clean sport, then you haven’t watched the Olympics. This goes well beyond Russia”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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From Modi’s India to Bolsonaro’s Brazil and Erdogan’s Turkey, the far right is on the rise around the world. Are we really on the brink of resurgent fascism? And if so, how do we fight it? Political journalist Paul Mason tells Dorian Lynskey about his radical blueprint for defeating the extreme right, outlined in his new book How to Stop Fascism. Why is trust in democracy collapsing around the world, and can what progressives do to win it back?
“People like Trump and Bolsonaro don’t want to play the globalisation game and they don’t want to play the democracy game either”
“We’re not dealing with a tribute band to Nazism. We’re dealing with a new form of Nazism”
“Fascism is always violent. It’s now become obsessed with ethnicity rather than nation”
“One in five people serving jail for terrorism in the UK are from the far-right. Soon that could be one in two”
“Very little is taught about how the Nazis came to power. That is something we need to get our head around”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Cameron and Osborne’s “Golden Era” of cosying up to China turned out to be a golden error, as Beijing dug deep into British life, politics, and technology. Investigative journalist Sam Dunning tells Arthur Snell how the Conservatives’ strings-free get-rich-quick strategy turned into a trap for British business and academia. While the Tories trumpet free speech on campus, students who want talk about the Uyghurs are being silenced at Jesus College Cambridge. Is it too late to curb China’s disturbing influence at the highest levels of British life?
“For Osborne, the Golden Era was seen a problem-free get-rich-quick-scheme for Britain after the economic crash.”
“How can a Chinese student in the UK contest what’s happening in Hong Kong when Chinese ambassadors are attending university events?”
“Huawei is creating surveillance in China that’s beyond Orwellian. Jesus College just received money from them to publish a paper on global governance.”
“Even if Johnson did have a roadmap for our relations with China, he’d probably steer off and crash into a tree.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Now that the pandemic may be abating, the Government decides that the best people to pay the bill are… those pesky, hard-up young people. Climate change and student activist Phoebe Hanson joins us to explain what it’s like to be mis-sold the student experience by universities that act like businesses but won’t treat you like a customer. Plus, how the planned changes to the Official Secrets Act will treat journalists like spies. And the truth behind those supply chain nightmares.
“It's hard to feel like part of your university when it is constantly working against you… ” – Phoebe Hanson
“My lectures now are like glorified podcasts” – Phoebe Hanson
“There’s a big difference between what young people think and what older people THINK they think.” – Phoebe Hanson
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Ahir Shah. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
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Will bribes for Deliveroo and Uber be enough to persuade recalcitrant youth to get their jabs? Are we nearing herd immunity on COVID? Is Tony Blair to blame for food shortages because his university drive produced a generation of egghead boffins who can’t drive an HGV? And with thousands of kids catastrophically behind on their schooling, the Government has the solution: bring back Latin. Ros Taylor nobis narrat de septem praemisit.
“A Deliveroo voucher isn't going to turn a hardcore anti-vaxxer.”
“You should see Gavin Williamson's ratings. They are off the scale bad.”
“The Government's Latin announcement is a bauble for fans of The History Boys.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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What if you discovered that your Dad was living a double life, and really worked in the CIA? Does managing The Police prepare you for advising the Pentagon? From his chateau in France, maverick music manager Miles Copeland chats to Dorian Lynskey about his memoirs Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, moving from the Middle East and London, and how his record label IRS launched the careers of The Go-Gos, The Bangles, and R.E.M.
“I already knew my Dad was in the CIA when I was fourteen years old.”
“If you don't LIKE the music, how can you really sell it?”
“When I heard Roxanne, I knew it was a song that would change our lives.”
“Most bands think once they've made it, then they’ve made it. But what goes up must come down.”
“There are many Iraqi women who preferred life under Saddam Hussein.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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The wrongful conviction of hundreds of subpostmasters for false accounting was so shocking that even Boris Johnson as called it one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in our history. Why did Post Office management cover up the truth about its flawed software, even after innocent people went to prison? As the Government sets aside £233m in interim compensation, criminal law expert Dr Hannah Quirk untangles a Kafkaesque nightmare that led innocent people to be ruined, jailed, shamed and pushed to suicide. Could anything stop something like this from happening again? https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast
“Many innocent people pleaded guilty in the hope of avoiding prison.”
“The Post Office knew there were flaws in its system. They hid that evidence from people they knew were wrongfully convicted.”
“You can imagine the terror people felt of being imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.”
“Somehow it didn’t occur to anyone that hundreds of corrupt subpostmasters were coming to light where previously there were none.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COVID is a paradise of hindsight – a world of self-appointed experts who tell us what should have happened – and sometimes rewriting what did happen to suit themselves. But what about those people who could see what was going to happen? On March 10 2020, writer Tomas Pueyo posted an article called Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now – it made strong argument for rapid lockdowns at a time when Boris Johnson was still arguing that washing our hands was enough. 40 million views later, he joins Justin Quirk to discuss what he got right, what he got wrong – and where countries need to go next.
“Once you use the hammer, you can't use it over and over again.”
“Credentials are only one source of trustworthiness.”
“COVID has exposed how decision making in Western democracies is broken.”
“You know the system is broken when every country failed.”
“You can fulfil your needs for storytelling by watching Netflix.”
“The media's goal is to grab your attention, not to get your insights.”
“There's more hours of work per word in a book, than a newspaper article.”
“The easiest thing is to remove the stimulus. If you don’t go on Facebook, you wouldn't fall into that black hole of content.”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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It’s time for Parliament’s end of term report card. Does anyone at all get an A, or should everyone be forced to repeat the year in disgrace? Special guest Thangam Debbonaire MP, Shadow Leader of the Commons, joins us to explain the meaning of Dawn Butler calling Boris Johnson a liar in the House; whether Rees-Mogg actually casts a shadow; what Labour is doing right and wrong… and her as-yet unpublished novel ‘Murder In The Whip’s Office’.
“People in space know that Boris Johnson tells lies. I know toddlers who are more honourable than the Prime Minister…” – Thangam Debbonaire
“The Olympic committee is like a deeply inconsiderate flatmate hosting a house party at a deeply inconsiderate time.” – Ahir Shah
“Johnson has managed to alienate all of his own MPs… and when you’ve rebelled once, it’s so much easier to do it again.” – Marie le Conte
“Speaker-watchers will know that Lindsay’s been quite shirty with the Government lately…” – Thangam Debbonaire
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Marie le Conte and Ahir Shah. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
New COVID infections are trending downwards. Has Johnson’s Freedom Day gamble paid off, or are we just in a moment of calm before a new wave breaks? Plus pingdemic panic, vaccine passports, the Government gives up on students (again), Lord Frost tries to bore the EU into submission, and why the Taliban probably won’t take all of Afghanistan. Arthur Snell joins Andrew Harrison to lay out what’s coming in the week ahead. • “Johnson no longer has a team in Number 10 to manage the political landscape for him.” • “Students are never going to vote Conservative. The Tories have given up on them.” • “It’s clear that Cummings was running the show, because Johnson himself isn't capable of running anything.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With new technology, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you become part of the road. What are the big topics in tech that we should be talking about – for our own prosperity and survival? King’s College Professor Mischa Dohler tells Alex Andreou how a real plan for tech can use hyperfast Wi-Fi to create an “internet of skills”. Are there any insurmountable barriers between us and technological nirvana? And how close are we to building an actual working Iron Man?
“We should use technology to automate jobs – but humanise work”
“Building a kilometre of road costs lots of money – adding digital fibre cost pennies. So every infrastructure investment needs a digital dimension.”
“At some point we’ll hit a limit of, why do we actually need petabytes of data per second? Who’s watching this stuff?”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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It’s astonishingly beautiful, fiercely independent, full of mystery and a crossroads of jaw-dropping historical events – so why do we still think of Romania as a backwater? Paul Kenyon, author of Children of the Night: The Strange and Epic Story of Modern Romania, tells Arthur Snell how this sensational state has survived multiple coups, fascist death cults, dictators, and Cold War spies…and why Dracula doesn’t enjoy such a bad rep among his fellow Romanians.
“Romania’s fascist movement was led by a rock star mystic who looked like Hugh Grant.”
“Romania’s fascist leader was so patriotic, he wore a sack of Romania’s blood-soaked earth around his neck.”
“Everybody thought that one in three members of their family were part of the Secret Police.”
“All the leading Romanian football clubs have seen their owners go in and out of prison.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Paul-Kenyon/Children-of-the-Night--The-Strange-and-Epic-Story-of-Modern-Romania/25376753 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
India’s brutal second wave of COVID is now receding, leaving behind intensified poverty, economic carnage, a staggering estimated 400-700m infections and a death rate of approximately 2%. But things were already going catastrophically wrong in the world’s largest democracy thanks to the rule of science-denying populist Narendra Modi. Ros Taylor talks to journalist Debasish Roy Chowdhury and Professor John Keane about their latest book, To Kill A Democracy: India’s Passage To Despotism – and what Modi tells us about how democracies collapse.
“India is perceived as the world's largest democracy. But there are only grains of truth in this India Story.” – John Keane
“It takes seven generations for the Indian to reach the average income level. In Denmark, it only takes one.” – Debasish Roy Chowdhury
“The strongman in a state of demagogues.” – John Keane
“In Delhi, you can inhale half a pack of cigarettes in air pollution on a good day.” – Debasish Roy Chowdhury
“India is a warning to the rest of the democratic world.” – John Keane
Presented and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Debasish-Roy-Chowdhury/To-Kill-A-Democracy--Indias-Passage-to-Despotism/26292160
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As Boris Johnson and Sajid Javid roll the dice with the health of millions, healthcare commentator Roy Lilley takes us on a deep dive into what’s in store for the NHS. Plus, the Cuban uprising and the Labour Left, the Pegasus spyware scandal, and do universities really need a Free Speech Enforcer? (Spoiler: no). Plus… are you on a pilot scheme? If not, why not?
“I’ve been around politics for a long time, and this is the worst situation I’ve ever seen.” – Roy Lilley
“The problem with making irreversible promises is that when you have to reverse them, you look like a shambles even to people who agree with you.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“Two hours of Twitter and Johnson reverses himself. We appear to be governed by jellyfish.” – Gavin Esler
“The NHS is holding its breath… it’s high wire time.” – Roy Lilley
https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan, Gavin Esler and Arthur Snell. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Johnson opens “Freedom Day” with a classic one-rule-for-us flip-flop (hey, he was in a pilot scheme!) what does England’s first week without restrictions mean for ordinary people who aren’t in the Cabinet? Plus the NI protocol reaches crunch point, Keir Starmer prepares for war on Labour’s far Left, and what the Pegasus Spyware scandal means. Naomi Smith joins Andrew Harrison to set out the week ahead. • “The government is coming for immigrants, people seeking sanctuary and our democratic rights.” • “The so-called Sausage War wasn’t even handbags at dawn compared to what’s coming for Northern Ireland.” • “I get the temptation to escape Earth right now… but wouldn’t we just be taking Covid to the aliens?” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Neanderthal” is a common term of abuse but should we stop feeling so superior towards our close evolutionary relatives? Did they think like us, even at the abstract level? Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of the “insanely fascinating” Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death And Art tells Ian Dunt what we know about the astonishing sophistication of Neanderthal mind, manufacturing and material culture… and why there are traces of Neanderthal in us today.
“If we could scan a Neanderthal brain it’s very possible we’d see they didn’t think so differently from us.”
“We assume we’re ‘better’ than Neanderthals because we dominated them… That doesn’t fit with the idea of different human groups meeting and interbreeding.”
“We shouldn’t be surprised that we could breed with Neanderthals. They are another kind of human”
“Homo sapiens are weird in the evolutionary tree, with our big balloon heads.”
“Neanderthal women were highly muscled. You wouldn’t want to arm-wrestle them.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
C8muVeosxCVXdHDLSwLs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The pandemic has stress-tested Britain’s tech sector for flaws and strengths. Does it have the capacity to overcome the damage caused by Brexit? Alex Andreou talks to Professor Richard A. L. Jones, Manchester University expert in Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, about whether COVID restored the value of experts, and what the NHS Digital health data sell-offs mean for our personal privacy… • “Science is a very international industry – but Brexit and COVID have damaged that.” • “The idea that we can visas for the superstars but nobody else doesn’t help anyone.” • “If you don’t have an industrial strategy on purpose, you get one by accident.” • “Science isn’t a recipe for instant correct answers. It’s a start towards getting a better understanding.” • “People do trust UK biotech – but the government has done a lot to erode that trust.” Presented and produced by Alex Andreou. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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The video series Anywhere But Westminster by John Harris and John Domokos is one of the Guardian’s most acclaimed strands and now a winner of the Orwell Prize. What makes it work? The Two Johns tell Dorian Lynskey about why we need more reportage and fewer pundits, how they talk to real voters without falling into vox pop stereotypes, the value of uncertainty… and why we are all Walsall now.
“I cried on camera when a group of Liverpool mums described life without a Sure Start Centre.” – John Harris
“We ask people about their lives, not who they're going to vote for.” – John Domokos
“The world is full of commentary and punditry. To increase knowledge, you have to report.” – John Harris
“I can't remember what it was like to be certain of stuff… Making this series has changed my mind and values.” – John Domokos
“Although I’ll never vote Conservative in my life, now I understand why people do.” – John Harris
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Has the heroic, nearly-there performance of Gareth Southgate’s England team shown that politics and sport do mix – if the politics is about young players stand up for what’s right? Boris Johnson sets his sights on unlocking regardless of rising COVID figures. And which politicians could we stand to go on holiday with? And who would we avoid? https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Yasmeen Serhan. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After all that, penalties again. England’s Euros end in defeat in the Final but how has this tournament changed the relationship between the team and the nation – and football itself? BBC and Premier League football journalist Lynsey Hooper of The Offside Rule podcast and Philippe Auclair, England correspondent for France Football magazine, join Andrew Harrison to commiserate and work out what it all means. • “Why would you go to the pub at eight in the morning? I would want to be lucid for every single minute…” – Lynsey Hooper • “This country has a unique problem with toxic masculinity.” – Philippe Auclair Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What has lockdown done to Britain’s £26bn fashion business? What will the post-pandemic High Street look like? Will we all wear posh pyjamas for the rest of our lives? And what on earth is “phygital” fashion – a mix of physical and digital shopping? Guardian fashion writer Lauren Cochrane, the author of The Ten: The Stories Behind The Fashion Classics, talks to Justin Quirk about how socio-political earthquakes shape what we wear – and why jeans, Breton shirts, stilettos and the colour black never seem to go out of fashion.
“Fast fashion moves so fast now that we should call it sprint fashion.”
“It’s astounding how much attention the Government will pay to the comparatively tiny fishing industry while ignoring the vastly bigger fashion business.”
“Johnson and Trump are performatively badly dressed… Their populist base is as suspicious of fashion as they are.”
“Economics play out in what we wear. Jeans were for poor people until the Depression – then Levi’s and Wranglers made them fashion items.”
“The closest thing we’ve had to a political statement on fashion was Carrie Symonds renting her wedding dress.”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Operation Trojan Shield an FBI-led alliance of national security services used ANOM, a fake EncroChat-style communication network, to capture 800 criminals in possibly the biggest undercover cyber-sting ever. They netted over 32 tons of drugs and more than $148 million in cash. But why could this coup be a bit of an own goal for the authorities? International security expert Dr Binoy Kampmark of RMIT University in Melbourne tells Nina Schick what the sting means – and how US law enforcement tours the world for countries with “back doors” into private data.
“The problem is that these criminals will now go back to Apple – because Apple fights for privacy.”
“Governments want to control the tech companies – but they also like the way those companies act.”
Presented by Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The row over trees cut down for HS2 is trivial next to a far bigger crisis of deforestation that’s damaging Britain’s agriculture, destabilising our environment and making us vulnerable to extreme weather, says Phil Sturgeon, trustee of climate charity Protect Earth. He tells Ros Taylor about why it’s in our urgent self-interest to plant more trees, why deforestation literally means colder cows and less efficient farming… and why our fears around HS2 are wildly misplaced.
“We need to double our woodland”
“The things we farm and the way in which we farm them needs to change for the sake of the environment”
“HS2 is removing just 0.01% of the UK’s ancient woodland. The figures quoted are wildly exaggerated”
“We’re worried about 30-60 hectares being lost from HS2, yet 10-15 million hectares are lost worldwide each year”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Did the Batley and Spen result rescue Labour from a death spiral? The Independent’s political commentator John Rentoul joins us to ask whether Starmer really has pulled off a great escape. Meanwhile, as Sajid Javid loudly announces the end of COVID restrictions, will masks become the latest marker of the culture war? And why was that Princess Diana statue so bad?
“Dominic Cummings' blog reads like the diary of a teenage girl scorned.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Boris Johnson seems like a clown on the outside but the surprise from Cummings is, he actually does have hidden depths.” – John Rentoul
“The pandemic has shown up just how minging we were before. Nobody washed their hands!” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Javid hasn’t said anything different from Hancock, he’s just said them in a different order.” – John Rentoul
NOT FOR PATREON UPLOAD https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Ayesha Hazarika. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sajid Javid wants to “trust common sense” and tear up COVID restrictions just as we’re reaching the highest infections since January. Are Jo and Josephine Public being lined up as Third Wave fall-guys? Plus the school isolations mess, and why parasitical politicians can’t hitch themselves to the England team’s success. Alex Andreou sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. • “The England football team are very easy to love but difficult for politicians to claim.” • “The Government may try to individualise responsibility for COVID. But when things go wrong, the blame will lie with them.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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As the heatwave in the Pacific North West puts climate change into even sharper focus, it’s easy to feel powerless before the enormity of global warming. But should we? Do ordinary people have the tools to fix this? Climate campaigner Dr Alice Bell is the author of Our Biggest Experiment: A History of the Climate Crisis. She talks to Justin Quirk about the hidden story of climate science, how we’ve been ignoring climate warnings since the 1850s… and why you need to know about heat pumps, electric ships and electric planes.
“We’ve been left an almighty climate mess by our ancestors. But it doesn’t mean it’s a disaster and there’s nothing we can do.”
“Renewable energy has outperformed even the most optimistic predictions – and that’s heartening.”
“Frightening people doesn’t work. We have to think hard about when we use fear and when we use hope.”
“All the big discoveries about climate science were already known in the 1970s. That’s when we knew we should be worried.”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No one looks back and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep. But beyond a mere boogie, nightclubs play a vital role in shaping our collective and individual identity. Alex Andreou assembles an all-star spinning a-roundtable to chew on how COVID closures have impacted nighttime industries, why the pandemic has deprived us from more than a good party, and how culture goes beyond theatres and museums… Mairi Mackenzie is a cultural historian and consultant curator for the V&A Dundee exhibition Night Fever: Designing Club Culture. Bay Sisouphanh is Head of Event Sales at London’s Village Underground. Mark Wood is one half of the London Readers Wifes who DJ at Vauxhall institution Duckie.
“You find your tribe at nightclubs.” – Mark Wood
“People will always find an outlet for that need for pleasure.” – Mairi Mackenzie
“Forget about children going back to school. When can we send the gays back to nightclubs?” – Mark Wood
“There's a lack of perception around the value of nightclubs to the gaiety and the mental health of the nation.” – Mark Wood
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/exhibitions/night-fever-designing-club-culture
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Words shape the world – but typefaces shape the words. In a world where fonts subtly engineer how we think, should we be more conscious of the lore of the letter? Andrew Harrison talks to giant of typography Gail Anderson – graphic designer, former Rolling Stone art director and co-author of Type Speaks: A Lexicon Of Expressive, Emotional, And Symbolic Typefaces – about the politics and hidden powers of fonts, how digital media is making designers of us all, and her merciless war on widows, orphans and rivers. (It’s not as cruel as it sounds).
“Type has been democratised, even if people don't make the best choices with it.”
“Look at the Hillary and Obama campaigns – they just had classier fonts than Trump.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pity about Matt Hancock. He was a real hands-on Minister. But the story isn’t the hapless ex-Health Secretary’s office affair, it’s the serious implications of leaked CCTV, off-books emails to “collaborators” and Boris Johnson’s self-serving role in this mess. Plus: How do we future-proof the economy? Lib Dem treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine is our special guest. • “You can't be a Health Secretary in a pandemic if everyone's making knob jokes about you.” – Marie le Conte • “You cannot level on up on the cheap.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh • “This government keeps coming up with sticking plasters, not long-term solutions to get away from low wages and fossil fuels.” – Christine Jardine https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Miatta Fahnbulleh and Marie le Concte. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we clear away the bunting and empty bottles after Hancock Humiliation Weekend, how will the story — of leaked CCTV, secret email addresses and backhanders — develop? What sort of Health Sec will Sajid Javid be, and will he give Dido Harding the NHS job? And the small matter of England vs Germany. Ros Taylor joins Andrew Harrison to set out the week ahead. • “Boris Johnson doesn’t have to pretend to have moral standards. He doesn’t have them, and lots of voters like him for that.” • “Hancock said he was resigning to focus on his family life, after leaving his wife and kids in the middle of the night.” • “Whoever wins Batley and Spen, nobody is going to be happy with the result.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your opponents are lower than vermin. Politics is a righteous battle of absolute good against absolute evil. A secret cabal controls everything. And only a return to a past Eden can solve our problems. Why do these simplistic myths grip the Left so strongly, and can Labour ever free itself from them? Nick Cohen talks to Chris Clarke, author of The Dark Knight And The Puppet Master, about these fantasies of hidden power and betrayal are not just a Corbynist trait, how they lead Labour zealots to look for traitors not converts, and what the paranoid style on the Left shares with the populist far Right.
“The Dark Knight myth stops you understanding other people. The Puppet Master myth stops you understanding power. And the Golden Age myth stops you understanding change.”
“Both right- and left-wing populists depend on these myths of golden ages and puppet masters.”
“The idea of a glorious socialist past of banners and brass bands that was usurped by evil men in shiny suits is just not true.”
“When you talk about never kissing a Tory, you’re writing off huge swathes of the voters you need.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has reinvented himself since 2015 as a podcaster with his hit series Reasons To Be Cheerful, and re-entered frontbencher politics as Shadow Business Secretary. But he has big ideas. He talks to Dorian Lynskey about his new book Go Big: How To Fix Our World, why the real issues that shape the future are bigger than Westminster, plus the “Preston Revolution”, the future roads that Labour should take… and his encyclopaedic knowledge of (wait for it) Dallas.
“COVID showed that our institutions and the way our country is run is so at odds with who we are as a people.”
“As Labour leader you’re constantly thinking, is what I say going to blow up into a story? I think I was too cautious.”
“Brexit was a big idea. You can say it wasn’t the RIGHT idea. But people responded to it. People do want big change.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Press freedom is under attack from Priti Patel’s draconian plans to tighten the Official Secrets Act, which would criminalise the “onward disclosure” of leaked material, putting journalists at increased risk of imprisonment. Meanwhile the Government routinely stonewalls Freedom of Information requests – making it harder to hold them to account. How did our rights to freedom of information become so eroded, with government able to skirt the law by simply blacklisting journalists? Former BBC journalist and FOI expert Martin Rosenbaum tells Alex Andreou about the need for strong FOI rights, the infamous ‘Clearing House’ where FoI requests go to die – and the dangers of “outsourcing” scrutiny of government to hard-up pressure groups.
“Blair introduced the FOI Act and later said he was a complete idiot for doing so.”
“There's no enthusiasm for Freedom of Information in central government at all.”
“There's no law saying you have to appear on the Today Programme. But there is a law that you have to respond to an FOI request.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Biden’s frosty first summit with Putin was designed to put the Russian leader on notice that the days of manipulating America are over. But are they? Special guest Luke Harding – former Guardian Moscow Correspondent and author of Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem and Russia’s Remaking of the West – tells us what Bad Vlad really wants and if Biden can stop him getting it. Plus as we get deeper into the Euros, how will the results shape politics in England, Scotland and Wales? And why we should ensure that everyone lives no more than 15 minutes away from the things they need. Luke Harding from today’s podcast: • “Whatever Biden says, Putin will do what he’s always done: meddling, hacking, and sometimes murdering his enemies.” • “We’ve been in a new cold war since 2008… Russia has effectively chewed up a chunk of Eastern Europe.” • “Putin is now this venerated figure with the Republican base, simply because he was Trump’s buddy.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the fallout from the Lib Dems’ victory in Chesham and Amersham continues to descend, is Boris Johnson about to get mugged by the newly liberal shires – or old school nimby Toryism? Is the Sunak-Johnson confrontation over the PM’s free spending finally on? Plus more Classic Dom internet fan exclusives, the DUP in a mess, and how will England and Scotland’s final Euro group games shape politics? Naomi Smith joins Andrew Harrison to set out the week ahead. • “The test for Sunak will be when he has to stop spending.” • “At every door I knocked in Chesham, they mentioned HS2…” • “The Lib Dems are good at winning by-elections, but not necessarily holding them” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When people end up in a job or position they love, was it because they worked hard in school, or did they just get lucky? Why is the idea of progressing on merit under threat? Is there a way we can modernise it for the 21st century? Should we we even try? Adrian Wooldridge, Political Editor of the Economist and author of its Bagehot column, talks to Ros Taylor about his new book The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World, why Britain is becoming less meritocratic… and how we can make meritocracy work in today’s world.
“While America claims to be the ultimate meritocracy, they are fascinated by our own aristocracy”
“You need competent people to do the work of the world, and aristocrats are quite often born stupid and lazy”
“The Davos class of people at the top are divorced from the rest of society, floating above our meritocratic mechanisms”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As footballers take the knee and culture warriors try to whip up a minority to boo, and the Tokyo Olympics teeter on the edge of cancellation, should we just accept that sport has always been inherently political? Jules Boykoff, former footballer, politics lecturer at Pacific University in Oregon and author of four books on the history of the Olympics, talks to Alex Andreou about the politics of sport’s showpiece event, whether the Tokyo Games will happen… and if it’s right to contact out politics to inexperience sportspeople.
“Rule 50 outlaws expressions of politics at the Olympics… it’s a rule rooted in both power and hypocrisy”
“The IOC are totally happy to have a made-for-TV event with no fans, as long as money heads into their coffers”
“In major sports leagues 45-60% of the revenues to go to the athletes. At the Olympics it’s just 4.1%”
“I don’t believe that every athlete should be an activist… but when it comes to athlete activism, now is a really exciting time to be alive”
“The Olympic Committee is a profit-gobbling cartel… and one of the least accountable sports bodies in the world.
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Repairing the damage of war and cementing peace is a huge challenge for countries and international organisations. So why are big players so bad at fixing the consequences of civil and national strife? Award-winning academic Séverine Autesserre has worked as a “peacebuilder” in Kosovo, Afghanistan and the DR Congo. She talks to Arthur Snell about her book The Frontlines of Peace, why the typical “trickle-down” approach to repairing war damage doesn’t work – and how lasting peace comes from thinking outside the box.
“Handshakes between presidents and abstract peace agreements make no difference on the ground.”
“I started reading my first book about the Balkans on my flight to Kosovo.”
“I was the outsider, so I was in charge.”
“I found pockets of peace in even the most violent places.”
“In post-conflict zones only 2.1% of aid goes to local organisations who know the area.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A bonus Daily… The Met Police was “institutionally corrupt” and failed the family of Daniel Morgan, the private investigator killed with an axe outside a South London pub in 1987, an independent panel found today. In a follow-up to our podcast on the case from May, David Allen Green talks Alex Andreou through what the report means for the police force, Morgan’s family, and Priti Patel’s autocratic policies. • “The Met did everything it could to make this report as slow and as painful as possible for the panel.” • “The report mentions the word ’corruption’ over 700 times. It cannot be argued that this was one or two bad police officers.” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Andrew Neil’s GB News launches in a blaze of technical problems. Is Britain really ready to watch Channel Brillo? Plus Northern Ireland and the Sausage Wars overshadow the G7, NHS Digital is about to sell your health data to private concerns… and how old does an offensive tweet have to be before we can write it off as “youthful indiscretion”? • “Johnson having a good old row with the EU over the Great British Banger won’t do him any harm with the public at all.” – Ayesha Hazarika • “Trolling just doesn't work when everyone agrees with you.” – Justin Quirk • “Slag off Megan Markle, tick. Slag off BLM, tick. For something new, GB News is awfully predictable.” – Ayesha Hazarika https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ayesha Hazarika, Justin Quirk and Ahir Shah. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whatever the triumphalist G7 headlines, the “Sausage War” fiasco left Global Britain looking as shifty, isolated and untrustworthy as its Prime Minister. How will the intractable Northern Ireland Protocol issue shake out? Plus unlocking gets put back (to nobody’s surprise), birth pangs for new regimes in Israel and Northern Ireland, and what will Friday’s England-Scotland fixture in the Euros mean for both countries’ nationalist leaders? Alex Andreou lays it all out. • “The EU will create some sort of fudge on Northern Ireland where it gets 99% of what it wants. And Britain will claim that as a victory.” • “The sceptics think that ‘learning to live with COVID’ means going back to exactly the way things were before. And it doesn’t.” • “Football is the only occasion where it is universally okay to be nationalist.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From public transport to plastic and even the vinyl in your record collection, petrochemicals don’t just pervade our daily life. They’ve shaped our national culture. James Marriott, co-author of Crude Britannia: How Oil Shaped a Nation, tells Alex Andreou about the pipelines, people, and pop culture behind Britain’s petro-obsession – and how it impacted politics from Benn to Blair to Brexit. • “The UK oil industry was a kind of offshore colony in the North Sea.” • “If we hadn't had the IMF crisis in the 1970s, we would have kept strong state control over oil.” • “As soon as Thatcher came in, the game was over and the oil companies won.” • “£26 million in oil is being pumped from Aberdeen as we speak, but the tax income for the state is minimal.” • “You see Nicola Sturgeon being photographed more in front of windfarms than oil distilleries.” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The European Championships begin this week against a backdrop of more political turmoil than the game has seen in years, from taking the knee to fans booing England’s own black players to the reverberations of the Super League. Clive Tyldesley, ITV’s lead football commentator for over 20 years, talks to Andrew Harrison about football at the crossroads, and brushes with legends from Dalglish to Ferguson in his new book Not For Me, Clive: Stories From the Voice of Football.
“Football is the greatest meritocracy in the world. You can buy a football club. But you can’t buy your way into a team”
“The famous Fergie hairdryer just doesn’t work on modern-day footballers”
“If a political party could harness what we see in football every Saturday, they could take over Europe”
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adult video site Pornhub is the tenth most popular website in the world, with seven million clips uploaded every year. It’s also been accused of actively profiting from the abuse of women and young girls via its shady “amateur” videos. How can anyone hold Pornhub to account when its owner is all but anonymous? Tortoise’s Alexi Mostrous and Patricia Clarke tell Ros Taylor how they exposed the identity of Bernd Bergmair – chasing him down from China to New York City to just around the corner from their London offices. • “Victims of abuse often have to get images of themselves taken down themselves.” • “Not only does Pornhub allow abusive content on their site, they fail to get rid of it quickly enough.” • “Pornhub’s model is inherently inconsistent with preventing abusive content." • “There’s a gap between the bubbly image Pornhub portrays and the anonymity of its owners.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Lqt3kIsFJBoxM1HBtCUxn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Government rushes to sign trade deals with some countries (just not our nearest neighbours), special guest Bridget Phillipson, Labour MP and Shadow Treasury Secretary, joins us to work out exactly what Global Britain really means. Have we left the real EU just to join the EU of the 1970s? Plus the “Lab Leak” theory of COVID’s origins seems to be gaining credence. What does this bulletin from the conspiratorial fringe mean for those of us who believe in science and stuff? • “I don’t think any of us have any idea what the Government means by levelling up.” – Bridget Phillipson MP • “We’re being sucked into a hugely competitive trading bloc where our society can’t compete… and then we’ll spend the next 20 years trying to get out of it.” – Arthur Snell • “The Government is talking about solving problems that they themselves caused over the past 10 years.” – Bridget Phillipson MP • “There’s nothing there in Liz Truss’s Global Britain. It’s just words.” – Marie Le Conte Presented and produced by Alex Andreou with Arthur Snell and Marie Le Conte. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What’s left of the Sensible Tory MPs finally, finally find something to rebel on: the Government’s decision to slash international aid and potentially leave thousands to die. Plus will Johnson get strong-armed at the G7 over Northern Ireland and the taxing of multinationals? And England go to a major football tournament for the first time since the Culture Wars were declared. What could possibly go wrong? Arthur Snell explains it all. • “If international development funds are cut, hundreds of thousands of people really could die.” • “£4bn might seem like a lot – but Dido Harding blasts through that in a week on her useless Test and Trace.” • “Neither Johnson nor Sunak want to be the man who switched off furlough.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the new populist Conservatives stoking culture wars, is identity politics becoming progressives’ self-inflicted weakness? Friend of the podcast and former editor of The Spectator, Tortoise’s Matthew d’Ancona joins Nick Cohen to discuss why populism is destined to fail, his new book, Identity, Ignorance, Innovation: Why The Old Politics Is Useless And What To Do About It, and leaving the cinema to find fifteen missed calls from Boris Johnson…
“In every generation, there is a progressive moment – and this is it.”
“There are always new elites, and there is going to be a Boris elite.”
“The kind of conservatism I was suggesting in the 1990s doesn't really exist anymore.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Matthew-dAncona/Identity-Ignorance-Innovation--Why-the-old-politics-is-us/25426615 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Labour lost swathes of working class votes in 2019. Is “progressive patriotism” the answer to getting them back? And what does it even look like? Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region and author of the memoir Long Way Home Love, Life, Death and Everything in Between, talks to Alex Andreou about why love of country could be Labour’s route back to power, why the left are so reluctant to be patriotic… and how his extraordinary life has shaped his political outlook. • “On numerous occasions in 2019 I prepared myself for a physical altercation, such was the anger on the doorstep.” • “In 100 years of the Labour Party, nobody has inherited a more difficult situation than Keir Starmer.” • “People want their MPs to have had real life experiences. I’m a better MP and Mayor because I’ve done other things.” • “COVID provides us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to for radical change. I really hope we take it” • “It’s entirely consistent to love your country, but also to want it to be better. And we haven’t reached our potential.” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/dan-jarvis/long-way-home/9781408710708/
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Delta Variant continues to spread, is it time for the Government to give up on a grand reopening on June 21 – and for the press to stop calling it “Freedom Day”? And if Dominic Cummings’ revelations are proving to be a bit of a damp squib in the polls, what will it take to move an electorate that’s not interested in the truth? Special guest MUSA OKWONGA – author of One Of Them: An Eton Memoir and host of the amazing Stadio football podcast – joins us to mull these matters and football’s worrying future too. • “Johnson promising fidelity? He’s probably had mistresses called Fidelity.” – Alex Andreou • “You can forgive the British public for not thinking Cummings is the most trustworthy • person.” – Yasmeen Serhan • “A lot of people are very comfortable – and happy to sit back and watch the world burn.” – Musa Okongwa • “Lord Geidt has fulfilled his job as Lord Chief Whitewasher.” – Alex Andreou Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Alex Andreou. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As COVID cases rise again, do we need to brace for a full Third Wave? Has the Government learned anything from the disastrous consequences of their last two late lockdowns? And do we really need to rename the variants? Plus the Tories’ polling takes a post-Cummings hit, and the Pentagon prepares to reveal its UFO research. ROS TAYLOR sets up your week ahead. • “Don’t worry about mixing on beaches. Worry about mixing in homes.” • “We don't even know if the Kent variant started in Kent.” • “People will be shocked by how much travel has changed when they can travel again.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Daniel Morgan’s murder in 1987 exposed a toxic nexus between the police, private investigators, and top politicians. And over thirty years later, Priti Patel is putting her foot down on the release of the public report. Friend of the podcast and Financial Times columnist David Allen Green joins Alex Andreou to join the dots between cabinet and cop corruption, and why the Home Office’s excuses nothing but “codswallop”…
"The police, private investigators, and government have all worked together since 1987."
"Each of the parties involved had an ultimate weapon."
"The Home Office had three motivations - delay, forewarn, retract."
"The report could reveal that this goes far into the Met, and very far into Fleet Street and private industry."
"This is the Home Secretary trying to bully an independent panel."
"This is just government intolerance of anyone outside of the central government having power."
"Conspiracies are used to cover cock-ups…the Home Office just did not like the idea of learning about this at the same time as everyone else."
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s an increasingly cynical, unequal, unpredictable and worrying world. So what are we going to do about it? Turkish journalist and author Ece Temelkuran, talks to Dorian Lynskey about her new book Together: 10 Choices For a Better Now, how we can rebuild faith in humankind, the journalistic experiences which shaped her worldview, and why we should focus our anger on those in power rather than on social media.
“Hopelessness is a timid code for the loss of people’s faith in their own kind.”
“I try to talk about politics without the political discourse, and it’s not a piece of cake.”
“What you do as a journalist is to witness the extraordinary.”
“Anger is a commodity on social media, and we are selling our most intimate emotions.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trump’s Big Lie that Democrats stole the Presidential election is poisoning Republican minds against democracy itself. Could a future Republican Congress simply refuse to confirm an elected Democrat as President in 2024? Would Democrats willingly hand power to a victorious Republican – possibly Trump himself – who was openly committed to curtailing democracy? Georgetown public policy professor Donald Moynihan looks at these nightmare scenarios and explains why American democracy is in critical danger. • “The Big Lie is not a marginal idea… Some 55 to 70% of Republicans believe that Trump won the election.” • “If these ideas remain dominant it could lead to the end of democracy as we know it in the United States.” • “The Republican Party hasn’t bothered with a sensible autopsy like in 2012 because it’s committed to this Big Lie.” • Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ayesha Hazarika and Justin Quirk. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While Labour agonises over whether it can reclaim working class votes, one question gets lost: what is work for? What do we get from it? If “good work” can give life meaning in an automated world, can Labour capture the post-working class world? Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, talks to Ian Dunt about his new book The Dignity of Labour, why the somewhere-anywhere mantra is “wretched”, what Starmer can take from FDR… and if the dream of “automated luxury communism” is just Get Out Of Jail politics. • “Dignity today is often more about how you die than how you live.”
“The work that we value most in society – caring for one another - is the work that we value least in pay.”
“I fear that the Right want the Left to choose between Somewhere and Anywhere, so they can lock in their power forever.”
• “Progressive politics is being outmanoeuvred at every turn. We need to turn the tide.” Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Jon-Cruddas/The-Dignity-of-Labour/25421083 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Conservative Britain batters the BBC with a Diana-shaped club, is this latest attack more serious than a customary Mail-on-Broadcasting-House punishment beating? Special guest Liz Saville Roberts MP, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, explains the grim truth behind Britain’s trade future and tells us why English people should support Welsh independence. And why can’t Brexit Britain stop coming bottom in Eurovision? • “We had a huge market on our doorstep, and now we’re trying to replace it with one thousands of miles away” – Liz Saville Roberts • “If you love the BBC, you should want it to be held to a high standard than the tabloids.” – Ayesha Hazarika • “Can you imagine the headlines if Diana were around now? ‘Look at this woke virtue-signaller.’” – Justin Quirk Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ayesha Hazarika and Justin Quirk. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What can European countries do about Belarusian tyrant Alexander Lukashenko’s bizarre “air piracy” move to divert a RyanAir flight and make a dissident disappear? What does Dominic Cummings have in store for his Westminster appearance on Wednesday? And the BBC haters scent blood. NAOMI SMITH sets up another glorious week in politics. • “Lots of popcorn shall be consumed this week.” • “Why on earth are we having to rely on Cummings for COVID scrutiny? Where are the opposition parties?” • “The BBC row is manna from heaven for Tories who want to stoke the culture wars.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A surprise weekend extra edition, because there’s just too much news… Apparently we’re doing a “gradual” tariff-free deal with Australia. What exactly does that mean? Will it really wipe out the Welsh lamb industry and Scottish hill farmers? And have Johnson and Truss given away Britain’s negotiating advantage just for a headline? International trade expert and former negotiator Dmitry Grozoubinski explains how one deal could come back to bite Brexit Britain in painful places. • “When you look at what Britain has just given away for a modest deal, the precedent is remarkable.” • “The Americans will be asking, why can’t we have the same very favourable terms as Australia? And the US is a much, much bigger and stronger economy than Australia.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Labour still longing for victories past, where should the party go next? And why are the Tories so much better at dealing with defeat? Former Shadow Economic Advisor and Director of the Progressive Economy Forum James Meadway talks to Dorian Lynskey about prioritising concrete concerns over culture wars, whether Labour will ever win a majority again, and why working in the Shadow Cabinet was one of his worst jobs… • “The Tories are very good at dusting themselves down and working out what to do next.” • “Labour needs to say to voters, ‘This is how your life would be better if you voted Labour’.” • “The focus should be on how you get middle class voters to vote Labour instead of Tory.” • “If you try to reproduce policy tricks and electoral victories, you get negative returns.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why do people who consider themselves anti-racist have a blind spot when it comes to antisemitism? Why don’t we automatically think of antisemitism as racism, or Jews as an ethnic minority? Writer and comedian David Baddiel talks to Nick Cohen about his new book ‘Jews Don’t Count’, how social media nourished a new antisemitism among some progressives… and why British Jews shouldn’t have to answer for Benjamin Netanyahu. • “Israel-Palestine is a situation that most Jews are not responsible for… It’s racist to imagine that all Jews have to have an opinion either way” • “The idea that there would be no anti-Semitism without the State of Israel is a myth.” • “Our notion of identity politics just doesn’t apply to Jews.” • “My atheism has no bearing on whether or not I would have been killed by the Nazis. It’s racism. I don’t have a choice to be Jewish.” Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Peace in Northern Ireland has not looked this fragile in decades. Violence erupted in Belfast and elsewhere with both Brexit and resurgent gangs to blame. The duped DUP have replaced their leader with a creationist evangelical. And it’s all happening against the backdrop of increasing support for a United Ireland. In a Two Naomis special, leader of the Alliance Party and MLA for East Belfast Naomi Long talks to Naomi Smith about Northern Ireland’s precarious peace – and how it might fall apart. • “Boris Johnson never listened to Northern Ireland as a collective. He only listened to the DUP” • “A United Ireland is more likely than at any point in my lifetime, and Brexit has been a big driver in that” • “Northern Ireland is like a child caught up in a very difficult divorce” • “Poots is in the soul of Paisley’s DUP… whoever leads the party, it will not be moving forwards” Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Indian coronavirus variant takes a foothold, is the UK’s grand unlocking on June 21st under threat? And as foreign holidays return, will Brits head for the airports or stay grounded? Plus, we speak to solicitor and human rights activist Tawseef Khan about his new book The Muslim Problem: Why We’re Wrong About Islam and Why It Matters. Plus: Could a one-off wealth tax pay the world’s hefty COVID bill?
“I hope the red list delay was for a trade deal, because at least that makes Johnson cynical rather than hopelessly incompetent.” - Ian Dunt
“The crisis in India proves we need action right now, and the most obvious way is for rich countries to donate vaccines.” - Yasmeen Serhan
“There is no Islam aside from the one that we choose to interpret.” - Tawseef Khan
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Yasmeen Serhan. The producer is Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain greets the latest milestone of indoor pubs and restaurants with trepidation, not celebration. Is Boris Johnson preparing to shift the blame for another surge – possibly from the India Variant – onto the public? Plus, what’s driving the terrifying violence in Israel and Palestine, and how will that play out? ARTHUR SNELL is here to start your week. • “People who gave the Government a chance will be a LOT more critical now we’re near the end of this.” • “A lot of long-term trends in Israel and Palestine have come together in this moment of combustion.” • “I’ll be holding back on going to the pub. It’s Monday. You’ve got to pace yourself…” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Infamous anonymous blogger FLEET STREET FOX lifted the lid on the seedy world of tabloid journalism in the Leveson years – then in 2013 unmasked herself as Mirror columnist Susie Boniface. She tells Ian Dunt how being a total pain in the arse is the way to get into journalism, where the loathing of hacks really comes from… and why the credibility of print goes all the way back to Babylonian tax inspectors. Audio note: features guest appearance by a dog. • “I started in journalism because I couldn’t stand the idea of other people doing it and getting it wrong” • “Is journalism a dying industry? It’s been dying since the first newspaper was printed!” • “The human mind has been bred to think that if something is in black and white print, it’s fact” https://www.susieboniface.com Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The vastly wealthy Sackler family are known as respectable patrons of the arts, but the story behind their philanthropy is a dark one. The Sacklers made their billions from OxyContin or “Hillbilly Heroin”, the $35m prescription drug that precipitated America’s opioid crisis – an epidemic that has killed half a million people. Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, tells Ros Taylor about the corruption and influence that turned a deadly addictive drug into a medical staple, how the Sacklers insulated themselves from what they’d done, and how racism in medicine – surprisingly – spared many African Americans while devastating poor whites. • “The truth has caught up with the Sacklers. I don’t know that justice ever will.” • “This story is a slow-moving disaster. It took a quarter of a century to get to a quarter of a million deaths.” • “Many people hooked on OxyContin just switched to heroin when they reformulated it in 2010.” • “The question is, What did the Sacklers know about the harm OxyContin caused? And evidence shows that they DID know.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the dust settles, what are these bizarre elections really telling us about how British politics work? Electoral consultant Kenny Campbell, a former journalist and editor of the Metro newspaper, goes deep into the entrails of Elections ’21 with Alex Andreou. Does Labour have to wean itself off its attachment to the shattered Red Wall? Might levelling up the North provoke a backlash in vulnerable southern Conservative seats? And do we have to face up to the fact that England is becoming a one-party democracy? • “The pandemic has come good for Johnson at exactly the right time… If anything, voters were voting simply not to mess things up.” • “We know what Johnson, Sturgeon and Drakeford stand for. Starmer is struggling to articulate what Labour stands for.” • “When Johnson does blow up, it will be because of a monumental catastrophe.” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Labour find a way to make a bad week worse, we look at the long-term consequences of Starmer vs. Rayner. Plus, we might be on the eve of the biggest economic boom since 1948 but will the boom play in Hartlepool? The Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance in trouble. And would it be better for Britain if we stopped worrying and let London balloon until it becomes Mega-City N1 (and other postcodes)?
“Mark my words, the person who’ll undo Boris Johnson will be Boris Johnson.” – Alex Andreou
“Starmer’s main selling point has been competence, but this reshuffle has been a total mess.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“Global Britain is trying to find its place in the world and for Brexiters, the Anglosphere is their happy place.” – Arthur Snell
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell, Miatta Fahnbulleh and Alex Andreou. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How will Labour’s post-election Hell Weekend and the sacking-not-sacking of Angela Rayner play out this week? How badly is Starmer damaged? And what sort of a Queen’s Speech can we expect from a Government that has no reason to fear opposition? IAN DUNT ruins… sorry, starts your week. • “Starmer has come out of these elections absolutely savaged.” • “If you’re an urban voter, it looks like Labour is almost embarrassed of your support.” • “Voter ID is pure voter suppression. There are many problems in this country, but voter fraud is not one of them.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tax havens aren’t all desert islands with palm trees. One of the worst offenders is rainy Britain. So are we wrong focus on offshore tax chicanery? And what can we do about it at home as well as away? Chair of the Tax Justice Network Alex Cobham tells Arthur Snell about how tax injustice goes beyond beaches and palm trees – and the implications for businesses in post-Brexit Britain. www.taxjustice.uk www.taxwatchuk.org https://fairtaxmark.net/ • “When it comes to tax havenry, Britain is the biggest actor out there.” • “We think we know what tax haven means… but it’s actually quite slippery.” • “You can avoid tax on a sunny beach with a palm tree, but you can also do it in London and Amsterdam.” • “The UK and its network is the biggest single actor in tax avoidance.” • “Every single second, one nurse’s salary is lost to tax havens – mostly to multinational companies.” Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if the Prime Minister was corrupt, and nobody cared? As Labour steels itself for a tough election day, we look at where sleaze is and isn’t cutting through. Plus, as the COVID horror in India worsens, Ahir Shah tells us what his friends and family in India are experiencing – and the extend of Modi’s culpability. And a Wild Idea for the future: Universal Basic Capital. Rather than tinkering with inequality through a complex benefits system, why don’t we just give everyone £10,000 on their 18th birthday?
“The country is so fucking broken that Johnson will put himself on sale for a pair of curtains.” – Alex Andreou
“If you’re asking ‘If Labour can’t win now, when can it?’, you’re asking the wrong question.” – Ros Taylor
“If someone gives you a shit-ton of money, surely you’re beholden to them?” – Ahir Shah
“We’ve somehow decided that old people deserve state handouts during this pandemic, and young people don’t. That’s a really poisonous point of view.” – Ros Taylor
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Enforced isolation, powerlessness, boredom, even emasculation – lockdown was the perfect petri dish to create a pandemic of online gambling which affects young people worse than most. The Director of Clean Up Gambling Matt Zarb-Cousin was a problem gambler himself and betting almost destroyed his life. He talks to Andrew Harrison about how sponsorship and ads normalise dangerous betting behaviour, how the gambling industry capitalises on toxic masculinity, his personal experience with addiction, and what we need to do about this growing problem.
“We’ve created a generation who believe that betting obsessively on football is all part of supporting your team.”
“These are highly addictive products… I found myself missing sixth form classes to go to the bookies.”
“Gambling offers the illusion of control but people end up feeling subordinated to it.”
“By advertising on football shirts, gambling companies can bypass advertising laws.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As votes loom in Hartlepool, Scotland, Wales and in local authorities and metro mayor regions across England, is Keir Starmer’s message on Government sleaze finally cutting through? And what will it all mean for independence in Scotland and Wales? Ros Taylor is here to start your week.
“When the media just hang on the Prime Minister’s every word the result is this decrepitude of politics.”.
“It’s a wonderful time for an incumbent government to have an election.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can the classics tell us the truth about Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow and the Marvel pantheon? Robert Eaglestone, Professor of Contemporary Literature and Thought at Royal Holloway, University of London, uses the Marvel Cinematic Universe to explain Aristotle’s Poetics to his students. He sits down with fellow Marvelite Andrew Harrison to discuss the mythic resonances of the MCU. Face front! Warning: many spoilers here.
“What Aristotle says about Greek tragedy and drama fits the Marvel Universe perfectly.”
“Captain America and Iron Man’s moral choices come right out of their characters. And Aristotle would really appreciate that.”
“Fighting Thanos is fighting the inevitability of death. We’re all going to lose – but what is a good death?”
“Aristotle’s Lyceum was a kind of counter-school to Plato’s X-Men.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Britain really the hopelessly split society that we fear? The good news is that as the Brexit rubble settles, our common ground is growing, and Britain is more up for serious political change than almost any other Western democracy. Tim Dixon, co-founder of pro-consensus pressure group More In Common and former advisor to Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard in Australia, talks to Ros Taylor about the weird online and offline dynamics that over-represent vocal extremes, and why Brexity nationalists agree with progressives more than you think.
“We’ve lived off the capital of past generations in terms of the glue that holds society together. Now we need to reinvest in it.”
“People’s identities as Remainer or Leaver is still a lot stronger than their identification with a political party.”
“We tend to forget that most people don’t see the world through a political lens.”
“If politics can come back into people’s lives, and be useful again, then it can be really transformative.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1963 might be the closest the world has ever come to actual nuclear war – but do we really understand what went on between Kennedy, the USA and Kruschev’s USSR? Ukraine-born Harvard Professor of History Serhii Plokhy tells Jude Rogers about his new book Nuclear Folly: A New History of the Cuban Missile Crisis – and what this fatal moment in the confrontation between East and West can tell us about today’s unspoken second Cold War.
“Diplomatic telegrams were so slow that Kruschev thought the best way to communicate with Kennedy was openly, through Radio Moscow.”
“The technology has changed since the Cuban Missile Crisis but human nature hasn’t.”
“Today we’re back in the uncharted waters of the nuclear arms race before the Cuban Crisis.”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whoever wins, we lose… As Dominic Cummings takes a wrecking ball to the Prime Minister he made, writer Emma Kennedy joins us to ask who will win this particular Battle of the Bastards. Plus, if social media is so toxic that Premier League footballers are boycotting it, should we end anonymity online? And are quiz shows to blame for the state of politics?
“Let’s all grab a sun lounger and enjoy the weapons-grade spite from Dominic Cummings.” – Emma Kennedy
“My main emotional response to all of these leaks is hilarity and joy.” – Ian Dunt
“Carrie Symonds’ flat decor is like a Home Counties version of Trump Tower” – Emma Kennedy
“Number 10 was once our version of The West Wing. Now it’s like the Tweenies have taken over.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“The old producer of HIGNFY told me that putting Boris Johnson on TV was the biggest regret of his life.” – Emma Kennedy
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ayesha Hazarika and Ian Dunt. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s a classic Alien vs Predator scenario as disgruntled supervillain Dominic Cummings resurfaces with the receipts on Johnson’s squalid behaviour over lockdown, leaks and the No.11 flat. What will go down worse for the embattled Prime Minister? The news that he’d rather see “bodies piled high in their thousands” than a third lockdown, or Carrie’s taste in gold wallpaper? Alex Andreou is here to start your week.
“Cummings won’t release snippets. He’ll want to make his committee appearance big box office.”
“The message is, Don’t go after me, mate. I know where all the bodies are buried.”
“Johnson’s glove puppet turned around and bit him in the face.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Cameron to cabinet, the Greensill Capital scandal has spiralled into corruption chaos. But now numerous instances of shady practice are joining hands. Special guests Cynthia O’Murchú and Andy Bounds who cover Greensill and more for the Financial Times join us to connect the dots between Greensill, Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG/Liberty Steel empire and the surprise approval of a new deep coal mine in Cumbria. What’s really going on and how do we fix it?
“The transparency rules don’t work. Where are you supposed to log a private drink with Matt Hancock?” – Cynthia O’Murchú
“We call it the Private Eye test. Would you want to see this in the paper?” – Andy Bounds
“I’ve lost count of how many inquiries there have been into Greensill’s connections with government.” – Cynthia O’Murchú
“Cameron wasn’t shy about Greensill. He touted them as the future of Government finance. But his involvement has become tawdry.” – Andy Bounds
“Transparency rules didn’t reveal these meetings, it was the ABSENCE of transparency.” – Cynthia O’Murchú
“If a Civil Servant is already working for a private company when they leave government, they don’t have to declare the new job. That is gobsmacking.” – Alex Andreou
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Perseverance Rover is bringing us stunningly detailed images of Mars, but do we really need to go there? Are we anywhere nearer proof of life on other worlds? And is Elon Musk’s dream of a million-person Mars base by the end of the century feasible – or desirable? Alok Jha, The Economist’s Science Correspondent and host of The Jab podcast talks space-sceptic Ros Taylor through the pros and cons of Martian exploration, and ponders whether interstellar objects are proof of extraterrestrial tech.
“If you’re interested in life on earth, you should be interested in life in Mars.”
“We’ve never sent an astronaut to Mars, let alone a million people.”
“Before COVID, we didn’t think you could develop a vaccine in twelve months. It shows what you can do with willpower and money.”
“We’ve never had people sitting in a tin can to Mars for six months before. Would they just destroy one another?”
“If there are one million planets in the universe, that’s a lot of opportunities for life to start.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
THIS PODCAST WAS RECORDED BEFORE CHELSEA AND MAN CITY LEFT THE COMPETITION: English football clubs triggered shockwaves of revulsion at the weekend when they announced their plans to join a €4bn breakaway ‘Super League’. Is the plan starting to crack, and can English football be saved? The man who broke the story, Chief Sports Reporter for The Times Martyn Ziegler, tells Andrew Harrison how a greed-fuelled vanity project came about, why the owners are unwise to discount “legacy fans”, and if there’s anything fans can do to stop it.
“This has gone beyond sabre rattling, this is civil war”
“These owners simply don’t care about the tradition and community that surrounds their football clubs”
“There is no doubt that the clubs have been taken aback by the reaction from fans, the media and even politicians”
“The Premier League’s success is built on the fact that Leicester can win the title, and ‘Super League’ clubs can have a bad season”
“In 30 years of reporting on sport I have never known the Government behave like this towards football”
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Greensill scandal continues to leak dodginess like a busted fridge. Is lobbying really the issue, or is it really about the corrupt Old Boys’ Network? Joe Biden withdraws US troops from Afghanistan after 20 years: what does it mean? And we look at the new Carey Mulligan movie Promising Young Woman, an intense and provocative rape revenge fantasy, and what it says about Hollywood after #MeToo. David Aaronovitch of The Times is this week’s special guest
“People love a story of sex sleaze, but the thing is, they won’t always condemn the perpetrator for it.” – David Aaronovitch
“ACOBA isn’t just toothless, it’s gumless and mouthless too.” – Arthur Snell
“The problem with sleaze is that it’s easy to end up painting it on ALL politicians.” – David Aaronovitch
“If you have to keep affirming that you’re a nice guy, you’re probably not.” – Yasmeen Serhan on Promising Young Woman
“Why should withdrawing troops somehow mean ‘the end of America’s longest war’? The troops might be gone but the war isn’t.” – David Aaronvitch
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the sleaze scandal spreads, will the rising tide of corruption start lapping at Boris Johnson’s feet? Beer Garden Britain thinks COVID is done but as cases rise alarmingly in India and Brazil, will we need to think again? Alexei Navalny faces death in prison for opposing Putin. And will that revolting European Super League actually kill football? Naomi Smith is here to start your week.
“We need to stop calling this chumocracy, and start calling it corruption.”
“The football terraces could be somewhere we can begin to win the culture war.”
“Johnson is the master of Teflon. He’s deflected this onto the mandarins.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When there’s a “heated debate” about racism on Good Morning Britain, you’ll often see Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University, tussling with Toby Young and Nigel Farage and bringing uncomfortable arguments about white supremacy into Middle England’s living rooms. What does he get from it? He talks to Jude Rogers about the Sewell Report, his book The New Age Of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule The World and the value of being the “bad black guy who gets invited on TV to wind up the Daily Mail.”
“This is the most diverse cabinet, yet racist government of my lifetime.”
“I can say things on Good Morning Britain that I can’t say in The Guardian.”
“The reason why people love the Monarchy and the British Empire is that they don’t really understand what it is.”
“The problem isn’t that black people don’t trust the police. The problem is the police.”
“A culture war is going to happen whether I’m on TV or not.”
“Diversity doesn’t mean that racism is over. The British Empire couldn’t have functioned without countless black and brown people helping to administer it.”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What kind of person crashes a £3.6bn business, shattering the life savings of 400,000 people? When Britain’s most famous fund manager Neil Woodford went down in flames in 2019 it was a personal humiliation for a “rock star investor” that the City thought was infallible. Owen Walker, the FT’s European Banking Correspondent and author of Built On A Lie: The Rise And Fall Of Neil Woodford And The Fate Of Middle England’s Money tells Andrew Harrison how Woodford’s arrogance lost his clients millions – and asks whether the City has learned any lessons from the debacle.
“This was a guy who could get the biggest CEOs to do his bidding”
“Journalists loved Woodford. They could create stories around him. And yes, they’re to blame for hyping him up”
“When Woodford rang up, even major CEOs would take a seat and prepare for a rollicking”
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The English public school is one of the country’s strangest and often most sinister institutions. James Scudamore, author of the moving and gripping novel of memory, friendship and abuse English Monsters, talks to Arthur Snell about his own experience with the mad and petty regime of the English boarding school. How did this culture spread the “profound damage” of men who’d seen true horror in war down to generations of pupils? And why do public schools produce an emotionally damaged elite?
“There’s a special toxicity in that closed world of elitism and privilege.”
“That blend of extremely rigid rules and the psychopathy of the punishments… it’s incredible that these things were still going on as late as the 80s.”
“One thing you have to do to survive is to completely shut down your empathy. And another is to fall into extreme flippancy.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The pubs are back! Can the Great British Public drink the county back to economic health? Plus, did the deeply strange Prince Philip memorial weekend give us any pointers to the future fate of the Monarchy? Should we give up hoping for ‘normal’ politics to come back? And why shouldn’t there be a black James Bond?
“AstraZeneca? I’d have taken a North Korean vaccine if they offered me.” – Justin Quirk
“Brits treat the Royal Family as both superhuman and somehow subhuman too.” – Alex Andreou
“If there’s one thing that Labour hates, it’s Labour.” – Marie le Conte
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Marie le Conte and Justin Quirk. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As England scratches at the doors of pubs and hairdressers like a starving cat, Yasmeen Serhan joins Andrew Harrison to set out the week’s news stories. Are we on for a retail superspreader event? Plus the Cameron-Greensill scandal gets worse, London decides to let Northern Ireland stew, Prince Philip is still dead… and Ramadan for dummies (i.e. Andrew).
“If you guys want this change to be permanent, you need to make sure your queues outside Primark are socially distanced.”
“Advice for non-Muslims: if you’re going to annoy your friends, do it today while they’re still allowed to swear.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When digital artist Dan Hett tragically lost his brother Martin in the 2017 Manchester bombings, he turned to the world of interactive fiction to help him understand what had happened – and ultimately he produced the game ‘Closed Hands’, which examines the causes and effects of a terrorist attack in a fictional UK city. Dan talks to Arthur Snell about the fascinating world of interactive fiction novels, how he turned his painful experience into a piece of art, and the role it could play in tackling extremism.
“There is a route through the game that reflects my reality, but I’m the only one who knows what it is”
“This game is me questioning society and us as a population, rather than my individual experience”
“Closed Hands was difficult to write, difficult to research, and for some people it’s difficult to play”
“Sometimes the decisions you make during the game are not black and white, and there isn’t a correct way of doing things”
“If can reach one person through games, who hadn’t thought about this, then I’ve succeeded”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Content warning: Includes discussion of sexual violence and abuse. What is it like being an “activist prosecutor” in a legal system hampered by institutional prejudice and often indifference? Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal tells The Observer’s Nick Cohen about his memoir The Prosecutor: One Man’s Pursuit for Justice for the Voiceless and what it reveals about British justice. Why are marginalised young women so badly served by our justice system? How might COVID transform that system? And is “cultural sensitivity” a cover for failures on racial and class prejudice?
“Police and prosecutors often use excuses to cover the fact that ‘This is really difficult, why are we bothering?’”
“The idea of ‘working in the interests of justice’ got changed to ‘working in the interest of just us’.”
“Our legal system is stuck in the past and isn’t updating with any speed.”
“One police station has been sold to a pizza restaurant. And do you know who owns it? Organised crime.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Good news, everyone! Institutional racism is over, at least according to the Government-sponsored Sewell Report into racial disparity in the UK. As the report falls to pieces in plain sight, special guest Matthew Ryder QC (former London Deputy Mayor for social integration) joins Ayesha Hazarika, Ahir Shah and Ros Taylor to discuss a textbook example of selecting your conclusion before looking for evidence. Plus: Populism’s endgame in Brazil, the joy of blue plaques, and is Britain less divided than we thought?
“The Sewell Report is a huge backwards step.” – Matthew Ryder
“This should be a wake up call for Labour. The party just doesn’t trust people of colour with the big jobs.” – Matthew Ryder
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ayesha Hazarika, Ahir Shah and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Russia is massing troops on the Ukrainian border. Does Putin just want to hand Biden his first test, or is there more to it? Plus: the tangled mess that is vaccine passports. Why your foreign holiday is probably off this year. Keir Starmer under a cloud on his first anniversary as Labour leader. And what’s going on in Jordan? Arthur Snell sets out the week ahead.
“It’s a bad look for an opposition leader if you can’t win a by-election in the North of England.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is it like being one of the few black people at Eton and Oxford? And what do they actual teach our future rulers? Musa Okwonga is the author One of Them: An Eton College Memoir, and host of the Stadio football podcast. He talks to Alex Andreou about imperial pride in private schools, why Brexit led him to move to “the heart of Europe”, and whether Spurs will make it to the Champions League…
“MPs would learn more about the world by getting off the train one stop earlier, not going on a gap year.”
“Schtick only works when people buy into it.”
“It’s easier to name Henry VIII’s six wives than the six biggest colonial massacres.”
“A lot of the people at Eton didn’t know black people. I felt like I was representing all black people.”
“Eton is the kind of school where you can be a kind of Gatsby.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When writer Erica Buist had the traumatic experience of finding her partner’s father dead in his home, it led her to ask why we respond to death with fear and sadness – and ultimately to travel from Mexico to Nepal and beyond to research the surprisingly uplifting book This Party's Dead: Grief, Joy And Spilled Rum At The World's Death Festivals. She talks to Arthur Snell about greeting the dead and dancing with corpses, feasts where dead bodies are “invited to the party”, the true meaning of Voldemort… and why Westerners need to get over the idea that talking about death is “rude”.
“We leave this incredibly important thing to your highest moment of trauma. Why would you do that?”
“I got hit on the head with a corpse at one of these festivals. They were dancing with it…”
“We’re happy to look at the blue corpse of a girl in a movie, but somehow not in real life.”
“In the West, when you die you lose your powers. But in a lot of these cultures, death is where you GAIN your power.”
“Hanging out with a dead body sounds bizarre. But after a couple of minutes, it’s so normal.”
“The idea that teaching kids about death will traumatise them? No. Kids LOVE death. It’s their favourite.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What will the Sturgeon/Salmond stand-off mean for the SNP’s make-or-break bid for re-election and a second independence referendum? And can an independent Scotland pay its way? SNP Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes is our special guest. Plus: What’s behind Johnson’s defence plans for fewer soldiers and more nukes? And Alan Turing is on the £50 note but will the Queen be on our banknotes for much longer?
“If Scotland goes independent, England would lose an unruly neighbour, and gain a close ally.” – Kate Forbes
“By repeatedly saying ‘No’, it’s almost as if Boris Johnson has given up on making the case for the Union.” – Kate Forbes
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Outdoor “mingling” is back but as the Government bets all on the vaccine, are they ignoring the danger of new COVID variants? And if/when it all goes wrong, will it somehow be Europe’s fault again? Plus the possible Labour reshuffle, the SNP vs the Alba Party and what Johnson’s affair with Jennifer Arcuri really means. Ian Dunt explains the week ahead.
“The only Government strategy is the vaccine, and praying that no variants blow it to smithereens”
“The only way the Government can countenance giving vaccines to Ireland is under a narrative of sticking it to Europe”
“If anything good can come from Boris Johnson being PM, it will be a modernisation of life in Number 10”.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Brexit opening a Pandora’s Box of irrational nationalism in England, and Scotland and Northern Ireland heading to the exit door, the break-up of the United Kingdom is no longer a weird fantasy but a real possibility. Nick Cohen talks to the writer, broadcaster and card-carrying Scot Gavin Esler about his new book How Britain Ends, and the forces that could pull Britain apart. Can the Union be saved? Would an independent Scotland really be welcomed into the EU? And is Britain in danger of becoming a failed state?
“I’ve had people telling me ‘We English aren’t nationalistic – that’s why we’re BETTER than other people’…” – Gavin Esler
“The central role of British foreign policy since the Spanish Armada was to stop Europe uniting against us. And Brexit has achieved exactly that.” – Nick Cohen
“What would post-imperial Britain’s role be? It wouldn’t BE post-Imperial Britain. It would be England alone.” – Gavin Esler
“Brexit has led to the collapse of an English myth that we’re a tolerant, pragmatic people not given to wild ideas.” – Nick Cohen
“Thatcher said Northern Ireland was as British as Finchley. Under Boris Johnson, in customs terms it’s as British as France.” – Gavin Esler
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are we ready to live alongside artificial minds? And why do we still harbour a Terminator-style fear of vengeful machines? Oxford University Professor of Computer Science Michael Wooldridge, author of The Road to Conscious Machines, says we are on the brink of a great transformation in artificial intelligence. He talks to Alex Andreou about deepmind superhuman gamer bots, debunking our fear of Frankenstein’s creation, and why automation means more than robot butlers.
“We are with AI where nuclear physicists were in the early 1900s… There is so much unexplored territory.”
“We’re nothing special in the universe. We’re just a bunch of atoms bumping up against each other.”
“I don’t lose sleep over the Skynet scenario. We don’t need AI to make mistakes with nuclear weapons.”
“The Frankenstein story embodies our deep-rooted fear of creating something, and then losing control of it.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Constitutions are the rulebooks of government, but how does each country get its own peculiar arrangements? Linda Colley, author of The Gun, The Ship, And The Pen: War, Constitutions And The Making Of The Modern World, tells Ros Taylor about the extraordinary circumstances – from Napoleon to Catherine the Great to America’s Founding Fathers – that produced the operating systems for states. Why was America’s sacred Constitution less of a high-minded document and more of “a grimly necessary plan by a group of men who felt themselves under siege”? And does a British Constitution even really exist?
“The US Constitution was driven by short-term necessity rather than highfalutin’ ideas.”
“One Law Lord once described the British Constitution as a trackless desert.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What makes someone give up a lucrative job in the City of London to risk their life fighting ISIS in Syria – with no prior military training? In one of our most astonishing interviews, Macer Gifford describes how he left the UK to spend three long tours fighting with the Kurdish YPG militia against the brutal terror group Islamic State. He tells Arthur Snell what it’s like to cross into a warzone, his book Fighting Evil: The Ordinary Man Who Went To War Against ISIS (£2 on Kindle!) and the shocking, inspiring and sometimes tragic stories of his fellow foreign fighters.
“It wasn’t about fighting, it was about standing in solidarity”
“Volunteers aren’t all left-wing activists. I’m a card carrying member of the Conservative Party.”
“The Kurds are talking about amazing things like women’s rights and gay rights – and it’s all off the back of the most brutal conflict”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Which flavour of police overreach do you like least: COVID regulations if you’re on the right, or the Police Bill if you’re centre-left? Special guest Emily Benn joins us to disentangle the worsening mess of civil rights under this government. And with Line Of Duty returning as British policing is in the spotlight as seldom before, do we need a conversation about “Copaganda” entertainment in the UK, as America had over George Floyd? Plus: what Joe Biden’s New Deal really means.
“The fact that this is an emergency isn’t an excuse for poor legislation and poor scrutiny.” – Emily Benn
“Biden is ripping up an economic consensus that has stood for 40 years since Reagan.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“I don’t know what Centrist is supposed to mean, apart from claiming that someone is boring and lacks ideas… and that’s obviously rubbish.” – Emily Benn
Presented and produced by Dorian Lynskey with Miatta Fahnbulleh and Naomi Smith. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The EU:UK vaccine export row: who’s in the right and will a friendly phone call from Boris Johnson sort it all out like it always does? On the anniversary of Lockdown 1, will the pandemic regulations face a rocky renewal? And Christmas comes early for lucky Priti Patel as the Bristol rioters breathe life back into her illiberal Police Bill. Alex Andreou sets up the week ahead.
“The danger of the Bill is that if peaceful protest is outlawed, then you might as well riot.”
“Priti Patel must be absolutely delighted at what she saw in Bristol. She will put rocket boosters on the Police Bill.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A bonus weekend edition… Finding inspiration in the midst of pandemic can be difficult, but how hard is it to write a book about a city you can’t visit because of lockdown? And how has the Church fared during this period of enforced isolation? Author and practising Christian Francis Spufford talks to Ros Taylor about his new novel Light Perpetual, the “incredibly natural” failure of imagination in the midst of this pandemic, and how COVID has left the Church “smaller and wobblier” than ever before.
“The ordinariness of the Blitz leaps out at me… people woke up having survived the night, dusted themselves down and went to work”
“People will sit in cafes and ride on trains again… they’ll regard this as the weird glitch of 2020”
“COVID has been catastrophic for the church… it will emerge smaller and wobblier than before the pandemic started”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Grenfell tragedy exposed the worst of a housing crisis which affects some 8 million people and leaves one in seven people in unaffordable or unsuitable homes. How did we get into this mess and how do we get out of it? Why can’t we build enough houses in the right places? Alex Andreou talks to Catherine Ryder, Director of Policy and Research at the National Housing Federation, and Steve Cole of the country’s largest social landlord the Clarion Group, about beating a huge challenge that has defeated successive governments.
“Housing Minister is THE big churn post in government. Everyone comes in with one big thing they want to do…” – Steve Cole
“I know only a handful of people in the UK who live where they did ten years ago, and only a handful of people in Greece who DON’T.” – Alex Andreou
“There’s been a huge flip from government building supply to supporting demand… The housing benefit bill is £23bn.” – Steve Cole
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For British intelligence, Soviet mole George Blake was possibly the most damaging traitor of the whole Cold War. Towards the end of Blake’s life the FT’s Simon Kuper met the ageing defector for “the most extraordinary interview of my life.” He tells Arthur Snell about his book The Happy Traitor, which sets out Blake’s astonishing journey from comically patriotic British citizen through his time of treachery in an unbelievably complacent British intelligence service to an escape from justice that came straight from a cartoon story. Why did Blake do it? And did he in some sense get away with it?
“For a decade, every secret of British intelligence was handed over to the Soviets by Blake.”
“By his own reckoning Blake betrayed several hundred British agents, many of whom were executed.”
“I was told that Blake detested Putin’s gaudy KGB capitalism… but he depended on Putin for his dacha.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Britain as divided over COVID as we were over Brexit? Do people really think that if you lost your job during the pandemic, it’s your fault? And if Brexity pundits are so anti-lockdown, why are Leave voters largely in favour of restrictions? Bobby Duffy (Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College ) and Paula Surridge (Deputy Director of the UK in a Changing Europe) have researched our changing attitudes with surprising results. They tell Ros Taylor about the deep impulses driving politics – and whether Leave vs Remain identities might finally be breaking down.
“Even though we’ve seen a transfer of wealth from young to old, we just don’t see people saying Let’s take from the old and give to the young” – Bobby Duffy
“Leave/Remain is often seen as a generation gap but it’s more to do with education.” – Paula Surridge
“There is an opportunity to reimagine our economy… but it won’t come easy.” – Bobby Duffy
“Real lockdown scepticism is actually a rarity… It doesn’t bring people together across the political spectrum, it splits them up” – Bobby Duffy
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Metropolitan Police’s brutal intervention during Saturday’s vigil Sarah Everard leaves the country aghast. What really happened? What needs to change if British cities are to be safe for women? Special guest Alex Massie of The Times and The Spectator joins us to look at the “fantastically illiberal” Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, and give his personal crash course on Scottish politics for the inattentive English.
“A lot of forces who are no friend of women are jumping on this issue for their own motives.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Just as Independence was underpriced in 2014, Unionism is underpriced in 2021.” – Alex Massie
“In politics, success is sweet but it’s not half as sweet as your enemy’s failure.” – Alex Massie
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Ayesha Hazarika. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Met’s outrageous clampdown on the Sarah Everard vigil on Clapham Common has put Priti Patel’s draconian Police, Crime, Sentencing And Courts Bill under a harsh spotlight. Could a bill that effectively outlaws public protest blow up in the Government’s face this week? Ros Taylor explains.
“Public protest has become illegal, and we didn’t seem to notice that.”
“A protest looks very different when it’s women doing it.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Peter explains better than anyone I know the new world of Putinesque, Trumpian propaganda.” In a weekend bonus, Nick Cohen of The Observer talks to Peter Pomerantsev, author of This Is Not Propaganda : Adventures in the War Against Reality, about how demagogues warp free speech into a weapon against democracy. Why is the modern information battle less of a New Cold War and more a New Thirty Years War? Do we even understand the devil’s bargain that tech giants are offering? We can have perfect lives and perfect homes – as long as we don’t mind giving up our information and our freedoms.
“Every aspect of freedom of speech has been used against us, to swamp the world and drown out the truth”
“However much we’d like to blame these pathologies on Mark Zuckerberg, we can’t.”
“It’s no longer about censorship, it’s about overloading democracies with trolls, bots and conspiracies… it’s about swamping us with information”
“When you have an economy based on likes and shares, that’s going to reinforce tribal identities”
“Extremism is about demonising the other. What we’re seeing is something eternal”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Few countries exercise such world-wide fascination while being as little understood outside their own borders as Japan. Christopher Harding, author of The Japanese: A History In 20 Lives, talks to Ros Taylor about the key figures who shaped Japan over the centuries, from princesses and samurai to pop culture visionaries.
“A British delegate who visited Japan in the 1990s said ‘If this is a recession, then I want one’”
“Japan needs more babies, more immigrants, more robots.”
“People fall in love with some element of Japan… but we don’t have a joined up sense of Japanese history.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yemen is suffering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a conflict that has killed some 100,000 people since 2015 and left 24m in peril. Now it’s dragging countries across the region into its vortex. How did we get here? Exactly how are Saudi Arabia and Iran involved? Will the election of Joe Biden make a difference? Arthur Snell talks to Laura Cretney, a PhD student at Durham University who works with charities in the region, to disentangle a nightmare confrontation between Houthi rebels, the Yemeni government and multiple foreign interests.
“For many young men, the best and most lucrative way to provide for their families is to take up arms.”
“This isn’t just a proxy conflict between Saudi and Iran. There are a LOT of regional rivalries here.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amid the chaos of the Capitol Invasion of January 6, keen observers could spot the iconography of Valkism, a weird confected “religion” born out of video game culture that’s now empowering QAnon and far right politics. Former Government advisor and BBC and Reuters correspondent Amil Khan tells Arthur Snell about the crossover of video games, 4Chan, 8Chan and far right politics which produced Valkism and what it means for the fight against extremism.
“Some of these people want to create an alternative reality where their political fantasies can play out.” – Amil Khan
“If you’re inspired by the idea of a Nazi alternative universe in a video game, you may well be attracted to far right politics.” – Arthur Snell
“We like think that we’re stable, rational people and the nutters must be from somewhere else. Well, the US Capitol riots disproved that.” – Amil Khan
“We tend to see extremism as a foreign problem... But this is a British problem, because it feeds off our problems at home.” – Amil Khan
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s the end of an era! As parents collapse weeping to their knees in a fug of gin, has home schooling changed how we teach kids? Will in-school testing stick? And will the experience shine a light on the God-awfulness of the National Curriculum? PLUS: After that derisory nurses’ pay offer, how long ’til the U-Turn? Porklife as the Government shovels “levelling up” money to Tory constituencies. Farage retires! Again! And why can’t we stop collecting stuff? Ros Taylor, Ahir Shah and Arthur Snell join Alex Andreou for this week’s panel edition.
“Perhaps forcing a young woman to dress up and endure whatever hatred the press want to throw at her is inhuman. And perhaps we should stop doing it.” – Ros Taylor
“Even the most loving and caring parents are saying OK, please take this away from me, I don’t know what a quadratic is.” – Ahir Shah
“It’s fair to say that parents trust the heads rather more than they trust Gavin Williamson.” – Ros Taylor
“Like a lot of parents I thought, how hard can teaching be? Turns out it’s QUITE difficult…” – Arthur Snell
“What’s a fronted adverbial? Trust me, you’re happier not knowing.” – Ros Taylor
“If I have to do a spreadsheet for a pint, I will do a spreadsheet for a pint.” – Ahir Shah
Presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor, Ahir Shah and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does today’s International Women’s Day stand for when we’re in the middle of a new wave of feminism? What can women expect from government when its fill-in Equalities Minister thinks there ought to be a Minister for Men? Naomi Smith presents a special edition with regulars Nina Schick and Minnie Rahman plus special guest Jude Kelly, former artistic director of the Southbank Centre and founder of the WOW – Women of the World – Foundation.
“It always irritates me when a man says ‘I’m interested in feminism because of my daughter’. Well, didn’t you care before?” – Jude Kelly
“It’s no good just having someone like Priti Patel in cabinet, unless there’s a matching political will for gender equality.” – Minnie Rahman
“Having to persuade and listen for centuries has given women fantastic negotiating skills – and men can really learn from that.” – Jude Kelly
Presented by Naomi Smith with Nina Schick and Minnie Rahman. Produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Novelist Sergei Lebedev writes forensically detailed books which uncover how Soviet history still exerts its power on modern Russians. According to the New York Review of Books he’s “the best of Russia’s younger generation of writers.” He talks to Alex Andreou about his latest novel, the COVID-relevant thriller Untraceable; precarious life in the new Russia; and how the Soviet Union might be dead but it’s never truly buried.
“I’m witnessing my country returning to its past. And I wouldn’t want to be a person who does nothing about it”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why are so many minority patients rejecting the COVID vaccines and what can healthcare do about it? Vaccine hesitancy in minority communities is threatening to turn the pandemic into a specific crisis for marginalised and non-white populations. Ayesha Hazarika talks to Dr Salman Waqar, GP and General Secretary of the British Islamic Medical Association, about a problem with deep roots in the historic marginalisation of BAME people.
“When we tell BAME communities that this vaccine will save your life, many of them won’t take what you say at face value”
“I’ve seen elderly vaccination patients crying because it was the first time they’d been out since March 2020”
“A lot of the NHS’s non-white workforce has struggled to get its voice heard… We’re still not seeing that workforce represented in NHS management”
“The biggest killer in COVID is economic deprivation – and minority communities happen to be more poor”
Presented by Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Just how global can Britain be if we’re becoming ever-more insular after Brexit? Naomi Smith talks to Peter Westmacott, former ambassador to Turkey, France and the USA, about the hidden prejudices that influence international relations, whether the advent of Biden will turn back the tide of populist nationalism, and his new book They Call It Diplomacy.
“A French colleague once asked me point-blank, Why do you English hate us so much? I don’t believe we do – but there is definitely a Little Englander mindset.”
“There was an old Iranian joke that if you hold up Khomeini’s beard you’d see MADE IN ENGLAND underneath.”
“Leaving the EU was never a legitimate way of dealing with immigration from places outside the EU.”
“I remember saying Be very careful when you call a referendum because you might get an answer that’s nothing to do with the question on the ballot papers.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Would you get get a vaccine passport if it meant you could go out to eat, drink and dance? Even if it created a two-tier Britain? Special guest Alan Rusbridger joins us to talk about his new book News And How To Use It, the crisis in journalism and how we fix it. And Frasier is coming back. Is this a good idea? Hardcore fangirl Yasmeen has thoughts.
“Journalism is as essential as ambulances or the police…” – Alan Rusbridger
“Vaccine passports? This is the Government wasting time thinking of solutions to problems that don’t exist” – Ian Dunt
“You don’t want Mark Zuckerberg regulating your speech. But you don’t want Government regulating your speech either.” – Alan Rusbridger
Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Wednesday’s Budget see the end of Sunshine Sunak or will the Chancellor put off the reckoning with financial Armageddon again? How will you spend the last week of home schooling? And what about that new Brazilian variant? Arthur Snell sets out the coming week for Andrew Harrison.
“Margaret Thatcher is the divinity all the old Tories worship, but this party’s agenda couldn’t be further from hers.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bully, liar, tyrant, fantasist, thief on a monumental scale – just ask the Mirror pensioners – and narcissist of an even greater magnitude, Robert Maxwell was a villain for whom the term “disgraced newspaper tycoon” seems pitifully small. Yet as former Evening Standard and Telegraph journalist John Preston’s new book Fall: The Mystery Of Robert Maxwell shows, the horror of Maxwell’s early life explains (if not excuses) the monster he became. How did Maxwell fool, and then fleece, the publishing world?
“If you worked in Fleet Street in the 80s there was no escaping Maxwell…”
“You have to seen Maxwell through the prism of what happened to his family in the Holocaust. There was enormous rage and guilt there.”
“Robert Maxwell was gripped by a simultaneous desire to sit at the top table, and also to kill everyone else at that top table.”
“Maxwell was both ridiculed and feared, often by the same people.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After an initial COVID response that was lauded as an example to the world, Germany has experienced an unexpectedly harsh second wave. What will that mean for the twilight of the Merkel Era? Is Germany’s strange opposition coalition of libertarians, alt.rightists and anti-vaxxers just fringe politics or something more serious? And what comes after Merkel? The Economist’s Berlin bureau chief Tom Nuttall explains all to Justin Quirk.
“When the COVID numbers are totted up, Germany will still turn out to be one of the places in Europe where you wanted to be”
“When the pandemic hit, support for Merkel’s Christian Democrats shot up.”
“The Green Party in Germany really wants power. It craves it. And it’s positioned itself very much as a centrist party.”
“The big question is, how big is the Merkel Bonus for the CDU?”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Was the Trump Presidency just a publicity stunt that got out of hand? Film-maker James Fletcher’s new documentary on the 2016 campaign The Accidental President is streaming now on Amazon and Apple TV. He talks to Dorian Lynskey about what fed the Black Swan event of the Trump presidency, how Trump’s freestyle campaign left his Republican rivals with nothing to say, and how it could be that – even after four years of chaos and corruption – Trump increased his popular vote in 2020.
“This was an insane conflagration of events”
“The Republicans slept-walked into the 2016 election and a complacent Hillary Clinton thought it was in the bag.”
“This was a freestyle, open-mic campaign… Any professional campaign advisor would have told Trump to do exactly the opposite of what he did.”
“Hillary Clinton just could never convincingly explain why she wanted to be President.”
“Democrats just laughed at Trump without understanding what a serious danger he posed.”
“Has Trump really changed the system forever? Are we really that shallow and ridiculous?”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our 250th edition! In the Thatcher governments of the 80s Michael Heseltine was the loudest voice for embattled One Nation Toryism. In later years he’s become a hero to Remainers, eventually paying for his Europhilia with expulsion from the party. Ian Dunt talks to him about the future of Toryism, what it was like to work with Margaret Thatcher, what he makes of Keir Starmer… and whether circumstances will force Boris Johnson back to the One Nation Toryism we thought he’d driven out of the party.
“The most sensible thing for Britain is to reapply to join the EU. It won’t happen soon – but it should.”
“Yes, Margaret Thatcher would have pandered to popular opinion. She was a politician. But she would never do anything as reckless as leaving the Single Market.”
“The words of the Levelling Up agenda are fine. What’s completely missing is the deeds.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Roadmap to Unlocking is unveiled, are Johnson’s plans over-cautious, reckless, unrealistic or maybe… reasonable? Special guest former Home Secretary David Blunkett joins us to explain what it’s like to make decisions in a crisis, what he thinks of Keir Starmer’s performance so far, and whether he rates Priti Patel. Plus, do we need a deradicalisation programme for angry white males?
“If opposition leaders are constantly calling for people to resign and then they don’t, it tends to make them look a bit weak.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“If Governments want to show how tough they are, they should choose opponents their own size – and maybe not misguided young women.” – David Blunkett on the Shamima Begum case
“One type of extremism breeds another. You can’t counter one extreme group by creating another.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“On 9/11 there wasn’t a single person in Cabinet that panicked. I was amazed.” – David Blunkett
“Starmer’s got a nightmare job because Labour can’t get a hearing… and because the Government are being forced to enact a social democratic programme.” – David Blunkett
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ayesha Hazarika and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Boris Johnson’s “schools first” plan for unlocking England placate the headbangers of the CRG? What about those desperate for a beer that’s not from a can? Can Keir Starmer out-caution the PM? And what’s going on with Johnson’s latest wheeze, a subterranean roundabout under the Isle of Man? Ros Taylor sets up the week ahead.
“This is bad news if you’re a pub landlord – and good news if you’re an off-license flogging cheap tinnies.”
“Starmer’s moment is not now. He’ll never prosper in the middle of a successful vaccine rollout.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After decades of feminist thought, why is history still a parade of men and the things they’ve done? The writers, poets and teachers behind the Twitter initiative @OnThisDayShe are putting women back into history, one day at a time – and they’re not leaving out the serial killers. Jo Bell, Tania Hershman and Ailsa Holland of @OnThisDayShe talk to Jude Rogers about why history leaves women out, their new book, why women don’t have to be heroes… and how your best ideas can come on a day out at the local treacle market.
“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” – Tania Hershman
“The way we talk about history is revealing. A man is said to have done something. A women is always ‘reputed’ to have done something.” – Jo Bell
“Even if women are recognised in their own time, they’ll often be forgotten by history afterwards.” – Ailsa Holland
“Women’s history is always expected to be somehow uplifting. But it’s not history’s job to be inspiring.” – Jo Bell
“If I’d know at school about some of the women we’ve featured it would have changed my whole outlook on life.” – Tania Hershman
“This isn’t women’s history. It’s everyone’s history, with women put back in.” – Jo Bell
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does it mean to be indispensable? From Major through New Labour to the Coalition, the late Civil Service giant Jeremy Heywood was to a key advisor to four Prime Ministers, and Cabinet Secretary to two. Theresa May described him as “the greatest public servant of our age”. His widow Suzanne tells Ros Taylor about her new book What Does Jeremy Think?, what it took for Jeremy Heywood to manage crises from Black Wednesday to Brexit, and how he handled the duty of pushing through policies he himself feared were wrong.
“Jeremy had been in training to get the best result out of Brexit for Britain for almost all his professional life…”
“It was only while writing the book that I realised how close the UK came to a total banking collapse during the Financial Crisis.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From the ownership of Manchester City and Paris St. Germain to motor sport in the Middle East to the Beijing Olympics, questionable regimes are laundering their reputations by association with elite sport. Does “sportswashing” work, and what can fans do about it? Murad Ahmed, Sports Editor of the FT and host of their Business of Football Summit, gives Andrew Harrison the inside track on sport’s dirty secrets.
“No fan of a sports team thinks of themselves as a consumer of a global brand. But that’s exactly what marketing directors think.”
“The sports market has been completely distorted by ownership by Middle Eastern states.”
“The weaponising of fans to go after critics of your country is really worrying.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain’s COVID policy has failed women so badly that organisations from Amnesty to the Fawcett Society have called for the EHRC to intervene. Why can’t our blokey-bloke Cabinet understand that more than half the population is being hit harder by the virus – and getting less help? Plus special guest Caroline Lucas MP explains the radical, cross-party Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill. And as Samira Ahmed (possibly) takes over Mastermind, what are our panel’s specialist subjects and starters for ten?
“Three million and more people have had no support since March. That’s unforgivable. And it hits women disproportionately.” – Caroline Lucas
“We need a lot more bolshy, aggressive, assertive policies if we’re going to get gender parity around COVID and beyond.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh
“To be fair to the Government’s sense of imagination, they have found imaginative ways to spread COVID” – Ahir Shah
“When you have a PM who uses terms like ‘girly swot’ and ‘big girl’s blouse’, that’s not someone who’s very interested in gender equality.” – Caroline Lucas
Presented by Naomi Smith with Miatta Fahnbulleh and Ahir Shah. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As enforced hotel quarantine kicks in, will closed borders mollify the increasingly restive Covid Recovery Group? And brace yourself for an entirely unnecessary War on Woke as the Government invents the Free Speech Champion – the worst superhero ever. Ian Dunt sets out the coming week for Andrew Harrison.
“You’d imagine that closed borders and quarantine would be exactly what the CRG want.”
“We won’t see much of Labour on the war on woke. But we haven’t seen much of Labour on anything lately.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When opposition figurehead and recovered Novichok target Alexei Navalny flew back to Russia to lead democracy protests, he took an enormous personal risk, of which instant imprisonment was only a part. Could Navalny’s mix of street demos and slick social media mockery really destabilise Putin’s regime? Luke Harding, author of Shadow State : Murder, Mayhem and Russia's Remaking of the West, explains the background to Navalny’s gamble… and the meaning of the casino, nightclub and “aqua-discotheque” in ‘Putin’s Palace’.
“Navalny shone a light on corruption – not just by Putin, but his friends.”
“Navalny’s return to Russia was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Putin is a dictator. It’s a tired old show that Russians are tired of watching.”
“Navalny’s popularity is clearly growing. If you can get people to protest in minus fifty, you must be cutting through.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The American writer George Saunders won the 2017 Booker Prize with Lincoln In The Bardo and is an award-winning author of short stories. His new book A Swim In A Pond In The Rain explains how short stories work with the aid of Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Dorian Lynskey is a fan. George Saunders talks to Dorian about his “shovel in the fictive graveyard”, being a working class writer in a middle class world, the value of “looming catastrophe” in life and art… and why reading fiction is the best training for spotting lies in loved ones, colleagues and politicians.
“I had the idea that literature was a beautiful gilded mansion and I had to leave all my real shit at the door. And it’s not true.”
“Our basic storytelling gland has to do with curiosity”
“My job as a writer is to get to a place where the world doesn’t surprise me.”
“A story isn’t a monolithic whole that comes from the writer’s moral qualities. It’s a magic trick made out of fragments of language.”
“When you’ve got an administration that rejects enlightenment values they’re not susceptible to satire. And I found that with Trump.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Even after the horror of the Grenfell Fire, millions of people are still living in homes with cheap, inflammable cladding – and the effort to fix it has stalled. Steve Cole, head of corporate strategy at the housing association Clarion, and Inside Housing’s award-winning editor Peter Apps tell Naomi Smith about a scandal that’s been inexcusably neglected, how austerity paved the way for this tragedy, and how to force the Government to take action before another disaster.
“There are up to 4.6m flats affected by dangerous cladding and that’s 11m people. That’s equivalent to the entire population of London.” – Peter Apps
“British homes are like US cars. They’re only energy efficient because they run on cheap fuel.” – Steve Cole
“Why should the taxpayer pay to fix a problem of the construction industry?” – Peter Apps
“Regulation isn’t worth much of it’s not enforced… Austerity took a lot of expertise and enforcement out of local government.” – Steve Cole
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofrenijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can Keir Starmer re-energise Labour by connecting it to the symbols its old voters admire? And why are progressives so neurotic about patriotism? Plus, with Russia and China distributing Sputnik and Sinovac around the world, are COVID vaccines a surprisingly hard tool of soft power? And why is supposedly ‘Global’ Britain giving up on learning foreign languages? Ahir Shah, Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell join Andrew Harrison for this week’s panel edition.
“To a lot of us the Union Jack only means two things: the World Cup, or fear.” – Ahir Shah
“Rich countries need to understand that they may have all the vaccines, but it doesn’t mean they’re more immune.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“What the outside world doesn’t realise is, Putin’s popularity in the polls is dropping fast.” – Arthur Snell
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What to watch out for in the next seven days: Trumpeachment II and the Republicans’ Faustian bargain with their own fantasists, worsening import-export crisis in Britain’s Brexit-battered ports, Labour exposes the Government’s crony contracts and more. Alex Andreou marks your card for the week ahead.
“The in and out valves to this country are jammed.”
“Haulage is not a curve, it’s a tipping point. At some point, it will become unprofitable for these businesses to trade in the UK.”
“Covid-19 is no longer an emergency, it’s a fact of life.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are the rules that make powerful people powerful changing? Can they still bank on the old myth of the superhuman CEO or political leader? Business journalist from the Telegraph, Evening Standard and beyond James Ashton has just published The Nine Types Of Leader: How The Leaders Of Tomorrow Can Learn From The Leaders Of Today. He talks to Alex Andreou about how leadership is changing.
“The pendulum has swung from alpha dominated populists to diplomats – from Trump to Biden.”
“I hate these words like passion and authenticity – but a leader has to be believable.”
“There are still plenty of arrogant thin-skinned leaders around, who need to be surrounded by people who just say the right thing”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If democracy is so great why does it keep producing such terrible results? Nick Cohen of The Observer talks to Georgetown University political philosopher Jason Brennan, author of Against Democracy, about what it means when sweeping democratic mandates arise from underinformed voters. Do people really vote on the basis of policy or simply to be part of the gang? Should you have to pass a test before you can vote? Would Jason criticise our system in front of a Belorussian protestor? And what can Iron Maiden teach us about what’s wrong with democracy?
“A key problem is, the average voter basically knows nothing about politics…”
“For most people, the act of voting is a little like kicking your dog because you’ve had a bad day at work.”
“The average citizen in a democracy is much more authoritarian than the societies they live in. What’s checking them is the elites.”
“Why is it so good to live in liberal democracies? Is it because they’re democracies – or because they’re liberal?”
“Voters aren’t stupid. It’s more a question of, Is it even worth my while for me to know this stuff?”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofrenijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Technology will displace 47% of all jobs, said Dr Carl Benedikt Frey in a study he co-wrote called The Future Of Employment – a paper so influential that it’s at the centre of jobs policy for governments across the world. But what will replace those jobs? Will anything replace them? In his new book The Technology Trap Dr Frey describes how the same job destruction and extremes of poverty and great wealth that took place in the Industrial Revolution are happening all over again thanks to artificial intelligence and Big Data. So how will we work in the future? Should we celebrate the end of boring, repetitive jobs? And how can we plan for jobs of tomorrow when we can’t even conceptualise them?
“The scale of jobs that are replaceable by technology – but that’s only a part of the question”
“Machines perform poorly in creative or social tasks. That’s where most new jobs will be created.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain’s vaccination programme is undoubtedly working. Do we have to grit out teeth and admit our political opponents have done at least one thing right? Healthcare commentator Roy Lilley tells us the mood among NHS workers. Plus: small business goes under the political bus, the murky world of doses for data, will we ever travel for fun again – and what the hell is happening in Italy? Ros Taylor and Ayesha Hazarika join Andrew Harrison for the weekly Bunker panel show.
“The NHS is on the ragged edge. It’s hanging on by its fingernails” – Roy Lilley
“The vaccine rollout will be a powerful argument in favour of paying more tax for the NHS” - Ros Taylor
“Labour was always associated with red tape. Now the Conservatives are strangling business with it” - Ayesha Hazarika
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Vaccination steps up, Trump’s legal shenanigans, Paul Dacre to OFCOM, Myanmar, Navalny and the fallout from the EU’s terrible decision on vaccine exports. Yasmeen Serhan of The Atlantic tells Andrew Harrison what to watch out for in the coming week.
“Myanmar will reveal whether the US is going to be the country that stands up for democracy again.”
“The emerging COVID variants are a warning that we aren’t safe until we’re all safe.”
“Trump authorised the Capitol insurrection. There was merch, for God’s sake.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What can the Spanish Flu of 1918 tell us about coping with Coronavirus – and maybe the next pandemic too? Nick Cohen of The Observer talks to Laura Spinney, author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu Of 1918 And How It Changed The World, about the lessons from possibly the greatest public health disaster in history. Did populations weakened by the First World War provide a fertile breeding ground for the Spanish Flu? Is democracy really at a disadvantage when dealing with pandemics? Will post-COVID generations have to face up to the inherent viral dangers of eating meat? And the myth of a new Roaring Twenties: will we go from a new Spanish Flu to a new Wall Street Crash without a an intervening Jazz Age?
“What matters is the level of trust in a society. If it’s not there when the outbreak happens it’s very hard to create it.”
“Populations tend to bounce back rapidly from pandemics for the simple reason that pandemics tend not to destroy your capital cities.”
“This is the first digitally-witnessed pandemic. Every detail has been tracked and traced.”
“Every strain of flu that has ever circulated began as a pandemic. But the Spanish Flu was at least 25 times as virulent than most strains.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofrenijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does a band make widescreen, forward-thinking communal rock music when they’re suddenly locked down miles away from one another? And when your keyboard player has moved to Australia? Paul Smith of Newcastle postpunk adventurers Maxïmo Park tells Dorian Lynskey about finding inspiration in strange places, recording an album on WhatsApp and jerky FaceTime calls, writing about Brexit and Grenfell… and the myth of levelling up the North.
“Whatever we might do to try and conceal it, our true nature always comes up through the cracks.”
“My faith in Boris Johnson to roll out the vaccine and save the live industry is low – and it wasn’t high to begin with.”
“I don’t want to be the North East guy with a chip on his shoulder… but it’s going to take a lot of levelling up to level up Stockton.”
“The live music industry is worth a lot to the Chancellor, whether he knows it or not”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does it feel to work in the thick of the pandemic and spend time with patients you know will die? Rachel Clarke is a doctor in Oxfordshire who works in palliative care and her new book is Breathtaking: Inside The NHS In A Time Of Pandemic. She talks to Ros Taylor about the incredible personal stress of frontline medicine in the pandemic, the price Britain has paid for Boris Johnson’s “unforgivable” refusal to take the hard decisions, the death threats she’s had for telling the truth about COVID, and why we’re still so determined to look away from Britain’s appalling death toll from Coronavirus.
“I feel murderous with rage and blind with fury when I hear the Prime Minister trot out his glib claims of success.”
“I never in a million years thought we’d ever let things get as bad as 2020 again. Yet now we’re in worse conditions than that first peak.”
“Boris Johnson knows he promised to protect the NHS and he has manifestly failed.”
“The cruelest aspect of this pandemic is that all the ways we show our love are the ways that COVID spreads.”
““The unforgivable thing is not learning from your mistakes, and in Britain we’ve had a litany of mistakes”
“If our Prime Minister wasn’t being given the science, or worse decided to juggle it for his own political imperatives, then that’s inexcusable”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government’s shoddy EU Deal means the live music business will have to cope with mountains of red tape it thought was in the past. Singer FISH, ex- of prog rock legends Marillion and now a successful solo touring artist, set out the details of this nightmare in a blistering social media post at the weekend. Now he talks to Andrew Harrison about how the strangling complexity of permits and visas will choke off emerging British talent even when COVID lifts, and why the Government isn’t even pretending to help small businesses I one of Britain’s true global industries. Find out more about Fish and buy aptly-titled new album Weltschmertz at fishmusic.scot
“This will kill new bands wanting to establish themselves in Europe.”
“We could be playing seven cities in ten days before we know someone is infected.”
“Most Europeans learned English through rock and pop songs.”
“Our albums are three times more expensive now – they cost 31 euros on the continent”
“I was supposed to retire in 2022. That’s out the window.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the UK’s vaccination effort finally an actual British success story… for the NHS, not the Government? Exactly how are the vaccines different and how do they work? Special guest Sathnam Sanghera joins us to talk about his new book Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain, how the British Empire still haunts our present, and the unsurpassable joys of blanking Julia Hartley-Brewer. Plus should we all stop saying woke? Miatta Fahnbulleh and Arthur Snell join Dorian Lynskey for the weekly Bunker panel show.
“In the middle of a pandemic, Robert Jenrick takes time to talk about defending statues? That’s Imperial thinking.” – Sathnam Sanghera
“There are loads of reasons to be totally disappointed with this government… but we shouldn’t fall into the trap of saying everything they do is a failure.” – Arthur Snell
“We’ve never confronted the British Empire simply because it’s so painful. Massacres, wars… and a few railways. It’s not fun.” – Sathnam Sanghera
“Churchill said the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was a crime. Was HE woke?” – Sathnam Sanghera
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Britain approaches the horrific landmark of 100,000 COVID deaths, will lockdown hawks force the Government to reopen the economy too soon – again? Plus the worsening mess in customs, import and export. Best for Britain launches a campaign to get COVID support to the 3m workers that Sunak forgot. And it’s bad news for hedgehogs as Chris Grayling takes up their case. Naomi Smith sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.
“The Covid Recovery Group is no more interested in our recovery from Covid than the European Research Group was in researching Europe.”
“The best things in life are free, but for everything else there’s ‘sovereignty’.”
“People won’t wake up until they have to pay customs via chip-and-pin at the doorstep.”
“Rollback of workers’ rights is a Brexiteers’ wet dream.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does Englishness even mean in a land so splintered by class, geography, language and even post-colonial neuroses that it barely understands itself? And how far back would you draw the North-South divide? To 1066? Or maybe to the Jurassic period? James Hawes, novelist and author of the riotously readable Shortest History Of England, talks to The Observer’s Nick Cohen about England’s murky past and murkier future in a new occasional series of one-to-one conversations.
“The Norman Conquests were a long, grinding and demeaning process for the English. It was the slow annihilation of a culture.”
“England hasn’t existed as a separate state since 1707… Instead you had a polyglot empire of different nations.”
“When English people stand up and say ‘We’ve lost our Empire’, well you never had one in the first place, mate.”
“We were able to beat the French because we’d created this extraordinary combination of aristocrats and businessmen that we call ‘gentlemen’.”
“Even now, we automatically fall back into Northern gits and Southern bastards. This stuff runs deep.”
“It’s been so long since the English have had to look at the problems of being English that I can’t see it ending peacefully.”
Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofrenijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
America’s new President faces four overlapping crises – the COVID pandemic, the teetering economy, festering racial inequality and looming climate change. Does Joe Biden have the political resources to turn them around? And what about the fifth crisis, the poisoning of American democracy under Trump? The FT’s Associate Editor Edward Luce – Author of The Retreat of Western Liberalism – tells Andrew Harrison about the horrors in Biden’s in-tray.
“The left wants heads on pikes – but Biden will resist that.”
“Biden is inheriting low hanging fruit with Trump’s poor vaccine policy.”
“Expect an information war, as much as anything else.”
“Rejoining Paris on day one is very symbolic. But Biden’s environmental policies are more ambitious than that.”
Presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Few writers’ words and ideas are abused daily on the Internet as much as George Orwell’s – and now most of his work is out of copyright. On the anniversary of Eric Blair’s death, we present a champion Orwell-off. Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry Of Truth, talks to DJ Taylor, author of Orwell: The Life, about Blair’s underrated works and over-cited quotes, David Bowie’s 1984: The Musical, and why Orwell would have baulked at the modern misuse of “Orwellian”.
“Orwell’s life and legend now fit perfectly the roles we’ve created for them.” – DJ Taylor
“Words have been so redefined now that ‘Orwellian’ is routinely used as the opposite of everything that Orwell stood for.” – DJ Taylor
“Orwell was an imperfect man of his time, and very good at dramatising his own life.” – DJ Taylor
“Orwell hated writing film reviews so much that he paid his friend Inez Holden to go and watch the plays for him.” – DJ Taylor
“Anthony Powell used to say ‘How George would have loved to be a poet killed in the war…’.” – DJ Taylor
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the last day of Donald Trump’s warped presidency, his niece Mary Trump – psychologist and author of Too Much And Never Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man – reflects on the making of a man who impressed his psychopathologies on a nation. How does a person get like this? What is it like when a family member places the entire world in peril? And could a defeated Trump represent an even worse danger to American democracy?
“For the first time in his life he can’t spin a loss into a win. And it’s driving him crazy.”
“At a very deep level, Donald knows he’s never been truly successful and has no skills.”
“When Donald was elected I knew he would do to my country what he and his father had done to my family.”
“What shocks me is that there are people on this planet who are weaker than Donald. I didn’t think that was possible”
“In the election, if he was going down, he would try to take the rest of us with him. And that’s exactly what he did.”
“Failure to live up Fred Trump’s demands got you destroyed. And that’s what happened to my dad.”
“If the cameras disappear, Donald ceases to exist.”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Trump Presidency finally, finally ends, will the Republican Party be forced to choose between American democracy and the madness of the Trump-enraged base? Can Biden convince the world that America’s holiday from reason is over? Plus COVID spikes in Ireland, Singapore uses virus tracking to erode human rights, and Wikipedia is turns 20 [citation needed]. Ayesha Hazarika, Brian Klaas and Ahir Shah join Andrew Harrison for the weekly Bunker panel show.
“Trump got more criticism from Meryl Streep than Vladimir Putin.” – Brian Klaas
“Trump’s legacy is that we are permanently high on the sugar rush of dramatic news.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Should we call Trump a fascist? If there’s a boot stamping on my face I don’t care about the brand of the boot.” – Ahir Shah
“Trump was a useful idiot to Putin, and every despot around the world.” – Ayesha Hazarika
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As America prepares to inaugurate Joe Biden as President, can his predecessor squeeze any more crookedness into his remaining days in power? And will the feared violence in American state capitols materialise? Plus as lockdown reacts its first mandatory review, the Government tries to cut benefits and working people’s rights. Alex Andreou sets up the week ahead.
“Trump isn’t unusual. He’s every bully – every Biff from Back to the Future – I’ve ever met.”
“This episode of Trump is over. But there are seasons more to come.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a special extra edition we ask, what will our politics be like after COVID (eventually) lifts? Will we find, like in 1945, that suddenly everything has changed? John Curtice, politics professor at Strathclyde University and senior fellow at think tank UK in a Changing Europe, tells Naomi Smith about the new economic consensus that could emerge from the post-Corona wreckage; how Labour should differentiate themselves from the Tories in a radically changed country; and whether education, welfare and the governance of the country itself could be transformed.
“Johnson is a meddler, an intervener, he wants to use the power of the state to get things done”
“Do not presume that COVID is going to change attitudes”
“The arrival of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister marked the end of the neoliberal project in Britain”
“There are plenty of centre-right voters in Scotland, they just don’t necessarily vote for the Conservatives”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Rarely have people sacrificed so much for so little.” The great uprisings across the Arab world in 2010-12 began in hope and ended in bitter disappointment, with hardline rule strengthened in many Arab countries. On the tenth anniversary of the event that began the Arab Spring, the overthrow of the Tunisian government, we talk to two experts – journalist for the BBC, Vice and LA Times Zahra Hankir and Khaled Diab, author of Islam For The Politically Incorrect – about what this great rebellion really achieved, how the pandemic has shown the weakness of these supposed strong regimes, and where the spirit of the Arab Spring could rise again.
“When people say the Arab Spring ‘failed’, it’s just a way to take the thunder out of the idea that people can make change happen.” – Khaled Diab
“The Arab Spring is not done, as long as people and activists are still trying to make change happen. That spirit is still alive.” – Zahra Hankir
“In the Arab world, it’s not the people who don’t get democracy – it’s the leaders.” – Khaled Diab
“They couldn’t kill the idea, so they locked up or silenced everyone who advocated that idea.” – Khaled Diab
Find out more about developments in the fight for freedom in the Arab world at: madamasr.com thepublicsource.org aljumhuriya.net newlinesmag.com
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before right wing populists set about ruining the world, it was Latin America’s left wing populists – the likes of Chávez, Ortega and Castro – who rattled the West and threw their own countries into tumult. Why is the strongman’s hold on his country’s politics so unyielding? Will Grant, BBC Latin America correspondent and author of Populista!, joins us from Mexico City to explain how the people’s representatives became authoritarians and despots, what it’s like as a journalist targeted by a real-world army of footsoldiers as well as online trolls, and certain dictators’ early fondness for Blairism…
“It was a real baptism of fire living under Chávez. As the media, you were always in his line of fire.”
“We saw godlike status being bestowed on some very fallible men”
“Some of these men are frighteningly militaristic and conservative… They created the conditions for the likes of Bolsonaro.”
“Reagan’s obsession with Ortega was huge… His fixation fuelled a war that killed thousands.”
“There’s a real appeal of the caudillo, the strongman who will come in and sort it all out.”
“Living and working in these environments, it stretches you as a journalist like nothing else.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From the Iranian Revolution to the invasion of Afghanistan, events in 1979 turned the tides on decades of liberalisation across the Middle East. Kim Ghattas, journalist and author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East tells Alex Andreou about our misconceptions of the Middle East and her journey as a reporter. Have Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Sunnis and Shias, always been at each others’ throats? Was Bin Laden a “naïve revolutionary”? And what Biden can take from Trump’s policies on Iran…
“I couldn’t believe that no-one had written a book that brings the story of the whole region together before – but no-one had”
“My parents were more concerned about my safety and gun crime in the US than in Lebanon.”
“Not every Iranian woman wore a miniskirt, but before 1979, they had the freedom to choose.”
“The book’s for a Western audience – but it’s also for us in the region, to understand what happened to us, where we went wrong. And how we can undo some of it.”
“Today, we only talk about religion at the extremes. But Iran’s progressive, liberal, pluralistic core were often devout Muslims.”
“Trump’s renewed pressure on Iran has actually been welcomed by many Iranians”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can the Democrats win the race to impeach Donald Trump before he wreaks irreparable damage on American democracy? Will Trump’s expulsion from social media neuter him or drive his base even crazier? And did that rioter REALLY taser himself to death, in the balls? Plus: Britain thinks MUSIC IS GREAT but not great enough to support. How the travel industry will resurrect itself. And why Joe Biden has China over a barrel… really. Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and Arthur Snell join Andrew Harrison for the weekly Bunker panel show.
“Every outrageous act by Trump is cover for the previous one” – Alex Andreou
“America needs a domestic deradicalisation programme.” – Alex Andreou
“Governments bail out banks, not Banksy” – Naomi Smith
“In his own way, Xi Jinping is making China great again.” – Arthur Snell
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can Democrats impeach Trump fast enough to prevent more damage to American democracy – or would that enrage his base further? And what will his ejection from social media mean? Plus, Government failures to plan on COVID and freight exposed, and Keir Starmer wobbles on the EU. Ros Taylor sets up the week’s coming events.
“Never mind long-term… the Government lacks even medium-term planning on Covid.”
“There are only 100,000 police in this country. It’s impossible to enforce strict lockdown and maintain police by consent.”
“Starmer has succeeded in making Labour electable again. But now, people need a reason to vote for Labour that isn’t ‘he’s not that fucker Johnson’.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It took a global pandemic to revolutionise Britain’s outdated abortion provision but the changes need to be made permanent. Quality-controlled termination “pills by post” have been made available during the pandemic– but under current law, GPs still can’t provide abortion medication without clinical advice too. Katherine O’Brien, Associate Director at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, tells Naomi Smith why we need to expand the “telemedicine” provision, drop the “completely unnecessary” requirement for women who need abortions to attend clinics, and bring abortion law into the 21st century on a permanent basis. Otherwise the most vulnerable women and girls could be forced back in to accessing high risk, unregulated black market pills via the internet.
“It’s 2021 but any woman who obtains an abortion without the advice of two doctors can still face imprisonment under a law from 1861.”
“Sadly, it took a global pandemic to modernise a healthcare service that one in three women will require in their lifetime.”
“If you believe women should have safe access, you should back these changes.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In scarcely believable scenes, a mob goaded by Donald Trump invades America’s Capitol building, trashing Congress offices, shooting into the debating chamber and forcing senators and staff to flee. Four people die. What does this unprecedented assault on democracy mean for Joe Biden’s presidency and for America’s future? UCL Politics Professor and host of the Power Corrupts podcast Brian Klaas explains.
“Coups try to remove presidents from power. This one tried to keep one in power”
“The Republican Party has created a monster they can’t control”
“Trump leaves on January 20th, but the Trumpian voter base does not.”
“Today’s Republican Party are arsonists dressing up as firefighters.”
“Trump isn’t deemed fit to Tweet – but he’s in control of the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal for the next thirteen days.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why does Hitler still cast a shadow on our politics? How do you re-examine the Nazis’ record without inadvertently fuelling Holocaust denial? Historian Prof. Frank McDonough, author of new book The Hitler Years: Disaster 1940-1945, explains why we still don’t understand the enormity of the Third Reich’s crimes, why the unstoppable German Blitzkrieg was a myth generated for home consumption, and why a Britain obsessed with the War really does need another book about Hitler.
“Hitler still casts a long shadow over the present. The Third Reich is a lesson on how democracy can be destroyed from within.”
“People say, don’t we know enough about the Third Reich already? And the answer is no, far from it.”
“There’s an old saying: The Russians gave the blood. The Americans gave the money. And Churchill gave the speeches.”
“We in Britain badly need a grown-up attitude understanding of the Second World War as an alliance, not as Britain standing alone.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why has self-interest become such a dirty word (or words) in politics? Why do we always assume the worst motives in our opponents? And if voters keep on disappointing progressives by voting against their supposed economic interests, do we need to revise our idea of what self-interest really is? Thomas Prosser, author of What’s In It For Me? Self-Interest And Political Difference explains why we should stop worrying and learn to love the concept of self-interest.
“Reflecting on self-interest takes the sting out of politics.”
“Progressives – unlike conservatives – aren’t so good at recognising the validity of self-interest.”
“Self-interest isn’t just economic, it’s cultural. That’s where Remainers went wrong on Brexit.”
“There’s an argument that the 2017 Labour manifesto was the least redistributive ever.”
“Awareness of self-interest makes us more tolerant.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain’s £80bn trade sector was left out of Johnson’s vaunted Brexit deal. Why, and what does that mean? With Lockdown III (or is it IV, V or VI?) about to be launched, has No.10 definitively lost control of the Pandemic? And what should we keep an eye out for in 2021? Yasmeen Serhan, Ian Dunt and special guest Dmitry Grozoubinski – international trade expert and former WTO negotiator for Australia – join Andrew Harrison for the first BUNKER of the new year.
“Ironically enough, in the end it turned out Johnson wasn’t the ‘cake and eat it’ guy at all.” – Ian Dunt
“You’ve got a President on record ordering officials to re-calculate votes in his favour? I’m still capable of being surprised by Trump” – Yasmeen Serhan
“The idea that the Government isn’t in control is a truism amongst the public” – Ian Dunt
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Biden’s in-tray is packed but will the 46th President’s energies be consumed by repairing the damage of Trumpism instead of his own agenda? What lies in store in flashpoints around the world from Taiwan to Turkey to the Western Sahara? And will the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks see the Taliban restored to power in Afghanistan? Arthur Snell plots out the year ahead.
“Are we really in a place when many American voters don’t believe in democracy, or is it just when Trump is on the ballot paper?”
“It’s extraordinary that we could get to the end in Afghanistan almost where we began, with the Taliban back in government.”
“By the end of the year, there’ll be a new cast of people that we don’t recognise in control of politics.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Barnard Castle to bleach injections to ward off COVID, from Matt Hancock trying to cry on TV to “will you just shut up, man?” it’s been a year of ignominy and idiocy – as well as twelve months of pain, failure and tragedy. But what were the worst bits? Yasmeen Serhan, Arthur Snell and Ahir Shah join Andrew Harrison to remember the most shameful moments of a year everyone wants to forget.
“What a fantastic afternoon of television that Cummings press conference was…” – Ahir Shah
“Johnson’s fatal flaw isn’t overpromising. It’s that he doesn’t give a fuck about anything.” – Arthur Snell
“Every government announcement should be followed by an asterisk – subject to change, terms and conditions may apply.” – Yasmeen Serhan
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How it started, how it’s going… This was a year that blew up Boris Johnson’s plans for post-Brexit Britain and forced the Conservatives into uncharacteristic economic intervention. What has 2020 done to a newly-purified party of true believers? Former Conservative MP David Gauke tells Ros Taylor about the state of the New Tories, what would have happened if Cameron hadn’t called a referendum on the EU, and how the Conservatives have become “a party of protest, not government”.
“It’s a discontented party. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s rebellious.”
“It’s now hard to see that there’ll ever be pro-European advocacy in the Conservative party again.”
“There’ll be a gravitational pull towards those socially conservative Red Wall voters… Anyone who’s expecting a return to Cameron-style government will be disappointed.”
“The Tory Party has taken on the personality of a newspaper columnist, rather than a traditional party of government.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Labour Party has just endured its most self-torturing year since, well, last year. Is Keir Starmer beginning to turn the party’s fortunes around? Is the Left’s guerrilla war against the Leadership all noise or is Labour truly in a civil war? Does Corbyn even want to come back into the Labour fold? And above the infighting, is the Opposition doing enough opposing? Nick Cohen of The Observer gives his End of Term Report for the Labour Party to Dorian Lynskey.
“Britain is not a conservative nation – whenever Labour wants to win an election, it wins an election.”
“Oppositions do lose elections, and they do it when people can’t imagine them as a government.”
“Being next to the EU is like being in bed with an elephant. It might not notice you, but you notice everything it does.”
“Of all the hills the Left has chosen to die on, it’s this Trumpian denial of Corbyn’s record on antisemitism.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How did it feel to be at the centre of protests for racial justice that shook Britain and the world? Imarn Ayton, an actor and drama teacher from Peckham, found herself on front covers and news bulletins across the world after she was given a megaphone at a protest in London – and decided to speak into it. She tells Jude Rogers what BLM has achieved, what was behind the infighting in the movement since the summer, and what needs to happen next.
“Black people have been marching for decades. The real turning point was seeing people of all colours marching in the streets.”
“The litmus test for society is overt racism, not covert racism. But covert racism is what causes the most damage.”
“Most people who adopt and love black culture don’t believe that they are covertly racist.”
“We need to have the most awkward conversations. We are still very much in denial about systemic racism.”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Angry, irrational rejection of key public health measures like lockdowns and masks was one of the ugliest aspects of 2020. How did lockdown deniers give scepticism such a bad name? Did the Brexiters’ war on experts make it harder to fight COVID? And deep down, do some lockdown deniers have a point? Alex Andreou talks to Queen Mary University politics professor Tim Bale and FT writer, honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and author of How To Make The World Add Up Tim Harford about the power of wilful ignorance.
“Over the past few years. middle finger, up-yours politics is what has resonated with many, many people.” – Tim Bale
“Many sceptics didn’t go for the principled argument. They just argued that lockdowns kill more people or even that the virus isn’t all that dangerous.” – Tim Harford
“How can the BBC allow business people to act as armchair epidemiologists?” – Tim Bale
“The virus didn’t go away of its own accord. It went away because of the incredible sacrifice that so many people made.” – Tim Harford
“The person in the street probably trusts experts MORE after the experience of COVID than they did beforehand.” – Tim Bale
“Sweden was the poster boy for lockdown scepticism. But when you look at the infection and death figures – and the economy – Sweden is not that different from Britain.” – Tim Harford
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What psychodrama is driving No Deal? Can the Tory Party be rescued from its embrace of nationalist unreason? And what is Boris Johnson like to work for? Former Cabinet Minister and power-walker Rory Stewart joins us Ayesha Hazarika, Arthur Snell and Andrew Harrison for this week’s panel edition.
“Churchill desperately cared about detail… but I couldn’t get Boris to engage in the Foreign Office at all.” – Rory Stewart
“Boris’ Brexit Deal is all about the drama, not the detail.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“International politics is about local wisdom. On Iraq, Labour was too centralised and bureaucratic.” – Rory Stewart
“We’ll still be negotiating with the EU by 2040” - Arthur Snell
“Politics was deeply damaging for my mind, soul, and body… Ultimately, politics is bad for you.” – Rory Stewart
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s the final, final week where everything definitely goes down to the wire… again. As Boris Johnson ends Brexit as he began it, choosing between two alternatives he doesn’t really believe in or care about, Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead. Plus: Will London go ti Tier 3, will schools close and will Donald Trump ever shut up, man? Also, bidets!
“Johnson is a man hovering on the edge of indecision… He simply cannot make up his mind”
“We cannot seem to let go of him. As long as we remain obsessed with Johnson, we will be trapped in this situation.”
“I guarantee you that Johnson is agonising right now. This is more important than any of his other bad decisions that have ruined this country.””
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Never let it be said we don’t mix it up… We lure Geoff Norcott, famously the only* right of centre comedian out there, into The Bunker and attempt a civilised conversation. How does a working class son of a trade unionist end up on the political right? Why does right wing comedy reiterate the same tired punchlines about “wokeness”? And how does he think Brexit – which he voted for – is going? * Not really, but listen and find out.
“I’m not the ONLY right-wing comedian… but when we have the Christmas party, we don’t have to hire a big room.”
“The idea of a room full of people agreeing with each other doesn’t appeal to me, whoever they are.”
“Every wing of politics has trashed their own brand.”
“Stewart Lee always makes me laugh even though I’m the person he’d probably hate the most.”
“As a straight, white, middle-aged man, yeah I’ve taken advantage of BBC diversity quotas.”
“I’m not anti-woke. I’m anti- bad ideas.”
“I voted for a Deal and if there isn’t one, I’ll be angry.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our 200th edition. Everyone wants to go home and visit their folks for Christmas, right? And the Government is fine with it… right? Christina Pagel of Independent SAGE and UCL’s Clinical Operational Research Unit tells Ian Dunt why packing yourself into unventilated homes with aged relatives, school kids and students might not be a very good idea. What are the best ways to have a safer Christmas? How dangerous is public transport? And what’s worse, hurting your family’s feelings – or damaging their health?
“People are pretty clear about what they OUGHT to do. What they WILL do is another matter.
“It’s really hard to think of home as a dangerous place.”
“The idea that I might give my parents COVID month before they could get vaccinated? I don’t know if I could live with that.”
“We’re all good at social distancing from strangers. But when you’re out with your mum, it’s a different matter.”
“What are the worst things you can do at Christmas? Singing and shouting.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofrenijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One day you’re one of the world’s most powerful people, the next you’re out of work. So what do ex-leaders get up to when they leave office? And are they ever any good at it? BBC Radio producer and author of The Ex-Men: How Our Former Presidents and Prime Ministers are Still Changing the World Giles Edwards takes Ros Taylor behind the closed doors of members-only clubs – and reveals how these ex-men (and women) still shape public life without us even knowing.
“You can get more done in fifteen minutes as Prime Minister than fifteen months as a former Prime Minister.”
“Clinton touched something in the Democratic Party soul that Obama didn’t.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fishing, level playing fields… as the scales tip the EU Trade Deal, will an arrogant Boris Johnson choose No Deal for the hell of it? The COVID vaccine is here but do we need to brace ourselves for “vaccine nationalism”? Special guest Magid Magid – former Lord Mayor of Sheffield and Green MEP – tells us about generational changes in politics, the green future, and what it’s like when you’re a migrant kid playing “cultural bridge” for your parents. And what do MPs’ Spotify Wrapped lists tell us about the next generation of politicians?
“If the Government don’t get a deal, it will be a point of honour for Johnson not to return to the negotiating table next year.” – Ros Taylor
“People in Brussels are sick and tired of this… They’re in despair with the UK.” – Magid Magid
“Brexit has changed European countries’ attitude to the EU. We’re not exactly bracing for a Frexit or a Swexit.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“We’ve now arrived in a place where nothing short of No Deal will satisfy the Brexit ultras.” – Ros Taylor
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Audio issues now fixed. “The Deal’s not oven ready – and Johnson isn’t govern ready.” Will the No Deal Doomsday Clock finally tick down to zero before Thursday’s EU summit? Plus, why we need to worry about the mysterious Taxation (Post Transition Period) Bill rather the Internal Market Bill. And is Keir Starmer heading for High Noon with the angry Left? Naomi Smith sets up your week ahead.
“The irony is, this is the most socialist government we’ve ever lived under…”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Salisbury poisonings were an infamous example of Russian interference in British security. But were they really the first time Novichok was used on British soil? Former US Army chemical warfare specialist and author of Toxic: A History of Nerve Agents From Nazi Germany to Putin's Russia Dan Kaszeta talks to Arthur Snell about assassination, clandestine state conflict, Navalny, and the psychological side of chemical warfare.
“Running alongside the nuclear arms race was a lesser known, but equally important chemical arms race.”
“The method is the message. People who don’t like the Russian regime end up dead.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With comedy venues closed by COVID, comedians are turning to social media to carry out the essential public service of mocking politicians and politics. One person taking the twittersphere by storm during lockdown is award-winning actor and stand-up Rosie Holt. She speaks to Minnie Rahman about the transition from the stage to social media, the inspiration behind her humour, and why this Government is so easy to parody.
“You have these politicians who rush to defend Boris Johnson, and then they look pretty stupid when he u-turns”
“The culture war videos are easy to do because they are so reactionary”
“I don’t think the Government has any understanding of the arts industry”
“It’s a really exciting time for satire, but only because the Government is awful”
Presented by Minnie Rahman. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofrenijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Brexit really lead to Ireland reunifying and leaving the Union, in a final irony for English nationalism? In a special edition on the future of the island of Ireland we talk to Neale Richmond (Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown), Ulster Unionist Party MLA and former leader Mike Nesbitt, and Claire Hanna (SDLP MP for Belfast South). Is the rancour finally leaching out of Northern Irish politics? Will a European identity trump a British one?Is a border poll really coming? And what do people in the Irish Republic really think of Boris Johnson? “Sinn Fein are the greatest force against a united Ireland.” – Neale Richmond
“I am an Ulsterman, but I’m also Irish, British, and European…if you were to deny me any part of that mixture, you will diminish who I am.” – Mike Nesbitt
“It’s not the territory that’s divided, it’s the people.” – Claire Hanna
“The UK leaving the EU means the greatest vehicle for co-operation on the island of Ireland is ending.” – Neale Richmond
“The government in Westminster wants to possess Northern Ireland like a toddler wants to possess a toy.” – Claire Hanna
“Sinn Fein are the greatest force against a united Ireland.” – Neale Richmond
“We need to get away from the idea that we're pure Brit or pure Gael, because very few of us are.” – Mike Nesbitt
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the age of “reactionary populism”, larger-than-life characters trump competence. Can liberal democracies survive the age of the performative strongman? Political economist and author of This is Not Normal: The Collapse of Liberal Britain William Davies tells Dorian Lynskey about Trump, truth, and television politics – and why the death of neoliberalism might be a win for democracy.
“Competence implies something governmental and administrative. That’s not Trump.”
“The character of Boris has been cultivated over time. He’s a promises, not policy, politician.”
“Neoliberalism colonises the political sphere with economics, and makes it a sham. That’s damaging for popular participation.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Patreon people get the podcast early… As Boris Johnson unlocks Britain for the tiniest Christmas ever, is he just admitting that the public no longer listens to government? What will hacking back the overseas development budget mean for ‘Global Britain’? (Spoiler: it’s bad). Has COVID made Universal Basic Income more likely? And why do we want a “normal” Christmas anyway? Miatta Fahnbulleh, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou join Andrew Harrison to open the Advent Calendar of Aaaaargh.
“We’ve gone from being a country that others trust, to one eyed with suspicion.” – Naomi Smith
“Good politics isn’t following the polls, it’s doing the right thing and then convincing people that it’s the right thing“ - Alex Andreou
“If Covid-19 has shown anything it’s that when a human sneezes halfway around the world, the whole world coughs.” – Naomi Smith
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are we in for the first parliamentary crisis of the pandemic? Will Boris Johnson have to rely on Labour votes to get his post-lockdown tiers-based restrictions past rebellious Tory MPs? Is the EU deal really going to fall apart over fish, a mere 0.1% of the economy? And will these negotiations with the EU ever end? Alex Andreou sets out the week ahead. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The climate emergency brings a nightmare threat to biodiversity, with disastrous knock-on effects to human economies as well as the natural world. Are governments doing enough to protect and restore threatened ecosystems? Ecologist and chief scientific advisor to the UN’s Trillion Tree Campaign Thomas Crowther tells Jude Rogers about the urgent need to reverse global deforestation – starting at the grassroots.
“The loss of ecosystems is not just essential for climate change. It’s essential for our ongoing livelihoods.”
“It’s not just putting trees in the ground. We need to recreate and reintegrate nature.”
“Global restoration does not happen from the top-down decisions. It happens from an immense bottom-up movement.”
“Tree restoration is not enough… we need thousands of solutions to tackle climate change.”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Israel to Iran, Donald Trump thought he could reset the Middle East. His fixation on the region defined the last four years of US foreign policy. But what will Biden’s presidency mean for America and the Middle East? Senior policy fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute Michael Stephens talks to Arthur Snell about oil, oligarchs, and outbreaks – and if Trump’s unorthodox approach has actually secured some wins…
“Arab states are recognising Judaism as part of their cultural identity. You wouldn’t have seen that ten years ago.”
“How Biden deals with Iran will set the tone in the Middle East for the next four years. From there, all else flows.”
“Al Qaeda and ISIS have not gone away. People forget that there’s still war in Syria.”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria is one of the best-known journalists on the planet, reaching 200m people weekly with Fareed Zakaria’s GPS. He talks to Ros Taylor about the aftermath of Trumpism, Biden’s prospects for changing the West’s trajectory on climate change… and why the COVID aftermath might lead to a release of hedonism on a par with the Jazz Age.
“Trump is playing brilliant politics with the small side effect of destroying democracy.”
“The defence budget is the only non-controversial jobs programme in the United States. It’s a jobs programme disguised as a defence programme.”
“My fear is that the next pandemic will come from factory farming.”
“It’s absolutely fair to describe what Trump is doing as an attempted coup. It’s just going to fail.”
“Our biggest mistake is to imagine that nature is fond of humans.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Labour grief-fest won’t abate. What do the Labour Left actually want? Victory, or just to burn the party down? Now that we’re moving into the pick-up-the-pieces phase of COVID, what have we learned and what should we do with it? Special guest Christina Pagel of UCL and Indie SAGE has thoughts. And what should a Minister for Men look like? Long-lost regular Ahir Shah returns – with exciting dinosaur news!! – to join Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey for this week’s political crime scene reconstruction.
“The more you look at the behaviour of the left, it shows a psychological process rather than a political one” – Ian Dunt
“At least you can now explain that the Democrats are called the Democrats because they’re the ones who believe in democracy…” -– Dorian Lynskey
“What would we do different? I don’t know, EVERYTHING?” – Christina Pagel”
“I’m hesitant to get excited about vaccines until I have Pfizer in one arm, Moderna in the other, and I’m doing a line of Astra-Zeneca.” – Ahir Shah
“The depressing thing about COVID is that the Government doesn’t seem to have learned anything from it at all.” – Christina Pagel
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ahir Shah and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With lockdown about to give way to “it’s not lockdown, it’s tiers,” is it worth another superspreader event to “save” Christmas? Will Rishi Sunak’s spending review be the free-spending Chancellor’s last hurrah? Will this Brexit deal ever be decided? Ian Dunt breaks down the week with Andrew Harrison. Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Chancellor Rishi Sunak doled out taxpayers’ money on free Wagamamas, he failed more than 3 million people who have received no financial support from the Government whatsoever. Broadcaster turned campaigner Ellie Phillips tells Naomi Smith about the plight of PAYE freelancers who are ineligible for furlough, and the work she’s doing with campaign group Forgotten PAYE who want parity for the self employed.
“This goes through every single profession in the country.”
“Nearly 2.5 million have fallen through the gaps in income support.”
“The Government talks about levelling-up, but this is the ultimate levelling-down”
“Sunak is pushing people into poverty and punishing those who create jobs… it just makes no sense.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofrenijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who’s number one in No.10? And which governmental loser is tandem inter pares? Commentator, LBC broadcaster, author and “not a fan of Boris Johnson” Iain Dale tells our own Ian Dunt what makes Prime Ministers succeed and fail – and how Boris Johnson’s Churchillian fantasies match up to reality.
“Clement Attlee is among our greatest Prime Ministers but he wouldn’t have a hope in today’s intense environment.”
“Boris won’t go down as the Brexit Prime Minister. He’ll go down as the COVID Prime Minister.”
“Twitter is blogging on acid, isn’t it?”
“Boris Johnson will enjoy being an ex-Prime Minister a lot more than being Prime Minister.”
“Every Prime Minister wants to be a Churchill… but can you really compare coronavirus with 1940?”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The last four years have seen British politics turned upside down in ways unthinkable in normal times, so much so that constitutional law has become a sticking point. Joelle Grogan, lecturer at Middlesex University and creator of StickyTrickyLaw, talks to Ros Taylor about the clash between Brexit and our courts, what COVID has done to our constitution, and if Biden’s plan to pack the Supreme Court will come off.
“We don’t have the same separation of powers as the US – here, Government and Parliament are synonymous to most people”.
“I found it difficult myself to navigate the laws of the tiers – I even forgot their names”.
“Covid has exposed how health is a devolved responsibility”.
“We’ve seen many governments use the guise of judicial review to strengthen their power”.
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofrenijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will the demise of Dominic Cummings clear the air in No.10? How can you stop QAnon and 5G anti-maskers from radicalising your auntie? Is the BBC really in danger from the Government’s public sector broadcasting review? And what is the true meaning of that Mary Woolstonecraft statue – sexist monstrosity, artistic vision, crowdfunding disaster or a bit of all three? Yasmeen Serhan, Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith join Andrew Harrison to sort it all out.
“The BBC overcompensates its liberal bias by overplatforming right-wingers” -– Alex Andreou
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan, Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will disposing of Dom enable Johnson to reset as a kindler, gentler government? Will Deal Week turn into Deferment Week yet again? And what will the next seven days mean for the next steps on lockdown? Alex Andreou sets out your week ahead.
“The Government frittered away their post-election honeymoon, and set a tone of snideness and nastiness”
“I’m willing to bet Hancock has threatened to resign multiple times over lockdown in the last few months”
“Carrie Symonds reflects the school of Conservatives who want the old Boris back, not this joyless apparatchik.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COVID19 has caused the biggest shake-up in transport in over thirty years – with huge bailouts, U-Turns and financial crunches piling up as passenger numbers plummet. Transport writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar spoke to Justin Quirk what state the sector will be in after the pandemic, and if we can afford the investment we used to take for granted.
“Transport has been forced into a completely new world”
“I can’t see the public transport network reaching 2019 heights for 20 years”
“When you look at the detail of HS2, it’s really not worth it”
“It is the less-sexy, smaller schemes that make the biggest difference to our transport system”
“The idea you could let TFL go bust is fanciful, Sadiq Khan has the Government over a barrel”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofrenijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Broadcasting legend and former Question Time host DAVID DIMBLEBY dives into the undiscovered weeds of the Iraq War on his new podcast The Fault Line. He talks to Ian Dunt about the fatal relationship between Bush and Blair, how Iraq began the poisoning of western politics – plus what it’s like presenting election nights, and whether the QT audience really was biased.
“When the facts turn against you as a politician, it’s very difficult to abandon the course you’ve set yourself.”
“Fatally, Bush and Blair accepted the evidence of a charlatan.”
“Social media provides the megaphone, and you have to speak up all the time…doubt, hesitation, and moderation aren’t relevant”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill known as SpyCops is one of the most controversial pieces of legislation before Parliament – and the Labour Party is only timidly opposing it. Is a bill that permits state agents to break the law defensible? Where do we draw the line? Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay explains why he’s campaigning against the CHIS Bill, where Keir Starmer is falling short, and the deeper background of the Undercover Policing Inquiry into 40 years of undercover surveillance.
“We’ve seen appalling crimes committed against ordinary people by agents of the state… ”
“There’s no fascist groups on the list, no extreme right groups. Everyone investigated is on the Left.”
“In Scotland we had the police investigating the police. Surprise surprise, they found there’s nothing to see here, guv.”
“To raise a child and then discover that the father wasn’t who you thought they were… Some of these women consider that they’d been raped by the State.”
“How did a union activist know their phone was being tapped? They wouldn’t pay the bill for two years and never got cut off…”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Where were you when the Don went down? And what does Trump’s end mean for Britain? Plus, as COVID, No Deal and general incompetence drive Scotland further away from Westminster, could independence really happen? SNP MP Alyn Smith and pro-union (OR IS SHE?) Scot Ayesha Hazarika thrash it out. And who would our panel most like to spend lockdown with?
“The left is good at laughing at the right – but not at winning power from them.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“This groundswell for Scottish independence is not about Boris Johnson.” – Alyn Smith MP
“The European Parliament is set up to be productive. Westminster is showbiz for ugly people” -– Alyn Smith MP
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Ayesha Hazarika. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will Trump concede and what happens if he won’t? Can Boris “Britain Trump” make amends to a new President who remembers his “slavish devotion” to his predecessor? Plus: Dido Harding up before the beak in Parliamentary Committee and the small matter of a new civil war in Ethiopia. Arthur Snell sets up the week ahead. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A weekend bonus edition: Since 1935 the American Legion has organised summer camps for high school students to learn about US Government, by forming their own political parties and state legislatures. Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine documented the programme in Austin, Texas, and the resulting film Boys State won a prize at the Sundance Film Festival. They told Dorian Lynskey what they learned about America’s next generation of leaders. Is this really a “conservative indoctrination camp”?
“The American Legion feels like it has one foot in the 1950s and one foot in the 21st century” – Jesse Moss
“We had an incredible window into boyhood and masculinity” – Amanda McBaine
“Some people see politics as a game, win at all costs” – Jesse Moss
“This polarisation we have is not going anywhere” – Amanda McBaine
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers are Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Theme tune by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Biden slowly erodes Donald Trump’s leads in the final swing states, we convene our favourite expert regulars for an all-star postmortem of Election 2020. Former Obama staffer Amy Pope, UCL politics professor Brian Klaas and Steve Schmidt of never-Trump Republican political action committee The Lincoln Project look at what Trump has done to American democracy – and how Biden could fix it.
“Democracy doesn’t function in societies where there is no ability to distinguish between the truth and lies” – Steve Schmidt
“There were two elections – one moral, and one political emergency, to remove Trump. We only had the latter” – Brian Klaas
“Trump has already lost. We just have to wait this out.” – Steve Schmidt
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Was Guy Fawkes really “the last honest man to enter Parliament”, as we keep hearing on Twitter? Or a fore-runner of today’s religiously radicalised terrorists? Why is a villain of the Gunpowder Plot acclaimed as a hero by some in 2020? Nick Holland, author of The Real Guy Fawkes, tells Jude Rogers why Guy Fawkes persists as a symbol… and what we misunderstand about a man who almost murdered thousands in a 17th century atrocity.
“Guy Fawkes is a complicated figure – so both political sides can claim him”
“It’s estimated he’d gathered enough gunpowder to destroy Parliament 25 times over”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Been to bed yet? Thinking about going straight back? Yasmeen Serhan gives Andrew Harrison her morning-after interim report on the dismal deadlock in the Presidential Election. How has Trump done so well? Can Biden still scrape it? Did the polls get it wrong? And has America just given brutal populism a vote of confidence?
“This election was a test for whether populist politics will stay or not… the fact it’s so close shows that it will.”
“My fear is that millions of Americans will come away from this believing that our system is corrupted.”
“There are other Trumps waiting in the wings”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
National lockdown, Labour Party breakdown… Trump takedown? As the US election reaches its nightmare final confrontation, small-c conservative and Never Trumper James Kirchick joins us to argue that American democracy won’t end if Trump wins. Plus, what does Jeremy Corbyn’s rejection of the EHRC report mean for fighting antisemitism and fixing the Labour Party? And where were we all – and what did we feel – back in November 2016 when all this started?
“The only way in which Pete Buttigieg’s sexuality really mattered was people on the Left complaining that he wasn’t gay ENOUGH…” – James Kirchick
“I’m torn.Trump is an ogre and a monster but a landslide would endorse many things that the Democrats that I can’t agree with. I don’t want a Great Awokening in America.” – James Kirchick
“Trump has revealed the power of celebrity” – James Kirchick
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Miatta Fahnbulleh and Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The most expensive Presidential election in history ends tomorrow. BRIAN KLAAS, Associate Professor in Global Politics at UCL, host of the Power Corrupts podcast, and author of How to Rig an Election tells Andrew Harrison about the states to watch, the Red Mirage vs the Blue Shift, voter suppression, the debasement of the Republican Party… and what it means if Trump wins.
“There is no other democratic country in the world where a major party relies solely on driving down the vote.”
“What Trump is talking about is illegitimate beyond belief.”
“If Trump wins, his team has executive orders prepared that could not be countenanced if he had to face election again.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lockdown II: If the Government can’t come up with a COVID exit strategy, could a coalition of MPs, experts and campaigners provide one? And can Britain cope even if we never get a vaccine? March for Change director Tom Brufatto tells Naomi Smith about the the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus’s plan for an independent COVID plan, and why we can’t squander the next full lockdown… which is coming whether we like it or not. This podcast recorded before Saturday’s announcement of the November Lockdown.
“We are trapped in a cycle of locking down and opening up. It’s means we can’t function as an economy.”
“Either you see it as leaving lives versus the economy – or you accept that you can’t save the economy without saving lives first.”
“We may not have a vaccine next year, or ever. This is about setting Britain up to cope with it.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When you go online the mildest disagreements can spin out of control into real anger, but why is our internet behaviour so bad? And how is this affecting democracy and public discourse? David Babbs, project lead at the campaign group ‘Clean Up The Internet’ and formerly of 38 Degrees, talks to Arthur Snell about why the online environment has become so hostile, the issues posed by anonymity, and how we can clean up our internet behaviour.
“Anonymity is subject to a lot of misuse”
“Abuse from anonymous accounts has the potential to be even more frightening, you don’t know where that person is lurking”
“MPs are victims in this, they’re on the receiving end of a lot of online abuse”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofrenijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With a decades-long failed War on Drugs behind us, is it finally time to accept the inevitable – and let the state regulate illegal substances? Steve Rolles, author and policy analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation, tells Ian Dunt how we can break a destructive deadlock. What would public health-oriented drugs policies look like? And what can we learn about what not to do from the commercialisation of alcohol and tobacco?
“There is a growing consensus that the War on Drugs has failed…but no one agrees on what’s next.”
“Prohibition encourages risky drug use. Regulation reverses that.”
“We’re not talking about Ecstasy World Snooker. We’re talking about a strictly regulated market.”
“A state monopoly model, with pharma-style vending. It’s not that difficult.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The free school meals fiasco sends the Conservative Party right back to its happy place: being mean to poor kids. Special guest JESS PHILLIPS, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, joins us to discuss Labour’s future, Starmer’s report card so far, how Birmingham is leading the country, and Aston Villa beating Liverpool 7-2. And our panel reveal the political music that changed them.
“When I first stood for election I didn’t expect hunger to be one of the most important parts of my job” – Jess Phillips
“Behind the scenes, Tories are saying this is an absolute fiasco. ‘We’ve managed to turn the whole country against us.’” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Because of COVID, I feel like I’m going cold turkey from the parts of being an MP that I love.” – Jess Phillips
“I know Johnson wants us to lose weight, but targeting nine-year-olds is a bit harsh.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“I cannot believe how little rebellion has gone on within the Conservatives” – Jess Phillips
“People need to be reminded that Rishi Sunak isn’t spending his own money, he’s spending our money” – Jess Phillips
Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan and Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly four years after the Referendum, are Leave vs Remain attitudes still driving our politics? Are we stuck with them forever? And how do they map onto other issues like masks, authoritarianism or social liberalism? Paula Surridge, a political sociologist at the University of Bristol, talks to Naomi Smith about what the tumult of the past half-decade has done to British politics, and whether we’re still vulnerable to a hellish US-style polarisation. “Around half of people say they have a ‘very strong’ Brexit identity… but that means that half don’t.” “The idea of ‘Culture War’ misrepresents people in the Red Wall. They don’t actually want all these cultural arguments.” Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will the Special Boat Service raid on a hijacked tanker take the country’s minds off the Government’s continued mishandling of COVID? Why are we shortening quarantine periods when people aren’t even observing the existing rules? Has No.10 successfully stonewalled the free school meals fiasco? And will Dido Harding make it to Friday? Ros Taylor sets up the week ahead. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The last confrontation between Donald Trump and Joe Biden avoided the shame of the first debate, but did it change the dynamic of the race? And how come we didn’t discover a mute button back in 2016? Thomas Gift, Associate Professor of Political Science at UCL, gives Dorian Lynskey the verdict on the election’s final stand-off.
“This was Trump’s last chance to speak to America… and he needed to flip the script.”
“For Trump, some days Biden is a secret agent of the Far Left and on others, he’s Washington Establishment.”
“Campaigns are poetry, but politics is prose.”
“In the first debate, Donald Trump set a bar so low it’s not surprising Joe Biden cleared it.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Wales really setting the COVID agenda for the rest of the UK? As the “firebreak” comes down, former special advisor to First Minister Mark Drakeford turned political consultant Cathy Owens talks to Jude Rogers. Is Wales responding better to lockdowns than England? What is the pandemic doing to support for Welsh nationalism? And why it’s not all about trying to keep English tourists out. Audio note: Includes sound effects live from Cardiff!
“This is a time for boring competent leadership, not Churchillian speeches and promising the moon.”
“We don’t want Boris and his chums to be in charge of Wales.”
“Wales leading Westminster? That’s the opposite of what we see happening here.”
“People in Wales voted for Ukip just like the English. We do get the Daily Mail here…”
Presented by Jude Rogers. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Recorded before No.10 imposed a solution on Manchester. With Manchester refusing to accept Government terms to enter Tier 3, and Wales heading for a ‘circuit-breaker’, what does rebellion in the regions mean for the Government’s lockdown strategy? Have Senate Republicans left it too late to stop themselves going down with the Donald? And our panelists travel back in time to discuss their formative political experiences.
“The Government doesn’t understand the needs of these communities and the people there” - Minnie Rahman
“Westminster is an old boys club, and even a pandemic doesn’t seem to have changed that” - Minnie Rahman
“People don’t trust Westminster to get COVID right” - Arthur Snell
“Ever since Brexit, London has been out-of-kilter with the people in power” - Arthur Snell
“Trump has destroyed the traditional Republican Party” - Arthur Snell
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Nina Schick, Arthur Snell and Minnie Rahman. Assistant producers are Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Theme tune by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are progressives right to get so excited about Jacinda Ardern? She’s won admiration for her handling of the COVID crisis and the massacre in a Christchurch mosque – and for crushing New Zealand’s equivalent of Ukip. Toby Manhire, editor of The Spin-Off in NZ and former Guardian comment editor, joins us from Auckland to explain what New Zealand has got right and wrong – and what Britain can learn from Ardern’s “relentlessly positive” Kiwi revolution. Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Boris Johnson falls out with everyone – Manchester, Brussels, scientists, his own Northern MPs – what can we expect for the biggest crisis week since last week. Alex Andreou tells us what to expect from the EU talks-that-aren’t talks, Westminster’s stand-off with the North, and Donald Trump’s last stand. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A poisonous online culture of misogyny is radicalising young men to hate women – producing terrifying consequences from routine rape and death threats against female politicians to actual violence and murder. Author of Men Who Hate Women and founder of the Everyday Sexism project Laura Bates posed as a young boy to infiltrate these online worlds and discover how they groom kids as young as 11 into misogyny. She tells Naomi Smith how the paranoid worlds of Men’s Rights Activists, Incels and “MGTOW”s create a conveyor belt to the extreme right – and what we have to do about this growing threat.
“This is terrorism. We just don’t call it that because the victims are women”
“You can trace the paths of men who made their name through GamerGate to the extreme right.”
“We need to give young men a sense of purpose and value in the real world so they don’t get it from these extremist digital communities.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Music is "Systematic" by Lee Rosevere. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More bikes and fewer cars on the road has turned out to be one of the unexpected dividends of COVID. But can Britain ever get to an Amsterdam-style paradise of bikes? And will Britons ever stop raging about cyclists? Coventry’s Cycling Mayor Adam Tranter – he’s all bike chain, no gold chain – tells Justin Quirk what’s needed to get Britain into the saddle.
“Most people don’t know this but Coventry practically invented the modern bicycle.”
“Paris has transformed into a bike-friendly city in less than a year. If you build it, they will come.”
“If we’re not careful we could lose this moment to change our streets and cities for good.”
“With lockdown, people felt like they could use bike safely with the family for the first time in decades.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Has the Government’s emergency tier strategy broken the short-lived compact between the Conservatives and the North? Is new government spokesperson Allegra Stratton more than just a human shield for former communications genius Boris Johnson? And does the Government really want us all to retrain as boxers, cake decorators and DJs? Special guest Oli Dugmore, Head of News and Politics at joe.co.uk, joins us for Britain’s umpteenth national restart interview.
“What nobody mentions about Rishi Sunak is that he’s probably the richest person in the history of British politics.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“When mayors find out what’s happening in their towns through a blog from Peston, that’s a communications disaster.” – Ian Dunt
“I challenge you to find a Government that has supported the rave scene” – Oli Dugmore
“You’re only as good as your boss, and unfortunately Stratton’s boss is Dominic Cummings” – Ayesha Hazarika
Presented by Naomi Smith with Ian Dunt and Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If we’re living in an era of strongmen, why are so many (male) leaders failing us all over the world? How do our ideas of leadership need to change? Dr Pippa Malmgren, co-author with Chris Lewis of The Infinite Leader and former economic advisor to President George W Bush, tells Alex Andreou why leaders need to lead differently – why we have to stop rewarding psychopaths – and what we can all learn from Donald Trump.
“We’re seeing leadership failures in every category of the economy. Leaders are failing us everywhere.”
“We’re training people to exercise psychopathic leadership, not empathetic leadership.”
“You might see better leadership skills from a single parent than from the CEO of a major company.”
“The media want certainty – but the public is very tolerant of leaders who say ‘We don’t know – let’s try and find out.’”
“Trump’s delivery is provocative and obnoxious – but he’s very good at creating an emotional response, and emotions move the audience.”
“Some leaders are all about ME and some are all about WE. And we need more WE.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Does the Government’s latest, three-tier COVID system make sense – and is the North of England out of patience with Westminster? Will the Agriculture Bill put hormone beef on your plate? And will we finally, finally see an end to the EU Trade Talks saga? Naomi Smith sets up the week ahead. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Junior barrister Alexandra Wilson made the news when she revealed how she’d repeatedly been mistaken for a defendant in court simply because she is black. She tells Dorian Lynskey about life as a black barrister in an overwhelmingly white system, what the courts need to do about criminalising people of colour, and what drove her new book In Black and White: A Young Barrister's Story Of Race And Class In A Broken Justice System.
“I’ve had a lawyer tell me that ‘black people are good for business - because they keep killing one another.”
“Until it affects you, people don’t really know how the court system works”
“From the outside, our profession looks as elite as it can get”
“Institutions are only going change if there is a culture shift”
“There has been a misunderstanding of the role of lawyers, our job is to fight for our clients”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If there’s one symbol of the COVID fight it’s the face mask – but do we understand the consequences of a masked society? Professor Graham Martin, Director of Research at the Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, tells Ros Taylor why the issue of masks isn’t as clear-cut as we think, why the social dynamic of masks is so important, and how we can improve the quality of debate surrounding COVID-19.
“Science is about debate – it’s about disagreement.”
“What we’re seeing now is science under the spotlight”
“It’s not so much scientific debate that breeds conspiracy theories, but any effort to suppress debate”
“If you see anyone who isn’t wearing a mask, don’t assume they’re doing it out of bloody-mindedness”
“I would say to anyone, if you can wear a mask, do so”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Don’t mask, don’t tell. Will Trump’s bizarre bout with COVID make, break or fatally contaminate the US presidential race? The directors of a shocking new documentary People You May Know join us to explain how US churches used Cambridge Analytica-related data targeting to reach and radicalise vulnerable people – and they reveal the people who want to use this tech to literally rewrite the US constitution. Plus, tips on surviving Lockdown II, guaranteed banana-bread free.
“With 300 data points, a data modeller can predict your behaviour better than your spouse.” – Charles Kriel
“Using Excel to manage a pandemic is like trying to make Toy Story 5 using PowerPoint.” – Alex Andreou
“You find the person who’s suffering the most and you tell them there’s a place for them in your politics.” – Charles Kriel
“He’s trying to inject positivity at a time when there isn’t really any.” - Yasmeen Serhan
You can stream People You May Know on Sundance Now via Amazon – free 7-day trial. Presented by Ros Taylor with Yasmeen Serhan and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How did evidence-based science end up playing second fiddle to demagoguery and populism? And what can we do about it? Prof Luke O’Neill, professor of biochemistry and COVID immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, has written a book with the admirably direct title Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Science. He tells Justin Quirk why we need to fight a rearguard action for science’s primacy in politics, the dirty history of antiscience agitation, and why COVID could be the best thing in decades for the march of reason. “Science should never be an opinion. It should be a conclusion.” “Once the data becomes a roar, you can’t ignore it.” Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As promised, here's our new thing! What’s coming up this week? IAN DUNT tells us what to watch out for as Conservative Conference ends in a welter of COVID incompetency news, Priti Patel gets nastier, and Matt Hancock prepares to face the music in Parliament. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Uncovering the personal stories of people who died from COVID-19, Sirin Kale’s Guardian series Lost To The Virus has become one of the most moving reporting feats of the year. She tells Dorian Lynskey about the truth behind the biggest human story of our generation, the special challenges of reporting at a distance, why the “carnage” in our care homes still isn’t understood, and why so many COVID deaths were avoidable.
“I hadn’t expected just how callous some decision-making from central government could be.”
“A clear decision was made that some lives were worth saving and some weren’t.”
“The only way you can make sense of the pandemic is through the individual”
“I get to tell these stories with the depth and humanity that they deserve.”
“111 is going to be one of the scandals of this pandemic. It was nakedly obvious that it was not fit for purpose.”
“I hope there won’t be a need for Lost To The Virus part 2 – but I’m not optimistic”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Arbitrary Coronavirus regulations and the Government’s brinkmanship over international law are putting the justice system under unprecedented strain. Criminal barrister JOANNA HARDY tells Nina Schick about the impact of COVID on our justice system, the future of the judiciary in a post-pandemic world, and what breaking international law would mean for Britain’s standing on the global stage.
“It’s a very interesting time to be a lawyer, but perhaps not the best time”
“For the justice system, coronavirus has been a spotlight rather than a dam breaking”
“Coronavirus has exposed how out-of-date our court system is with technology”
“It damages Britain’s standing, it damages our ability to criticise other countries and it damages this Government”
“The first role of a government must be to keep order and a sense of justice”
Presented by Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As The New York Times exposes Donald Trump’s microscopic tax returns, will the revelations have any impact on November’s election? With barmy conspiracy theory QAnon making inroads into the UK, will Britain have to get used to a future of totally irrational politics? And if University has been reduced to a distance learning battery farm, will 2020 warp the very notion of youth itself out of shape?
“If you’re a part-time childminder, you paid more tax than the President.” – Justin Quirk
“America is culturally very hard on losers.” – Justin Quirk
“If you hate Trump, this’ll make you hate him more. If you love him, you’ll justify it.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“If you’re looking for normality, a theory of massive paedophile ring is a strange place to look…” – Dorian Lynskey on QAnon
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ayesha Hazarika, Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Although it’s over 50 years since most colonies achieved their independence from Britain, on these shores we still seem to living in the shadows of the Empire. Dr SAMIR PURI, author of ’The Great Imperial Hangover: How Empires Have Shaped the World’ talks to Arthur Snell about why Britain is so obsessed with its imperial past, what the ‘Anglosphere’ is, and whether the EU is the modern day empire. "For all the talk of globalisation, it's what we inherit from our immediate past that still has the greatest traction in setting us in motion." "Arguing for and against the benefits of empire is a circle that cannot be squared" "The imperial age is over, but its influence hangs over us, and sometimes threatens to darken our future" Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain might enjoy a (worsening) love-hate relationship with Germany but the UK still can’t understand why they’re so much better than us in industry, political debate and social cohesion. Former BBC, FT and Telegraph reporter JOHN KAMPFNER’s new book is entitled Why The Germans Do It Better: Notes From A Grown-Up Country. He talks to Andrew Harrison about the German political miracle, life after Merkel… and whether Britain will ever get over winning the War. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whatever else they argue about, most politicians agree on one thing: competition just makes everything better. But does it? In her new book Competition is Killing Us: How Big Business is Harming Our Society and Planet, Michelle Meagher describes why she quit a job as a market regulator – literally promoting competition – to argue that companies should be made to stop offloading their costs on society, give up obsessing over shareholder value, and make capitalism work for people and the planet. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Could there be cause for optimism on climate change? Do individuals have power over our planet’s future? Paul Behrens, author of new book The Best Of Times The Worst Of Times, tells Ros Taylor about the best and worst climate scenarios, why women’s rights are the key to a manageable future, meat, flying, renewables… and how to avoid falling into impotent despair about tomorrow. “We might have been able to save ourselves with minor changes once. Now we need a complete overhaul in the way we live our lives.” “The carrying capacity of a planet of carnivores is very different from a planet of vegetarians.” “There’s a clear path from eco-anxiety to hope, through action.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As COVID cases are back on the rise another lockdown looks likely, but has the Government blown its pandemic response? And how will Britain react to an autumn trapped indoors? Plus, following a scathing report by the Public Accounts Committee, is the Home Office ever going to change its nasty ways? And after Priti Patel called on the nation to dob-in their neighbours for breaking lockdown rules, we ask the panel if they’re likely to snitch anytime soon. • “Every school and workplace is implementing different measures because there is no clarity” - Minnie Rahman • “Johnson has lost the country and I’m not sure there is a way of fixing it” - Alex Andreou • “I don’t think anyone has anything positive to say about the Home Office” - Minnie Rahman • “We’re going to deter people from coming to Britain who we badly need here” - Naomi Smith Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Minnie Rahman. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COVID has developed from a short-term emergency into a public health crisis that could define the next half century. As Lockdown II looms, Conservative MP Daniel Poulter, former junior Health Minister and chair of the the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health, explains the long-term outlook to Naomi Smith – his own experience of fatigue from COVID – and what Brexit might mean for our battle against the pandemic. Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rage Against The Machine’s TOM MORELLO is one of the most charismatic and energising figures in rock’n’roll and politics. He tells Dorian Lynskey about the role of radicalism in rock, protofascism, AOC, Trump, the Presidential Election, cancel culture, and his political journey from a super-progressive childhood – via arguing with teenage Trotskyists at Harvard and working for a US Senator – to spearheading rock’n’roll’s most righteous band.
Tom Morello’s photo memoir Whatever It Takes is available to pre-order now at www.TomMorelloBook.com.
“There’s only two positions when it comes to free speech. You’re either for ALL of it or you’re against ANY of it.”
“If I was in a job where I couldn’t call a damn racist a damn racist, I knew I was in the wrong job.”
“Injustice met me head on in the playground when I was three or four years old.”
“Taking anyone’s ideas off the board is very dangerous – because I know there are people in office who would like to take MY ideas off the board, permanently.”
“Everything is at stake right now. So someone better be singing or rapping about it.”
“Trump vs Biden is not the lesser of two evils. It’s the evil of two lessers.”
“Why do I vote? Because THEY don’t want me to.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can we really guide and control human activity by constructing networks of carrots, sticks and semi-invisible hints? Behavioural science AKA “nudge” is key to the UK Government’s COVID response yet, as tech journalist and sceptic Andrew Orlowski says, its roots are questionable and its efficacy debatable. He tells Andrew Harrison why we humans stubbornly refuse to behave like herd animals… … and why Malcolm Gladwell has a lot to answer for.
“If you want to get people fit, it’s expensive to build more playing fields. It’s a lot cheaper just to send out tweets about Mars bars.”
“Behavioural science doesn’t tell you anything about people’s deep motivations which are gradually being erased from the picture.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s an unseen epidemic of people dying while homeless, and journalist MAEVE McLENAGHAN tells their stories in No Fixed Abode: Life and Death Among the UK's Forgotten Homeless, out this week. She tells Dorian Lynskey what she learned, how there was more to the 2010s explosion in rough sleeping than just austerity… and a radical solution to homelessness: give people places to live. “From attending the funerals of homeless people I discovered how loved these people were” “Dehumanisation drives the violence which homeless people experience” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Boris Johnson wants to blow up the Brexit talks with an Internal Market Bill that shatters international law. Will it blow up in his face? And on the six-month anniversary of Britain locking down for the first time, we’re joined by Miatta Fahnbulleh of the New Economics Foundation to discuss how the Government got COVID so very wrong. Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Digital disinformation from hostile powers is attacking our democracies, but do our politicians even want to stop it? Disinformation expert, security specialist and former US intelligence officer MATTHEW FERRARO talks to Nina Schick about the evolving threat of information pollution, who’s next on the fakers’ hitlists, and why Russia hates 5G. “To fight back against Russian propaganda, you need to think like a spy” Presented by Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What can you do when your society is responsible for racist atrocities? What should you do? One country trying to atone for their past is Germany. Susan Neiman, moral philosopher and author of ‘Learning from the Germans’, told Ros Taylor about what the U.S. can learn from the way Germany deals with its past, and why the English have been even slower than America in facing up to their national crimes.
“The Germans saw themselves as the worst victims of the war”
“No two pieces of history are exactly alike”
“Every nation would like to see its people as heroes”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
According to recent polls, half of Britain would not trust a COVID vaccine, and a majority of Republican voters in the US believe in the bizarre QAnon theory. So why are these crazy notions becoming so widespread? Political communications specialist AMIL KHAN told Arthur Snell all about how these theories start, the role social media plays in making them mainstream, and the psychology of those behind them.
“It’s a brave new world but it’s not entirely new”
“Social media platforms are designed to push content out which is nasty and divisive”
Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Government tears up its own promises on Northern Ireland with its Internal Markets Bill, the don of legal experts David Allen Green explains the enormity of this breach of international law, why the Government has provoked constitutional crisis on not one but four fronts… and how it could play out. Spoiler: “This will not end well.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After a summer filled with u-turns and policy failures galore, and with the road to 2021 looking incredibly treacherous, will Boris survive the Autumn? Plus, did Extinction Rebellion undermine their cause by blocking everyone’s Saturday papers being delivered? And will we see ‘Mock The Weak’ on our screens as the new BBC Director General Tim Davie promises more right-wing comedy?
“The Government is failing us on health and on wealth” - Naomi Smith
“The Government is only comfortable with people meeting in closed spaces if they’re fuelling the economy” - Ros Taylor
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith, Ros Taylor and Nina Schick. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A vaccine is seen as the primary route out of the COVID19 crisis, but only half of Brits surveyed by Kings College London say they would be likely to get one. Professor HEIDI LARSON, director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, tells Ros Taylor the reasons people give for not wanting a vaccine, and how we can build public trust in health interventions.
“If Facebook closed their doors tomorrow, these sentiments would not go away”
“We need a more diverse group of entities to embrace vaccines”
“I’m constantly struck at how little people really understand vaccines”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus has changed life as we know it, especially for those who work in our health service. Dr Dominic Pimenta resigned from the NHS over Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip to Durham, and his new book ‘Duty of Care’, describes the brutal experience of working on the COVID-19 frontline. Dominic tells Alex Andreou about his work in the NHS during the pandemic, from the initial murmurings coming out of China to full-throated lockdown here in Britain. His story, along with many others in the NHS, is one of heroism and sacrifice. “Everyone was doing double time and taking on duty after duty.” “When needs must, the NHS was there.” “How do we get people to believe in the same facts?” “As a doctor, you’re not taught particularly well how to deal with your patient’s grief, or your own.” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Last week the Government introduced legislation aiming to curb the ruinous practice of deforestation, but how will this fit in with Brexit trade policy? What more should the Government be doing on environmental matters? And how damaging have populists Trump and Bolsonaro been in the battle against climate change? UCL professor of global change science SIMON LEWIS talks to Justin Quirk about the future of our planet.
“It’s good that the Government is talking about this, but the devil is in the detail”
“We need much bigger action to get to net zero”
“Trump has been incredibly damaging to evidence-based policy over the last four years”
“The Conservatives would not be so fast and loose with the facts if it weren’t for Trump”
“The impact of Bolsonaro will be felt for a long time”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the polls seemingly stacked against him, what dirty tactics will Donald Trump need to deploy if he’s to triumph in November’s election? And what will his victory, or demise, mean for the Western world? UCL Politics Professor Dr Julie Norman joins us to discuss the upcoming campaign. Plus - what the does the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny mean for Russia’s fight for democracy? And following anti-lockdown protests in London at the weekend, we take a look at how the far right is using COVID to bolster its ranks.
“Trump is trying to frame himself as the law and order President” - Dr Julie Norman
“2016 was an existential level trauma for the Democratic Party” - Justin Quirk
“In Russia, an opponent of Vladimir Putin is a dangerous thing to be.” - Arthur Snell
Presented by Nina Schick with Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is an obsession with politics doing to our psychology – and vice versa? Which weird psychology drives the Johnson Government’s mix of belligerence and incompetence? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr talks to Ian Dunt about the deep, unconscious roots of solidarity, polarisation, anger and ideological commitment, and the contents of the government’s subconscious engine room. If Dominic Cummings wants to burn everything down, what exactly does he want to replace it with?
“If you can make people afraid, you can activate a fight or flight response that makes it harder to form dispassionate intellectual judgments.”
“There’s a lot more bad news on the horizon so Johnson might as well use Gavin Williamson as his trouble-sponge for a bit longer.”
“This cabinet has ended up like the USSR, when your elite is selected for two qualities: stupidity and thuggery.”
“Some time soon Cummings is going to find that the flames are too hot – and there is no phoenix.”
Rafael's new podcast, Politics on the Couch, is available wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On top of COVID, a No Deal Brexit could push Britain’s already dire food poverty situation into crisis. And if we fall onto a Global Tariff for foodstuffs it will mean drastically limited kitchen staples and increased prices all round. The Shadow Food, Farming and Rural Affairs Minister, Labour MP Daniel Zeichner, joins Naomi Smith to explain the danger of a twin crisis in food supply and food poverty. How did Britain get it so wrong on food security?
“We all salute the work of food banks but we shouldn’t need them in this country.”
“It’s not about a lack of food in this country, it’s lack of income.”
“It would be very foolish to assume that because we got through COVID, we could get through a No Deal scenario.”
“The number of adults who are food insecure has quadrupled in lockdown”
“Our food system is essentially broken”
“Is there a risk that food just won’t get into the country? Absolutely.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We were living in a golden age of craft beer… and then COVID hit. Will the pandemic tally wound Britain’s independent beer makers? Or are government ignorance and Big Brewing more of a threat to this life-enhancing industry? Britain’s leading beer writer PETE BROWN – author of Craft: An Argument: Why The Term 'Craft Beer' Is Completely Undefinable, Hopelessly Misunderstood And Absolutely Essential – tells Andrew Harrison how we got here, and how to Make Craft Beer Great Again. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Republicans gather (virtually) to anoint the Great Helmsman, how will Trump’s warnings of an American apocalypse play outside his radicalised base? UCL Global Politics professor Brian Klaas and The Atlantic’s Yasmeen Serhan join us to decide who’s the weirdest and most worrying at the Trump Family Telethon. Plus, your package was left in a safe place! Has the pandemic ended consumerism as we know it? “The Democrats’ tactic seems to be, let Trump incinerate himself.” Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The COVID pandemic has given unscrupulous data traffickers the opportunity they needed to hoover up vast quantities of private patient data, with Government connivance – and often with Government funding. Investigative journalist Nafeez Ahmed tells Alex Andreou what is happening to our private information, and what we need to do to stop an information grab that the Government is concealing from us.
“We’re faced with a monolith of huge transnational power with access for the first time to private health data.”
“You’re seeing tiny front companies with no track record getting contracts with responsibility for life and death.”
“This is a danger to our democracy and a danger to the NHS.”
“At this point, being paranoid about what Dominic Cummings is doing with data is absolutely important.”
“When the Government says data will remain private, how much confidence can we realistically have that it will be?”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bullying and sexual harassment are a blight on Parliament – and Westminster has been slow to deal with it. Cofounder of Women in Westminster and campaigner on the winning Starmer and Sadiq Khan campaigns Tara Jane O’Reilly talks to Ian Dunt about the measures women have to take to stay safe in Westminster; and whether the new independent complaints procedure will make a positive difference.
“When you call out sexual harassment in Westminster, you’re not just complaining about your boss. You’re complaining about the people who run the country.”
“You’re expected to be grateful and feel lucky to be in Westminster at all. And that’s used to silence people.”
“There are whisper networks where women talk to one another – but seldom does anything get done.”
“Every party, including Labour, has been dismal about supporting women in politics.”
“Do I think I’m burning down my future career by speaking out? Every single time.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why do we believe lies just because there’s a graph attached? How can we develop a sixth sense to detect statistical disinformation? Data scientist and University of Washington professor Jevin D West, co-author of Calling Bullsh*t: The Art Of Scepticism In A Data Driven World, talks to Ros Taylor about the warping of COVID statistics by selection bias… how our brains are built to fall victim to false correlation… Sigmund Freud on cocaine… and why sharing information as soon as you see it is like picking a sweet up of the street and eating it.
“It’s almost as if data falls from the skies and lands on our desk, and we can’t question it. But we can.”
“If there’s a rule, it’s share less, think more.”
“If I wanted to gauge the average height of the population I wouldn’t go to an NBA game. That’s selection bias.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What should we watch out for in the impending confrontation between India and China, the world’s largest democracy and the world’s largest autocratic superpower? And how does Pakistan fit in? Prof GUY BURTON of Vesalius College in Brussels joins Arthur Snell to explain the sources of these tensions between the world’s two most populous countries, what leaders Xi and Modi want, why they’re ignoring the Europeans – and what post-colonialism means for the reality of 21st century power politics. Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A-Levelling down: can the Government just style out a total betrayal of hardworking strivers? And will Gavin Williamson stay unsacked before you finish this paragraph? Former MEP Caroline Voaden joins us to channel the rage of parents and teenagers everywhere. Plus: Will the shine go off the Chancellor as Sunakmania gives way to the Rishicession? And what are we going to eat when Hard Brexit strips the shelves of food? It’s the full-length panel edition of The Bunker. Presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith, Ahir Shah and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government’s new planning ideas hand a huge advantage to developers, with no-question greenlights for permissions in new “growth” and “renewal” areas. Is this a real fix for the housing crisis or just another free market free-for-all? STEVE COLE of Clarion Group – the UK’s largest housing association and also a developer – tells Naomi Smith why our housing crisis is so entrenched, and why the Johnson-Jenrick plans could well mean fewer affordable houses are built.
“People love a smoking gun – but this is a massively complex crisis that has been a generation in the making.”
“Housing is one of the most unstable government departments. By the time someone gets their head around it, they usually leave office.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What makes comedy happen? Our most celebrated impressionist RORY BREMNER talks to Alex Andreou about how his ADHD drives his own work – plus tracking and tracing Boris Johnson’s offspring, how hard it is to pin down a take on today’s political mediocrities, Brexit, and of course the loss to COVID of his great friend and colleague Tim Brooke-Taylor. And yes, there WILL be impressions…
“Fire, bank crashes, plague… We’re living a box set life now and you wonder, Who is writing this?”
“Johnson isn’t a leader, he’s a cheerleader. His skillset is bluster and bombast.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Job losses are surging, but the next wave of mass unemployment won’t be like the ones in the 80s, the 90s or the financial crisis of 2008. The Institute for Government’s GILES WILKES – economist and past special advisor to Vince Cable and Theresa May – tells Andrew Harrison why the old remedies for joblessness won’t work, how COVID has robbed the Government of room to manoeuvre, and what sort of industries might emerge from this once-in-a-century crisis. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Belarus is convulsed by pro-democracy demonstrations, the opposition leader has fled in fear and the EU is threatening to reimpose sanctions. Yet pig-farmer turned strongman Alexander Lukashenko shows no sign of relinquishing his 26-year grip on power. Professor Andrew Wilson of UCL, the author of Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship, talks to Dorian Lynskey about how Lukashenko rigs elections, the prospects for bringing real democracy to Belarus, and who’s keeping “Batka” in power.
“There’s YouTube video of someone shouting ‘Just swap the votes!’”
“Lukashenko was shocked by Putin’s attack on Crimea. Even dictators want to stay in power.”
“Lukashenko hasn’t done anything clever. It’s just the police vs the demonstrators.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Since before the Referendum, rivers of untraceable money have flowed through our politics, washing away accountability and benefiting secretive and powerful people. Peter Geoghegan of openDemocracy joins us to discuss the revelations of his new book Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics – and explore what we need to do when technology outpaces the law. Plus: Which zone is your home? Why the Government’s plans for planning won’t solve the housing crisis. And the future of Lebanon. Presented by Andrew Harrison with Nina Schick and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s a world going on underground. Ethnographer, archaeologist and author of the eerily prescient Bunker: Building For The End Times BRADLEY GARRETT is fascinated by tunnels, chambers and hidden realms – and what drives people to populate them. He tells Ros Taylor about the allure of the subterranean, the hidden city under Wiltshire – and the Doomsday Preppers who wanted to buy it – and the cocktail of modern dreads that make humans refuge underground. Hold tight for Bunker on bunker action… with a Rees-Mogg connection too.
“COVID has revealed how fragile the society we’ve built over the past 30 years is. We created COVID’s pathways around the world.”
“The city is archaeology in reverse… the newest has to be the deepest.”
“If you’re heavily invested in societal collapse, and you’re in power, you might want to bring that collapse about.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Priti Patel might be trying to stoke fears with her ludicrous ‘Clandestine Channel Threat Commander’ but as the Brexit madness recedes, is the environment for immigrants moving in an inexorably more liberal direction? Professor Jonathan Portes of KCL takes Ian Dunt on a deep dive into the economic realities of immigration and finds that not only will we need more immigrants to deal with the post-COVID challenges… but that we may have passed the high point of xenophobia in Britain. Listen up for what Dunt is calling “my first-even optimistic Bunker Daily…” Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Some good stuff DID get done during the chaotic COVID Parliament that’s just ended. Walthamstow MP STELLA CREASY tells Ayesha Hazarika about her fight to get misogyny reclassified as a hate crime as part of the Domestic Abuse Bill, why women have been left out of the Government’s COVID response… and all the gigs that the Right Honourable Member for Indie Rock missed because of the Pandemic.
“The Chancellor hasn’t got a Scooby about how COVID affects pregnant women. He started telling me about self-employment instead.”
“We’re trying to get people back into pubs, but we’re not getting three-year olds back into childcare.”
“One MP told me not to worry about coming back to work after having a baby because there’ll be a nanny. Well there ain’t.”
Presented by Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When JOHN HUME died earlier this week, presidents and political leaders across the spectrum eulogised him as nothing less than the father of peace in Northern Ireland. How did this quiet, determined man find a way to bring about the impossible, and sideline violence within Irish nationalism? South Belfast MP Claire Hanna tells Naomi Smith why John Hume is her political hero, and what we can still learn from him.
“People used to joke about John Hume’s ‘single transferable speech’… but he used to say the problem hasn’t changed so the solution hasn’t changed.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the Grand Reopening leading inevitably to the Great Re-Locking, is No.10’s rule-by-snappy-slogan no longer fit for purpose? Has Boris Johnson’s back-scratching Dissolution Honours finally made Lords Reform inevitable – and should we fear a shake-up if it happens? And our special guest, former minister and rebellious leader of the Gaukward Squad David Gauke, gives perhaps the most entertaining account of losing an election we’ve heard… and speculates if we’ll ever see one-nation Conservatism ever again.
“On COVID, the British public seem to be far more sanguine than writers for mid-market tabloids.” – Ian Dunt
“If you’re a Muslim, your mum starts cooking for Eid three days ahead… And that late lockdown made Muslims feel really unvalued.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“There’s been too many occasions where the Prime Minister has been too keen to deliver good news that turns out not to be correct… and that undermines trust.” – David Gauke
“Everybody talks about Lords reform until they become leader.” - Ayesha Hazarika
“Even as an ex-MP I was bombarded with angry emails saying Dominic Cummings should go.” – David Gauke
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ayesha Hazarika and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin were supposed to overturn the tyranny of the banks and give consumers new power over their money. This financial Wild West is still plagued with fraud, scams, pyramid schemes and doomed start-ups. But as entrepreneur, investor and follower of the crypto/blockchain market PHILLIP NUNN explains, the “Internet of Money” is coming whether governments like it or not. Can it become a force for good in the economic revival?
“When people say if Pablo Escobar were around now he’d be using Bitcoin, that’s just not true.”
“At first crypto was kids in their bedrooms just trying stuff. Now it’s got billions and billions of market cap.”
“To hack one chain of Bitcoin you’d need 30 times the power of Google’s servers.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If we’re stuck with a hard right government for the next four years, how should progressives best use this time? Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation MIATTA FAHNBULLEH talks to Alex Andreou about the opportunities amid the chaos, how it’s impossible to triangulate where the Johnson government is going, and what Starmer needs to do right now to build the platform that can win in 2024.
“It’s just not clear what the ideology of Johnson is. They’re more opportunistic than anything.”
“These moments come up once in a couple of generations, where everything is thrown up in the air.”
“We need to come together and say we need change. When people come together, politicians will have to listen.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain can’t wait for the Government’s Public Inquiry into COVID. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus is seizing the initiative and examining every aspect of the crisis. Its chair, Lib Dem MP and leadership candidate LAYLA MORAN, explains to Naomi Smith how MPs are outpacing the government in understanding the virus, why mental health is the neglected aspect of COVID, and how we can prepare for a second wave.
“I’d love Boris Johnson to come before us and answer our questions. I very much doubt that he will.”
“There are some things more important than the Lib Dem leadership contest, would you believe…”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From unmasking suspects in the Salisbury poisoning to exposing money laundering and Russian involvement in the shooting down of flight MH-17, investigative collective Bellingcat is at the forefront of a new kind of investigative journalism. Founder ELIOT HIGGINS explains to Dorian Lynskey how “open source” investigations work – why conventional media still doesn’t understand the reach of state disinformation – and how to deal with “vicarious trauma” when you have to watch multiple videos of horrific acts in the pursuit of truth.
“I’ve seen so much terrible stuff from across the world that I can prepare myself. You learn what not to look at.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the summer tourist season already a write-off for Europe – and will the traditional foreign holiday become history? Are you ready to start paying more tax from the age of 40 to fund your own social care? And as COVID continues to hollow out city centres, is urban living on the way out? Ros Taylor, Ahir Shah and special guest Yasmeen Serhan of The Atlantic join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length Bunker. Listen closely for live interventions from Andrew’s cat.
“The summer months are the lungs of Europe.” – Yasmeen Serhan
“When the people who make decisions about health and social care can opt out with private insurance, they don’t experience the consequences of their own decisions.” – Ros Taylor
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“We’ve been kettled with our own thoughts.” Comedy writer and friend of the podcast JASON HAZELEY – Screenwipe writer and co-creator of everything from the grown-up Ladybird books to Philomena Cunk – talks to Ian Dunt about what the pandemic has done to TV, the live sitcom that is Great Britain, and the dismal poverty of Boris Johnson’s terrible, feeble jokes.
“Have I Got News For You in lockdown just looks like a series of hostage videos.”
“The last thing the world needs right now is a golden age of monologue.”
“Boris Johnson is an ambassador of the trivial and inconsequential… but your Prime Minister should not be a figure of fun.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’re conditioned to think that economic development will get faster and faster. But it turns out that many key indicators from population growth to GDP expansion are slowing down. DANNY DORLING, social geographer and author of Slowdown: The End Of The Great Acceleration and Inequality And The 1%, talks to Ros Taylor about the coming Great Deceleration – why inequality is clearly the strongest indicator of mental wellbeing – why most of we hear about the Brexit-hungry “left behinds” is nonsense – and why our slow future was already taking shape before the COVID lockdown.
“Important indicators like population are rising – but not as fast we think they are.”
“Acceleration was so lauded in the past because we were improving living standards… but we’ve gone way past that. Simply consuming more won’t make us happier.”
“Half of the British population is on the edge of being financially insecure and in fact destitute in the near future.”
“If your told since birth that you’re the best in the world, then seeing your kids incapable of supporting or housing themselves is hard to accept.”
“We’re living under a misconception that this is an age of acceleration. Compared to our grandparents’ time, it’s an age of slowdown.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A pop career is for life. Art explorer, national treasure and former Pulp frontman JARVIS COCKER talks to Andrew Harrison about his return to the music fray with new band Jarv Is… and new album Beyond The Pale. On the agenda: the musical concerns of the mature gentleman, what celebrity does to the unwary mind, the legacy of ‘Common People’, and how pop is a way of asking yourself the questions you really ought to answer.
“Celebrity is like pornography. It takes something great, like sex, and grosses it out.”
“The post-war dream was a classless society… and now that seems to have totally disappeared.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can Europe really build back better after the pandemic? How does the EU’s response to COVID look when you’re one of Britain’s former MEPs? Molly Scott Cato, former Green Party MEP and the party’s current Brexit and Finance spokesperson, joins Alex Andreou to talk over plus the Russia Report, the financial conduits that make corruption possible, and what we do now that Vote Leave runs the country
“These people drove the Brexit boat and are now in government, and we don’t really know where their loyalties lie.”
“In British society we hide our dirty laundry – but the laundry is still dirty.”
“The main problem of the Eurozone is that some countries can tell others how to spend their money.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“In Moscow, inquiry closes YOU.” As the Russia Report confirms the Conservatives’ wilful blind eye to Putin’s interference in UK elections, where do we go from here? If we rage about the Russians supposedly tipping the Referendum or the General Election, are we looking at the wrong things? Plus, why the left needs to stop gloating over The Guardian’s money woes… and hands off Bill Gates. Can’t a guy just be a munificent billionaire without everyone getting on his case? Naomi Smith subpoenas Helen Lewis, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou to give evidence on this week’s full-length Bunker. Also – sirens!
“We can’t have another election with half of the country believing they’re going to be cheated” – Alex Andreou
“Russia is trying to encourage wedge issues and the Vote Leave government is exacerbating that.” – Ian Dunt
“The same backbenchers who are losing their shit about a Chinese wire in their phone are completely relaxed about Russia running electoral interference.” – Alex Andreou
“Russian influence has become so embedded in the UK that the intelligence community can only shrug.” – Alex Andreou
“The new elitism is packing the Lords with your mates.” – Ian Dunt
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus has put women out of work more frequently than men, led to a spike in domestic violence, pushed women’s healthcare down the list of priorities, and set the scene for a mental health crisis for women. Yet politicians appear blind to the pandemic’s gendered consequences. Dr Clare Wenham, Assistant Professor of Global Health Policy at the LSE, talks to Helen Lewis about how the pandemic has hit women hardest, and what we will need to learn from it.
“We’re seeing exactly what happened with Zika and Ebola – but on a global scale.”
“Female-dominated industries are the ones hardest hit by pandemics. What it means is, women lose their jobs.”
“British exceptionalism means we haven’t learned from what happened during pandemics in the rest of the world.”
Presented by Helen Lewis. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Intelligence report into Russian interference in British elections and the Referendum is finally published this week – but what will it mean? Why are Brexiters so keen to discredit it? And are Tory backbenchers finally growing a spine? Ian Dunt sets the scene for what looks like a momentous week in British politics.
“Eskimos supposedly have a thousand words for snow – and the Russian government has a thousand words for lie.”
“The Russians are banking on domestic tribalism to prevent any serious response to their interference.”
“The Tories are up to their necks in Russian donations.”
“The Raab leak shows how inept and cynical the Government’s response to Russian interference has been.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hold the front podcast page! The infamous Russia Report could well come out next week. What will it reveal? The Guardian’s Russia correspondent LUKE HARDING, author of Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem And Russia’s Remaking Of The West and first British journalist to be expelled from Russia since the end of the Cold War, joins Dorian Lynskey to look at what Putin really wants. How did Russia influence Brexit? Why did Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s Russian collusion flop so badly? Whatever happened to the classy, erudite KGB of old? Oh, and the Secret Plot against Chris Grayling.
“You have to ask, why have Johnson and Cummings burnt so much political capital on suppressing this report?”
“Donald Trump is seen in Moscow as the greatest success in Russian espionage history.”
“The message of Salisbury was, You may forget about us but we will never forget about you.”
“Robert Mueller was like a boy scout going into Trump’s gambling den.”
“Russian interference in Brexit definitely happened – whether you believe it was determinant or not.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why do former democrats and intellectuals so often make the squalid journey from liberalism to hardline nationalism? Historian ANNE APPLEBAUM’s new book Twilight Of Democracy: The Failure Of Politics And The Parting Of Friends describes why once-liberal people make deals with devils of demagoguery. She talks to Nina Schick about the revenge of the second-raters, the lure of performative rage, how toxic nostalgia feeds authoritarianism and worse… and what we can do about it.
“If you despair that your society is coming to an end, you will embrace desperate measures.”
“When Trump tweets ‘LAW AND ORDER’ what he’s saying is, I can shut these people up.”
“Brexit was a coup carried out by one part of the elite against another part of the elite.”
“The defeat of Donald Trump is absolutely the most important thing that needs to happen for the world to move forward.”
Presented by Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As America faces the dire prospect of a Trump second term, the hardest-hitting, most brutal and effective anti-Trump ads come from the rebel Republicans of Super PAC the Lincoln Project. Former George W Bush and John McCain strategist Steve Schmidt of The Lincoln Project joins us to explain the scale of the stakes, the depths of Trump’s betrayal, and what British listeners can do to unseat America’s worst president. Plus, fun with cancel culture! Ayesha Hazarika and Alex Andreou join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length Bunker roundtable.
“In a choice between a sociopath and a socialist, in America the sociopath is going to win seven days a week.”
“We have gone full Banana Republic in the US in the past four years.”
“Democracies can’t flourish when the truth and a lie are indistinguishable.”
“It took 240 years to discover the design flaw in the American system.”
“Grievance is the high-octane fuel of Trumpism. No grievance, no Trumpism.”
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How will transport in cities change after the COVID wave subsides? Will financial worries make high-frequency public transport a thing of the past, just when we need it most? And will we even WANT to live in cities any more? Jonn Elledge of urban nerdery site CityMetric talks to Ros Taylor about the future of trains, buses and bikes… and why we might have missed the COVID opportunity to rethink transport.
“Uber isn’t even good for Uber drivers. The company clearly wants to phase them out.”
“The Government is going to have to subsidise London’s transport again. If it doesn’t the city will grind to a halt.”
“If London life no longer exists as it once did, what’s the point of spending a fortune to live there?”
“I do worry that anything we were going to do about traffic, the moment has now passed.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not everyone with COVID ends up in hospital. Sufferers are beginning to report a disturbing post-viral syndrome of deep, extended fatigue, weakness, “brain fog”, anxiety and weird physical sensations that they’re calling “Long COVID”. Paul Garner of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine tells Naomi Smith about his own strange and debilitating ten-week experience with Long COVID – and explains why employers and medical professionals need to take it seriously.
“I felt very fatigued, with brain fogs, my heart was racing… it felt like my life was draining out of me.”
“I used to do an hour of intense yoga regularly. Now I do 15 minutes and I’m floored for two days.”
“This disease messes with your head. I’ve woken up in a very low mood, in tears… then later in the day I’ll be fine.”
“This is very similar to ME and long-term fatigue… And patients are not being believed by employers and health professionals.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COVID’s impact on people with multiple sclerosis has been cruel beyond even the privations experienced by the rest of us. Our panelist Ros Taylor has never spoken about her own MS diagnosis before. In conversation with David Martin, CEO of the MS Trust, she discusses the astonishing hardships faced by people with MS during the pandemic, why all charities are facing a potential extinction event… and what listeners can do to rescue essential charities that face total ruin. Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donald Trump annihilates the language of democracy even as he campaigns to destroy its institutions – and in this, he’s just like Putin. In a podcast unlike any we’ve recorded (complete with live thunderstorms), the author of Surviving Autocracy MASHA GESSEN talks to Dorian Lynskey about the lies designed to purely to bully, the perils of the next Trump… and why we might come out of the populist mess better than we went in. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As #BlackLivesMatter puts law enforcement under microscope worldwide, policing expert and former Met officer Peter Kirkham gives the view from inside British policing. Plus, what does Beijing’s draconian crackdown on free speech mean for Hong Kong citizens – and will Britain’s offer of BNO passports make any difference? And what are you going to spend your £500 government stimulus voucher on? Nina Shick and Arthur Snell join Dorian Lynskey for this week’s full-length Bunker podcast.
“Lockdown isn’t a policing issue. It’s a government and a health issue. Portraying it as a policing issue just shows how shambolic the Government’s response has been.” – Peter Kirkham
“Any organisation put together by white males will put the interests of white males first. We have to ask ourselves how we deal with that.” – Peter Kirkham
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Bermondsey to Zimbabwe to Moscow and beyond, PETER TATCHELL has been fighting for human rights for over 50 years… and the LGBT rights that got him pilloried by the tabloids in 1983 are now the stuff of the mainstream. As we enter the most dangerous moment for democracies since the end of WWII, what should we be fighting for – and how? Peter talks to Andrew Harrison about populism’s crisis moment, the failure of Corbynism, and how we can still follow the COVID crisis with a once-in-a-century renewal. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Recorded before the Government’s announcement on support for the arts… Last Friday Naomi Smith talked to stand-up comedian and host of the Two Vegan Idiots podcast CARL DONNELLY about the battered state of comedy and the arts under the COVID onslaught. Then on Sunday Rishi Sunak announces £1.57bn of aid to the arts. Who says The Bunker doesn’t get things done, eh? Listen in as Naomi and Carl discuss what’s needed to fix crisis that has cost the arts £74bn and threatens 400,000 jobs.
“The arts isn’t just left-wing comedians banging on about Nigel Farage… These venues employ thousands of people.”
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Extended culture upgrade special! Like all live music, opera has been floored by COVID-19. Can an art form that thrives on crowds and projecting your voice (and your breath) survive this game-changing crisis? Will opera houses face bankruptcy? How is the industry negotiating the nightmares of rescheduling, social distancing and insurance companies that won’t pay up? And when will audiences finally get to experience the thrill of live opera again? Alex Andreou raises the curtains on an all-star Corona Crisis special from the opera world, featuring Michael Moody, co-founder of the Grange Festival, Hampshire; Australian lyric soprano and multiple competition winner Kiandra Howarth; and National Symphony Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor John Andrews (whose Very Brief History of Opera on YouTube has been a blessing on lockdown). The music for this special edition is Kiandra performing Crepusculo at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
“As sins go, bringing a respiratory disease to an opera festival is right up there.”
“As opera buffs, we’re always dealing with tragedy…”
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
GRAVE RESERVATIONS: Britain’s restaurants will unlock this weekend in a life or death moment for an industry that employs almost a million people. Will diners embrace their freedom or will FOGO keep them away? How has the COVID lockdown changed our relationship with eating out? Which restaurants will innovate their way out of trouble? And if a No Deal Brexit happens, will it all have been for nothing? The Observer’s renowned food critic JAY RAYNER joins Andrew Harrison to talk about the most momentous meals we may ever eat. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Was Keir Starmer right to defenestrate Rebecca Long-Bailey and will this reset the DAYS SINCE LABOUR BUST-UP clock to zero? Special guest Philip Seargeant, author of The Art of Political Storytelling, explains how narrative crowded out truth in politics and what we can do about it. And what can everyone learn from Liverpool FC’s Jürgen Klopp – even if they hate football? Helen Lewis and Ahir Shah join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length Bunker podcast.
“The thing about the Labour Left’s anger on social media is, Twitter is what they’ve got left.” – Helen Lewis
“It's hard to find models of masculinity that aren’t brittle or blokey. But Klopp is authoritative and also quite caring too.” – Helen Lewis
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is there a real free speech crisis in universities or is it just another confected Culture War squabble? With people like Amber Rudd banned from speaking simply for having been in government, is No Platform overreaching itself? And how did a bunch of defrocked Marxists end up the main advocates of a very conservative vision of free speech? British-Australian academic EVAN SMITH, author of No Platform, talks to Dorian Lynskey about the tangled roots and “mission creep” inherent in the practice of shutting people up.
“Nigel Farage was exposed to the sunlight of debate pretty regularly. How well did that work out?”
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the pandemic an extinction event for news media, or a strange opportunity? Is trust in journalism really collapsing in the age of populism? And is the BBC still top of Dominic Cummings’ To Destroy list? Don of media analysts RAYMOND SNODDY – ex media editor at the Times and FT – talks to Andrew Harrison about the media’s COVID-born existential crisis. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Immigration is the topic most guaranteed to drive good sense out of the room. Will opinions be changed by COVID’s sobering reminder of the irreplaceable work that immigrants do? Has Black Lives Matter shown us the progress we’ve made – or the progress we haven’t? And will the Government use COVID quarantine as cover for even more repressive immigration rules? MINNIE RAHMAN of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants talks to Alex Andreou about the myth of the immigrant freeloader and the unforeseen cruelties of the Hostile Environment.
“Let’s face it, any migrant is just one lost document away from becoming a victim of the Hostile Environment.”
“You can’t have a two-tier system where some people can access services and some can’t. We’re only as healthy as our neighbours.”
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If shops and pubs can reopen, why can’t pools? Swimming saves the NHS and social care some £357m a year, yet the Government’s mishandling of community sport is a microcosm of its muddled approach across Coronavirus. How badly will this affect young swimmers? And how does COVID-19 fare in chlorinated water anyway? Swim England chief exec JANE NICKERSON explains as enthusiast swim fan Ros Taylor goes off the deep end.
“If we’re working on science, what makes a cinema or a pub better to open than a swimming pool?”
“The children who are missing swimming lessons now could become a lost generation.”
“We talk about protecting the NHS. Well keeping people fit and healthy IS protecting the NHS.”
Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are you wearing your facemask? If not, WHY NOT? Plus: Has Britain’s shambolic response to COVID exposed something worse than bad leadership: a deep-seated rot in the British state itself? What’s going to happen when mass unemployment hits the sharp-elbowed, politically-engaged middle classes? And most importantly, when can we finally, finally get our highlights done? Ros Taylor welcomes Ayesha Hazarika, Nina Schick and Alex Andreou into our specially-hardened Bunker for this week’s panel show. Stay tuned for Alex’s deep-dive on anti-COVID “moustache and beard snoods” and PPE niche porn…
“There are people now who’ve only heard of older people as a burden… We wheel out our veterans and then let them drown with COVID.” – Alex Andreou
“The infamous Red Wall is a blessing and a curse for Boris Johnson.” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Britain needs to complain more and whinge less.” – Alex Andreou
Presented by Ros Taylor. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hundreds of thousands of people should be heading to Glastonbury right now. Instead the live music industry is hanging on by its fingernails, hundreds of venues are threatened with closure, and the Government hasn’t included music in its ‘Cultural Renewal Taskforce’. Music agent JAMES WRIGHT of United Talent Agency talks to Andrew Harrison about what this multi-billion pound industry needs to survive.
“Music is this country’s cultural background. And it’s being taken away from people.”
“Our business just doesn’t work with ANY social distancing in place.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As China tries to impose its authority on Hong Kong, can the former British colony retain some semblance of independence? What’s behind the creeping authoritarianism of Beijing’s Fugitive Offenders Bill? And are Britain’s moves on British National Overseas passports anything more than a gesture? Professor KERRY BROWN, Professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London and Director of the Lau China Institute, talks to Naomi Smith about Hong Kong’s moment of truth.
“China’s definition of ‘what is terrorism?’ can be incredibly extensive.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In India, Narendra Modi’s populist BJP government has stripped back rights further than in almost any advanced democracy. The country’s COVID response has caused nightmarish problems for the world’s most populous country. And now we’ve seen a bizarre hand-to-hand clash with Chinese troops on the Himalayan border. Is India on the verge of historic trouble? The Guardian’s southern Asia correspondent HANNAH ELLIS-PETERSEN explains the BJP’s mix of religious fanaticism and 21st century troll politics to Dorian Lynskey.
“Modi’s COVID response has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in 50 years.”
“COVID has been branded a ‘Muslim disease’… The BJP are calling it ‘Corona Jihad’.”
“The BJP is accusing democracy protestors of being terrorists.”
“Even before Coronavirus, India’s healthcare was already on the brink of collapse.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What will it take to translate the unprecedented debate on racism and bias into action? Battersea Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities MARSHA DE CORDOVA talks to Naomi Smith about a moment that could change Britain.
“Each of us has a responsibility to ensuring that this moment is a catalyst for change.”
“Don’t call it Black History. It’s just history.”
“No-one could look at that video of George Floyd and be the same again.”
“We don’t need any more reviews. I am reviewed out. We need action.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Britain zealously unlocks its shops and zoos (but not its schools), are we knocking over the norms that we’ll need to deal with a second wave of COVID? What are we going to do after the pandemic when AI and automation take all the jobs? Guest Daniel Susskind, author of A World Without Work, joins us to look at what all these people are going to do all day. Plus the torrid secret life of George Eliot. “Defending” statues with the Jacamo Freikorps. And who’s really behind the purging of problematic TV comedy? Ahir Shah and Helen Lewis join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length BUNKER.
“The Government are like, Exercise your judgment… but not like THAT.” – Ahir Shah
“History is a process. It’s about what we choose to remember. It’s not an objective science at all.” – Helen Lewis
Presented by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emmanuel Macron continues to suffer from France’s traditional disdain for its leader. How has the pandemic affected France’s notorious febrile politics? Why is France so unhappy with Macron? Will Black Lives Matter finally force change on the notoriously racist French police? And whatever happened to the Gilets Jaunes? JOHN LICHFIELD, former France correspondent for the Independent, explains all to Ros Taylor.
“In my 20 years in France, every French leader has been instantly unpopular.”
“It’s the fate of centrists everywhere to be hated by both sides.”
“Everyone’s claiming to be De Gaulle without ever stopping to consider how De Gaulle would have reacted to today’s problems.”
“There’s a visceral dislike of Macron in France that in many ways is unfair. But that’s normal French politics.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The country’s hunger for football has become desperate during lockdown – but will we even recognise the game when it returns this week? What have ten weeks of isolation done to the minds and bodies of top players? And will the game’s elite finally accept that they need to support the game’s desperately-threatened grassroots? France Football’s England correspondent PHILIPPE AUCLAIR talks to strung-out Liverpool fan Andrew Harrison as we enter the riskiest and most unpredictable weeks in football’s history.
“If we don’t ensure that the world outside of the Premier League is taken care of, the consequences could be really dire.”
“We don’t know how players’ bodies will react to an enforced rest of three months – which they have never, ever done.”
“The whole fabric of English football is in danger now. The whole fabric.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The British Government’s COVID response has been assessed as literally the joint-worst in the world. How did we get here? DR SARAH WOLLASTON, former Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and ex-Conservative, TIG and Liberal Democrat MP for Totnes, gives Naomi Smith a righteous take on the Government’s stubborn refusal to accept it could have done anything wrong… on the streams of misleading data… the looming medical supplies crisis… and what needs to happen to restore public trust. “There’s no sign of the Government admitting that anything could have been done differently.” Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The nine-year civil war in Syria is among the most atrocious yet misunderstood and neglected conflicts in human history, with many westerners flatly ignorant of what happened and why. Writer, film-maker and Middle East expert OZ KATERJI explains how deliberate misinformation, Western complacency and realpolitik created a humanitarian catastrophe – and where we go from here. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Washington to Whitehall to Bristol harbour, Black Lives Matter protests are dramatically reshaping politics across the world before our eyes. Former Obama homeland security advisor and US senate counsel AMY POPE joins us to discuss what this tumultuous fortnight means for Trump, Biden, American policing and American democracy. Plus, Britain grows a spine in its dealings with China. With a No Deal Brexit looking, is Johnson storing up trouble for our free-booting free trade future? Ian Dunt and Arthur Snell join Dorian Lynskey for this week’s full-length BUNKER.
“It’s hard to observe social distancing when you’re pushing a statue into a harbour.” – Dorian Lynskey
“I’ve prosecuted cases across the United States and I can tell you that the problem of police brutality is endemic.” – Amy Pope
“Trump isn’t interested in solutions. He’s interested in abuse.” – Arthur Snell
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Arthur Snell and Ian Dunt. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What’s it like to actually have COVID-19? Stand-up comedian SINDHU VEE tells Ian Dunt about the experience of being laid out by the virus – how to be an “Indian Mum Bad Cop” in trying circumstances – and what she learned along the way.
“When you can’t really breathe, your body is like, HOLY SHIT.”
“I totally reached my target weight with COVID, though. And it lasted about two weeks.”
“When you’re Indian, you have doctor friends coming out of your ears.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Which businesses could dig Britain out of the COVID recession? What will industry need to do to adapt to a new, socially-distanced reality? What are all those people involved in hospitality, services and entertainment going to do for a living? And is this a good time to start a business? Entrepreneur, investor and original mother of dragons DEBORAH MEADEN talks to Alex Andreou about the blank slate that is post-COVID business.
“There are very few moments in business where everything changes. And this is one of them.”
“We might find that we’ve changed forever how we go out and socialise in pubs or restaurants.”
“My businesses have been through a scary moment. But now it’s become an exciting moment for us.”
“You NEVER do everything at once in business. And with Brexit the Government is trying to do exactly that.”
“There’s no point in having your money sitting in the bank right now. Get it out. Get it working.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The death of George Floyd has triggered an outpouring of protest in the US and a surge of unprecedented violence from police. Could these astonishing events really change the direction of politics and race in America? Journalism teacher and ex-Washington Post writer and editor MARCIA DAVIS reported on Ferguson and the nascent Black Lives Matter movement. From Washington DC she talks to Dorian Lynskey about a tumultuous week in the United States – and what needs to happen next.
“It’s got to be more than a hashtag this time.”
“This has been time of fear and worry but also joy and excitement for many of us – because maybe things are changing”
“There’s nothing good about the death of George Floyd… but it has galvanised people of all races in an unprecedented way.”
“Many young people are saying yes, Biden IS better than Trump… but they want more.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We love Parris in the springtime. Times columnist, much-admired old school Tory and now Conservative exile MATTHEW PARRIS talks to Ros Taylor about the extraordinary place the Government has got itself into. What’s left of old-fashioned Toryism? Have we got to a place where people are happy for Government to make their decisions for then? And will the existential shock of the pandemic finally draw the Brexit poison out of Britain?
“It’s going to be harder and harder to make the case that there isn’t a magic money tree.”
“Boris Johnson is afraid of Parliament. I think he suffers from imposter syndrome.”
“Boris Johnson is having to behave like a schoolmaster when he doesn’t even do his own homework.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Comedian Mark Watson is this week’s special guest as Britain sacrifices public health for sunbathing and access to flatpack furniture. Are we mentally ready to get back out and be normal? Will FOMO be replaced by FOGO – Fear Of Going Out? What is the meaning of masks? Who’s behind the attacks on “Scum Media” and what are they trying to achieve? And what is ‘British Common Sense’ anyway? Ayesha Hazarika and Helen Lewis join Ros Taylor for this week’s full-length BUNKER.
“What you’re allowed to do seems like a blokey charter… football, fishing, cars…archery?” – Ayesha Hazarika
“Opening car showrooms should be very good for the nation’s optical health.” – Mark Watson
“Dominic Cummings promised to unite the country and to be fair, he did achieve that. Everyone hates him.” – Ayesha Hazarika
This government feels like people with gardens making rules for people who live in tower blocks.” – Helen Lewis
Presented by Ros Taylor with Helen Lewis and Ayesha Hazarika. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When term starts in autumn, universities won’t look like what we’re used to. What will “bubble learning” look like? What sort of hole will the pandemic knock in University finances? Will there be a socially-distanced bar and/or Animal Rights Soc disco? And will Government bail out colleges – or let some fail in an orgy of academic Darwinism? Dorian Lynskey talks to Oxford Brookes History professor and commentator Glen O’Hara about higher education’s upcoming crisis – and why even that £9,000 per term fee doesn’t cover the cost of tuition.
“I wouldn’t use the term belt-tightening. I’d say blood-letting.”
“Blended learning is definitely the new black.”
“The biggest hit will be felt at the biggest institutions like Leeds or King’s… The big boys will really suffer.”
“Universities are large-scale businesses with cafes, accommodation, bars and so on… In terms of income this is a perfect storm.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s a nightmare economic downturn on the cards, but unions were deeply involved in the emergency bailout plans. Is organised Labour about to re-enter policymaking for the first time in over 40 years? What can unions do for women workers in an economy in turmoil? And how can we rebuild better? TUC General Secretary FRANCES O’GRADY tells Ayesha Hazarika about the role unions can play not just in fixing the economy, but in transforming it.
“Seven in ten care workers are on less than £10 an hour. What has gone wrong?”
“Women are realising their own value. And that public support has been really important.”
“Let’s be ambitious for ordinary working people.”
“The public mood has changed, when we’ve got so many so-called self-employed delivery drivers who don’t have those key rights.”
“This can’t all end with the clapping on Thursday nights.”
Presented by Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What buttons can government push to wake up a comatose economy, and will they work this time? Will this formerly Conservative government need to go full Keynesian with a bonanza of giveaways to stimulate activity? Or if fear of persistent virus stops us returning to “normal”, might Government withdraw its support measures to force us back to work? Alex Andreou talks to DR GEMMA TETLOW, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government, about the fiendishly complex task of bringing the economy back from suspended animation.
“Ten years of focus on greater efficiency drove out some of the resilience that might have been there.”
“If we come out of this with people holding on to their money then Government may need to stimulate the economy even more.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Where does this week of chaos leave the Government’s authority? Will it affect our staggering progress towards the cliff edge of a failed negotiation with the EU? Ian Dunt talks to ANAND MENON of UK In A Changing Europe about the Johnson government’s self-inflicted problems. This podcast recorded on Tuesday 26 May.
“With unemployment and a recession coming, will people finally stop thinking about politics and say just fix the sodding economy?” – Anand Menon
“When cut-through REALLY cuts through, it becomes the emotional framework that everyone remembers. And that’s what’s happened to Cummings.” – Ian Dunt
“It suits the Government to walk from the talks in November, so that sense of outrage can carry us through the first queues at Dover.” – Anand Menon
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Got a bonus one for you: Britain’s fishing industry has long been an emotional hot button for Brexiters and a seaborne sticking point for our trade negotiators. What exactly is going on in Britain’s coastal waters? And what would a No Deal Brexit mean for fishermen who’ve been promised so much – and used as symbols – over the past five years? Ros Taylor talks to IAIN SPEAR of Devon scallop suppliers Coombe Fisheries about the fate of the Great British Fish. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dom Under Siege, Day Five: Has the Prime Minister’s incomprehensibly immovable Rasputin done enough to save his skin? And is a 60-mile car trip really the best way to test your eyesight? Plus guest John Appleby of health think tank the Nuffield Trust joins us to scope out how the NHS will change after COVID lifts. And why does the Government’s “Cultural Renewal Taskforce” contain no-one from the music, books, museum, heritage or fashion industries? Ahir Shah and Ros Taylor join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length BUNKER.
“This is not going away as long as you know what a Zoom funeral is.” – Ahir Shah
“This won’t be what breaks the Johnson Government. But the doubts have now been sown.” – Ros Taylor
“In terms of lockdown, anyone can cite the Cummings Caveat now.” – John Appleby
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus has provided a golden opportunity for unscrupulous online and offline retailers to jack up their prices on essential goods. Who are the worst culprits for COVID price gouging? Who are the victims? And what should government be doing to stop them? ADAM FRENCH, Senior Consumer Rights Editor at the consumer advocate Which?, talks to Andrew Harrison about pandemic profiteering. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Should he stay or should he go now? Audio of our Emergency Dominic Cummings podcast, recorded on Zoom at 1pm today, Sunday 24 May with Dorian Lynskey, Ros Taylor, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison. You can just about get it listened to before the PM’s press conference at 5pm when, gosh, who know who’ll get sacked? Video of this podcast is coming soon on our Patreon page too. Sign up for full access. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government’s emergency measures to keep public places empty are proving to be a rat’s nest. Even senior police officers and prosecutors don’t fully understand the law. Prosecutions are falling apart. And civil liberties groups are calling for a review of all penalties. Constitutional expert and Remainiacs regular DAVID ALLEN GREEN talks to Ayesha Hazarika about bad law made in haste, and what we can look forward to in the inevitable Public Inquiry.
“We’ve enforced public health legislation as if it were public order emergency.”
“The regulations that created perhaps the widest-ranging prohibitions in peacetime never had a parliamentary vote.”
“It may well be that the litigation will go on longer than the virus did.”
“We’re supposed to nod along in a public health emergency… but how much are we nodding along?”
Presented by Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There’s only one problem with the widely-held belief that humans are fundamentally amoral and selfish, says Dutch historian RUTGER BREGMAN: it’s rubbish. His new book Humankind: A Hopeful History argues that the record shows humanity’s superpower is its unique aptitude for altruism and co-operation. He tells Andrew Harrison why everything from Lord Of The Flies to the story of the Blitz is teaching us to draw the wrong conclusions about the human race – and explains who benefits from spreading the myth of human selfishness.
“Catastrophes bring out the best in people”
“Individual humans are not all that smart or strong – but we can cooperate on the level no other species can match.”
“The idea that most people are pretty decent is actually a revolutionary idea.”
“Cynicism is a form of laziness.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week’s full-length podcast: Keir Starmer, Donkey Farmer. Be a hero, or else: The Government frogmarches teachers to the frontline. Futurist Mark Stevenson joins us for some big ideas on how to change everything when the COVID mess starts to abate. Corona-ing up the Culture Wars. Should we give in to travel guilt? And which of the panel will defend David Cameron? Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length BUNKER.
“THE WORLD HAS JUST BEEN GIVEN A CRASH COURSE IN SYSTEMS CHANGE.”
“If you want to see real innovation, go to the places where the world is broken.”
“Every nation has been given an exam called COVID. And the grades are coming in.”
“Being vindicated about something you always knew was going to be a shit show is not a great feeling.”
Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
FROST/BARNIER: As Britain’s negotiators issue ultimatums out of thin air and the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier pronounces the talks “very disappointing”, is there anything to save Britain from the catastrophic No Deal we were promised would never happen? We talk to HILARY BENN, Chair of the Commons Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union, about the Brexit brinksmanship that could blow up in Britain’s face. Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hollywood bowled over: Coronavirus has thrown the entire movie industry into suspended animation. Are the studios strong enough to withstand this unprecedented shock? Will smaller movies become collateral damage in the shutdown? Will straight-to-streaming become the new norm for even blockbuster movies? And anyone for Tenet? Is Christopher Nolan’s mind-scrambler really going to save the movies business? Nick de Semlyen of EMPIRE magazine explains the industry’s travails to Dorian Lynskey. “I don’t think the cinema experience is going to die. But it’s definitely under threat.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Government’s emergency measures have saddled Britain with levels of debt unseen outside wartime – and a possible future of mass unemployment. How can we rebuild the economy for a post-COVID future? What’s the scale of the task? And which industries could thrive after the shutdown and which are doomed? DR GARRY YOUNG, co-Deputy Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, sets out our possible futures to Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we disappear deeper into virtual worlds both for work and relaxation, what are the political dimensions of the technologies we depend on to connect? Videogame scriptwriter Edward Stern, who has worked on Dirty Bomb, Gears Of War and other “shooty bang” games, explains to novice Ros Taylor why games will be increasingly important in our distanced future… what makes a good game tick… why they aren’t as gendered as you thought … what their ascendancy can teach us about our modern world… and how to present yourself on Zoom.
“For people with disabilities, a game that lets you fly when you can’t walk is quite a big deal. That’s existentially redefining.”
“Reality is quite badly written at the moment. The characters are bad. You have very few actions available to you. And you’re stuck in one place for far too …”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are YOU staying alert? If not, WHY not? We look at the Government’s confusing (and possibly self-serving) re-do of its COVID advice. UCL Global Politics professor and presenter of the Power Corrupts podcast Brian Klaas explains why we’re asking the wrong questions about Trump’s shambolic Corona response. And is this the most disappointing apocalypse ever if you happen to be a guy visiting Subway with a bazooka? Ros Taylor and Ahir Shah of The Mash Report join Dorian Lynskey for this week’s full-length BUNKER.
“Socially-distanced congas are at least preferable to eating the neighbours.” – Ahir Shah
“Blithering on about garden centres is not a sensible way to run a country.” – Ros Taylor
“This virus really doesn’t listen to the will of the people at all…” – Dorian Lynskey
“Every time you don’t directly say ‘Don’t do this’, a portion of the population is going to do that thing.” – Brian Klaas
Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ahir Shah. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coronavirus has changed everything – and maybe inaugurated a strange new era of history that nobody anticipated. What can we learn from past existential crises, from the oil shock to the world financial emergency of 2008? Will 2020 be a turning point like 1945 or 1979? And what good could come from this great upheaval? Historian ALWYN TURNER, author of Rejoice! Rejoice!: Britain in the 1980s, Crisis? What Crisis?: Britain in the 1970s and the upcoming All In It Together, talks to Andrew Harrison about life on the hinge of history. “Whether we like it or not, this is the dawning of a new era.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Meanwhile, in Brazil… Extreme populist President Jair Bolsonaro’s dismissive response to the Corona crisis makes even Trump’s look vaguely reasonable. Could the anti-lockdown sentiment he’s fomenting push Brazil into real crisis? And how does this homophobic, military fetishist, formerly marginal far-right figure maintain power? Rio-based British journalist DOM PHILLIPS talks to Dorian Lynskey about wild times in the world’s sixth-largest country.
“A professor in Rio once described Bolsanaro as just a troll… but he has a very popular touch. And he’s very, very extreme.”
“The stuff I saw during the elections, it’s absolutely staggering that a mainstream politician would say these things.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who’s up for some philosophy? COVID is shaping up as a crucible for the very idea of freedom – and an ultimate test for populism and libertarianism. Ian Dunt talks to TOBY BUCKLE of the Political Philosophy Podcast about what freedom means, who owns it, what the lockdown is doing to international notions of liberty, and whether Boris Johnson is, if possible, even worse than Trump. “Look at the evidence. Don’t look at your intuition. What seems obvious to you won’t be obvious to someone from another part of the country.” “Politics isn’t about policies. It’s about disagreements about the meaning of words.” Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How is the Great Home Schooling Experiment going? Is distance learning exposing the holes in Conservative eduction policy – and the gulf between wealthy pupils and state students without laptops and iPads? Do we need to stop treating schools as a national childcare service? And will we see the end of traditional summer holidays? Education journalist LAURA MCINERNY who runs Teacher Tapp talks to Dorian Lynskey about the ongoing class struggle.
“Nine in ten vulnerable children are now NOT at school.”
“Those in the poorest areas are reporting that their children are doing the least and have the least resources.”
“Motivation is a massive issue. If something you’ve spent five years working towards is taken away, you might just think ‘I’m never going to work for anything again’.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain’s COVID response is now officially the worst in Europe – yet somehow Boris Johnson is getting away it. How? Plus: The NHS triumphant. Health policy expert Roy Lilley on how the service must change after the Corona ordeal. And what have we learned on our enforced retreat into inner space? Gavin Esler and Ayesha Hazarika join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length BUNKER. “Everyone’s an epidemiologist nowadays.” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After an economic shock that’s unique in human history, how can we rebuild Britain’s businesses and public finances? How are we going to pay off a national debt unseen outside of wartime? Ian Mulheirn, Chief Economist of Renewing the Centre at the Tony Blair Institute, tells Naomi Smith about the hard choices ahead in a world without rules.
“This is the first time ever that governments have actively decided to switch the economy off.”
“We won’t be as worried about paying this debt off as we might have been in the past. We’ll just have to live with it.”
“This is what the State is for. It’s for safeguarding livelihoods and lives in times of crisis.”
Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donald Tusk is telling Poles to boycott their presidential elections out of “basic human decency”. Is Poland’s ruling Law And Justice using COVID to intensify its anti-liberal direction? How are ordinary Poles coping with Corona? And could Law And Justice really get Poland expelled from the EU even though Poles are the most pro-EU people in Europe? Sociologist ROCH DUNIN-WĄSOWICZ of the LSE explains the crisis in democracy in the EU’s seventh-largest country.
“If the Presidential elections were to take place they would not fulfil the democratic conditions of being free, open and transparent.”
“This amounts to the complete control of the judiciary by the executive.”
“In Poland the UK is being showcased as Europe’s worst case of handling COVID. And that makes the Polish community in the UK worried.”
“A lot of promises were made to Britain’s Polish community, and those promises were broken.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Zoom fatigue, virtual pubs, the Baby Johnson… Standup comic and comedy writer ATHENA KUGBLENU purges all her lockdown neuroses while Ian Dunt hides behind the microphone. Is Captain Tom being politicised? Why do we have to see everything through the prism of the Second World War? And why do we still treat posh upper class white guys with such respect?
“A lot of stuff is going on under our noses while we’re all, y’know, juggling for the NHS.”
“Congratulations to Boris Johnson, babies are wonderful… but he’s a politician who’s come back to work. So he’s fair game.”
“I wouldn’t have put it has Boris Johnson to time this kid so he got an extended Easter break.”
Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The lockdown is impacting everyone differently but it’s hitting people with pre-existing mental health issues especially hard. Demand for help with depression and anxiety are up by 30% worldwide, and the impending once-in-a-century recession is likely to make it worse. Will Higham of the charity Rethink Mental Illness talks to Naomi Smith about the post-COVID crisis in mental wellbeing – and how it affects young people especially. Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Boris Johnson returns to work, will we see a chastened lockdown hawk or will he revert to his laissez-faire instincts? With trust in journalists plummeting, who decided that it’s the media’s job to ask “helpful questions” of government? Plus Conservative MP Robert Largan joins us to discuss whether infrastructure is the silver bullet to fix the Corona-hit economy. “We are watching unprecedented deaths… To talk about ‘success’ right now is obscene.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Put that sourdough starter away… Lockdown is the perfect opportunity to enrich the soul by discovering the mystery and magic of gardening. Superstar ethnobotanist JAMES WONG tells Alex Andreou how to start growing at home, and the hacks that can make it work for you. Why is being around stuff that’s growing so good for our mental wellbeing? What’s the gateway drug to horticulture? And which of the 400,000 plants on Planet Earth should you be planting right now?
“We don’t know how or why gardening is so good for us. All we know is, it works.”
“We’ve got time on our hands now that we may never have again.”
“Supergluing plants? Are you kidding me?”
Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bleach! 5G! Bats! Why would anyone march with a banner that reads “Sacrifice the Weak”? Is the political reaction to COVID really being influenced by conspiracy theory? And can a democracy function when many voters simply reject facts in favour of comforting delusion? Political psychologist STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY talks to debut presenter Justin Quirk about the irrational energies driving the Corona crisis. “Whenever people feel they’ve lost control they invariably resort to conspiracy theory.” “People take lies from a politician as a nudge and wink that they are on their side. That’s what happens with Trump.” Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The airline and travel industries are suffering the most serious crisis in their history: worse than 9/11, the 2008 financial slump and the Icelandic volcano combined. Can air travel survive COVID? And given its carbon footprint, do we even want it to? Aviation writer JOHN WALTON tells Andrew Harrison how airlines will have to change, why the industry can’t operate on a financial knife edge any longer… and if it’s right for bearded billionaires with private islands to get the begging bowl out. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Britain’s tax system was already a mess before the COVID-19 emergency sent the public finances into a crisis of wartime proportions. Is this a moment to radically re-engineer government revenue? Are we taxing the right things, activities… or people? Will those who got off lightly in 2008 have to pony up rather more this time around? And in the post-Corona world, does even a Tory government have any choice about moving us to a European-style high tax economy? GILES WILKES of the Institute for Government explains all to baffled layman Andrew Harrison. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While the rest of Europe locked down, Sweden took a different and much looser path on dealing with COVID. Is their controversial approach working? Is Sweden right to measure itself against a longer-term tally of suffering caused by the virus’s economic consequences, and not just the immediate death toll? Andrew Brown, author of Fishing in Utopia: Sweden and the Future that Disappeared talks to Ros Taylor about the biggest COVID gamble in Europe.
“There’s a view that everyone is pursuing the Swedish strategy, whether they know it or not.”
“This is a fairly brutal way of doing it. But Sweden’s view is that the facts are brutal.”
“Swedish opinion is like a shoal of herring. They all head in the same direction together – but that direction can change suddenly.”
“The Swedish government can be extremely bossy – but part of the technique of social control was to deny that it existed.”
Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After the Sunday Times exposé of Johnson’s indolent initial response to the COVID crisis, is the Government’s infantile “rebuttal” an attempt to rewrite the facts of what happened? Hard Lockdown vs Soft Open: economics writer Frances Coppola joins us to scope out the far future of post-plague Coronanomics. Gove-building and Hancock-smashing. And it’s high times for conspiracy theorists. What are we going to do about Bill Gates’s 5G weaponised virus bats? “Who’s giving up on market-led economics right now? The markets themselves.” – Frances Coppola “Eamonn Holmes might think he’s ‘just asking questions’. But they’re asking the wrong questions.” – Nina Schick “With Johnson indisposed they’re terrified of creating a rival. What if Rishi Sunak becomes the face of Government?” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After years of rubbishing expertise, politicians are now turning to science in humble desperation. Buzzfeed and Telegraph science writer TOM CHIVERS, author of The AI Does Not Hate You, talks to Ian Dunt about the uneasy alliance between science and politics… why immunity passports are probably a non-starter… and why we should have a sliver of sympathy for Matt Hancock and even Boris Johnson. “The hardest thing in writing about science? Explaining uncertainty.” Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’ve all heard about the “wet markets” in Wuhan. How connected are COVID-19 and dangers of future pandemics to the world meat trade? JULIET GELLATLEY of vegan charity Viva! explains how indiscriminate mixing of species and neglect of hygiene in meat markets creates the perfect breeding ground for another viral emergency. Is giving up meat – or eating less of it – no longer a matter of personal choice but world public health? “More and more diseases are emerging from animals and crossing over to human beings… Three in four new diseases come from animals.” Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Music makes life worth living for some of us, and live shows are the only way many artists make a living. As Corona puts the music industry in an induced coma, TOM GRAY of Gomez talks to Dorian Lynskey about the monumental challenges that music faces. Will we see the return of concerts in 2020? Will we even want to get together in large numbers? If streaming your favourite band all night is not the answer, what is? And should we nationalise Ed Sheeran?
“There are people who are not going to be able to survive this. Their income is going to be annihilated.”
“Recorded music went away in the Noughties. Touring was the lifeblood, and now it’s gone.”
“There will people in the couple of months who’ll be wondering what they’re going to do with the rest of their lives.”
Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How did China really perform in the biggest global health disaster in 100 years? Chatham House China and diplomacy expert DR YU JIE gives Alex Andreou the inside story on the PRC’s response to Corona. What was behind the infamous silencing of warnings about the virus from local doctors? Will the Crisis threaten the Party’s rule? What it’s like to live with China’s stringent, ultra-personal monitoring programme? And how do things feel different for a Chinese person in the West now?
“China needs to let the scientific evidence speak for itself, rather than orchestrating a propaganda campaign to tell its narrative.”
“Chinese social media is not particularly kind about Chinese people returning home. They say ‘Why are you bringing the virus home to us?”
“The 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party comes in 2021. China will need an economic success story to tell its population.”
Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Labour antisemitism leak: what does it mean and is anyone going to jail for a data breach? Plus, how long can lockdown continue? Why herd immunity isn’t a scare phrase but in fact the only way we’ll beat COVID. The magical, corporeally-fixated incantations of the Johnson fan-press. And how Corona is changing technology. Who’ll win out if the emergency forces the battle of the streaming titans to a grand season finale? Ian Dunt, Helen Lewis and special guest Stuart Dredge, tech writer for The Guardian, convene to sort it all out. “At no point did [the Labour Left] confront the idea that people didn’t like their candidate or their policies… If it’s always someone else’s fault, what are you going to change next time?” – Helen Lewis “People talk about how good Hong Kong’s response was. But in Hong Kong, if you test positive they take you away and put you in Covid Butlins.” – Helen Lewis Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who knew that poetry would join videoconferencing and sourdough-making as one of the key ways we got through the COVID lockdown? SARAH CROWN, Director of Literature at the Arts Council and senior reviewer for the Guardian and the TLS, talks to Ros Taylor about why poetry’s stillness and conciseness is perfect for pressured times. Plus, how to find the right poetry for your lockdown experience. And do poets cope better with solitude – or does solitude turn you into a poet? “Poetry isn’t about escape. It’s about recognition, and achieving meaning in your life.” “In a pandemic we don’t look for happiness. We look for meaning. And poetry really delivers on that.” The poem that Sarah reads on this episode is Spring by Edna St. Vincent Millay Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s the end of the world as we know it and… some people are quite into that, it seems. Why are so many people so keen on the end of everything? What do doomsday preppers, alt.right catastrophists and billionaire plutocrat antidemocrats like Peter Thiel have in common? And is the communal response to COVID proving their worst ambitions wrong? We talk to Mark O’Connell – author of new book Notes From An Apocalypse: A Personal Journey The End Of The World And Back – about the dark fantasy of the End Times. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The COVID lockdown has provided scammers, fraudsters and cybercriminals with a golden opportunity to find new ways to steal. Now ALEXIS CONRAN, presenter on The Real Hustle and talkRadio, tells Naomi Smith about the new scams they’re using, and how to defeat them. What are the telltale signs of a con? What are the worst counterfeit products out there? How can you spot fake Coronanews? Plus why the Cabinet ought to be worried about their Zoom chat logs – and why you should bin passwords for passphrases, “When there’s panic and fear, people stop using logic and they’ll try anything.” – Alexis Conran Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
COVID-19 has put the NHS under the spotlight as never before but how many of us really understand the true state of this national treasure? ROY LILLEY is one of the most influential voices in the world of public health. Today he explains the catastrophic errors on the road to Corona, what the outpouring of love and respect for NHS workers means for its future, how the NHS compares to other health systems worldwide… and what must happen if the NHS is to survive. WARNING: Andrew Lansley should probably not listen to this podcast.
“I travel the world and the one thing everyone says to me is, We wish we had your system.”
“The NHS is holding its collective breath as to what’s to come.”
“This is the biggest challenge since 5 July 1948 when the NHS was born. This is its day and this is its hour.”
“That round of applause changed the status of the NHS forever. There is no politician who can touch it now.”
Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Newly-promoted Shadow Justice Secretary DAVID LAMMY joins us in an unprecedented week in British politics. Has Boris Johnson’s hospitalisation finally brought home the seriousness of COVID-19 to the hosts of secret barbecues and birthday parties? Does new Labour leader Keir Starmer’s cabinet re-do amount to socialist distancing? What needs sorting in the criminal justice system? And why all Bunker guests get immediate promotions… “If you’re in a war, the time to question the generals is not in the middle of the battle.” – David Lammy Presented by Naomi Smith with Ayesha Hazarika and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
WFH? WTF! As the world adjusts to flexible working, will we ever go back to offices, meetings and “presenteeism”? GABY HINSLIFF, Guardian writer and author of Half a Wife: The Working Family's Guide to Getting a Life Back, talks to Ros Taylor about COVID’s seismic changes to working life. Will the crisis change our attitude to screentime for children? Will it be a wrench to go back to “normal”? And what happens when your kids wander into that critical Zoom conference with the CEO of Omni Consumer Products? NB This podcast was recorded before the news about Boris Johnson’s hospitalisation.
“For women, WiFi has been as revolutionary as the pill.”
“Adults are using Houseparty, Zoom and FaceTime… we’ve stolen all the teenagers’ apps.”
“I never imagined this situation in my wildest dreams, or nightmares.”
There’s a BUNKER DAILY every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and the main full-length panel show every Wednesday morning. Lockdown conditions mean we’re having to use available audio tech, so please bear with our variable sound quality. We’re working on it. Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Domestic Goddess NIGELLA LAWSON comes to the nation’s aid in a Lockdown Kitchen conversation with our own Alex Andreou. What’s her emergency back-of-the-cupboard recipe for when the chips are down (and there aren’t any chips)? Is isolation reminding us to value our food culture a little more? Plus top kitchen tips – yes, it turns out you can freeze cheese – and a titanic clash of potato-peel crisp techniques between Nigella and Alex. “They say the Italians are extravagant with food but not wasteful. I’m a lot like that.” – Nigella Lawson “For someone like me, not having lots of people to cook for is strange. But it does make you reflect on exactly what cooking means to you.” – Nigella Lawson Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What’s so seductive about the end of everything? What happens when you’re writing a novel about an apocalyptic future, and then an apocalyptic future arrives? NAOMI ALDERMAN, author of bravura sci-fi gender reversal novel The Power and now showrunner for its upcoming TV adaptation, talks to Dorian Lynskey about the appeal of Armageddon fiction in the midst of an actual global disaster. Plus, a guide to the end-of-the-world novels that are really worth reading… and why our best guide to the current crisis is Groundhog Day. “Every Utopia is a dystopia for somebody” “Every death is a tragedy, and this is a serious time. But it’s worth remembering that many of us are going live through the most luxurious plague humanity has ever experienced.” “Maybe it’s time for the return of the Utopia. I could certainly use one now.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Exiled Tory moderniser LORD ANDREW COOPER talks to Naomi Smith about the grave consequences of ignoring Brexit because of COVID-19, why the crisis government is neither “socialist” nor “conservative” but populist nationalist, and why Johnson’s stubborn refusal to extend Transition would devastate an economy already enfeebled by the Coronavirus. “Brexit turned the party from a mainstream project into a sort of cult. They’ve become an English Nationalist party… and they know the crisis has transformed the landscape on which they have to govern.” – Andrew Cooper We’re recording remotely and still working on our sound, so please excuse our audio quality for the moment. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Helen Lewis and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the Corona Age sets in, will it change our politics and economy more fundamentally than your average here-today-gone-tomorrow World Existential Crisis? What does the outpouring of national gratitude towards the NHS mean for its future? And will the Government’s fumbling of the EU ventilator bulk-buy develop into a full-blown scandal? Plus special guest Darren Jones, MP for Bristol North West, joins us to explain what the Keir Starmer’s Labour Party will look like. “We’ve seen a lot of self-defeating austerity in recent years, where things that were supposed to save money ended up costing vast amounts more elsewhere. That’s what we need to stop.” – Helen Lewis “Everyone’s talking about the Second World War, but we’re not trying to mobilise people. We’re trying to demobilise them.” – Arthur Snell We’re recording remotely and still working on our sound, so please excuse our audio quality for the moment. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Helen Lewis and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
He advises on the BBC’s Horrible Histories and now he’s podcasting to keep kids from going stir-crazy on lockdown. Historian GREG JENNER tells Ian Dunt what the Plague in 17th Century Florence can tell us about public emergencies, why past crises are no guide to what could happen in this one, and his new book Dead Famous: An Unexpected History Of Celebrity From Bronze Age To Silver Screen. It seems political celebrity is 300 years old, and one Dr Henry Sacheverell was the incendiary Nigel Farage of 1709… “I’ve seen people on Twitter asking ‘Is this how socialism arrives?’ Are these the test conditions for things like Universal Basic Income? This is not a normal crash.” “As a historian I’m fascinated, but as a person I have no idea what’s going to happen next.” There’s a BUNKER DAILY every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and the main full-length panel show every Wednesday morning. Lockdown conditions mean we’re having to use available audio tech, so please bear with our variable sound quality. We’re working on it. Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guardian columnist ELLIE MAE O’HAGAN talks to Dorian Lynskey about how the Corona wrecking ball will reshape society, the big changes coming in the Labour Party, and her upcoming book The New Normal. What does Labour need to jettison from the Corbyn era and what should it keep? What will people want from politics after the end of the Crisis? Plus, why baking sourdough is the new “writing your King Lear”… “The material circumstances of this era show that we can’t go back to the supposed stability of the past.” – Ellie Mae O’Hagan Subscribe for a BUNKER DAILY every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday plus the main full-length panel show every Wednesday morning. Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Corona has shown us that weakness anywhere is weakness everywhere.” Labour leadership candidate LISA NANDY tells Naomi Smith how the crisis has utterly transformed politics in Britain. Do we need a National COBRA drawing on talent from outside party politics? Plus this former opponent of a second EU referendum says refusal to extend transition will devastate British companies. And how did last night’s amazing national round of applause for the NHS feel in Wigan? “This is a moment when we could go either way as a country. We could pull together as a country or will we decide to go it alone?” – Lisa Nandy Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
NEW: A daily Bunker mini-cast for the duration of the lock-in, and maybe beyond. On today’s debut edition, the emergency Corona Bill changes our rights in ways unthinkable in normal times, with extra ministerial powers, suspension of protections for mental health patients and “huge, swingeing powers” for police to disperse gatherings and detain people for testing. Ros Taylor talks to human rights barrister ADAM WAGNER about the grave implications of this necessary but daunting legislation. “When we see major crises, societies tend to turn in and look for strong and decisive action. There’s often universal approval for restrictions on the way we live… For me, that rings alarm bells.” – Adam Wagner Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER DAILY is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How’s your lockdown? What tipped Johnson and Cummings over the edge from “herd immunity” to total shutdown? Why is the Government that spent £100m on Brexit adverts not committing a penny to public health advertising on social media? And what is Rishi Sunak going to do now he’s Prime Minister? Plus, is Corona the unexpected reset moment we needed on climate change? Campaigner Natalie Fee has thoughts. And will culture and creativity be COVID-19’s collateral damage? “If any other party were in power it would not be getting off as lightly for their failure to get to grip with this.” – Naomi Smith We’re recording remotely and still knocking the kinks out of the system so please excuse our sound quality. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
LO-FI REMOTE RECORDING, completed right before Sunak’s £330bn announcement… Corona bites harder. Can Boris Johnson persuade us to trust the science after so many years of telling us not to trust experts? What’s more likely to motivate people to self-isolate: a sense of duty or outright fear? Should the British government’s go-it-alone approach provoke confidence? And have we inadvertently trained people to stockpile? Plus, will the eventual reconstruction of the world economy mean the much-criticised Utopian ideal of Universal Basic Income will become mainstream policy? Campaigner Jonny Ross-Tatam of Basic Income North thinks so. “Johnson has abused and broken down people’s trust in him. And now he wants it, I’m not surprised that the reaction is, why the hell should we listen to you now?” – Ros “This is making us all nostalgic for Brexit. I’d kill for the Malthouse Compromise now, and not a real-life scene from ‘Contagion’.” – Ayesha Hazarika Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ayesha Hazarika and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production: Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If Keir Starmer’s victory is a done deal, what battlegrounds should Labour’s new leader choose? Standard/Buzzfeed/Telegraph journo Marie le Conte and former Labour MEP Rory Palmer debate the future of Starmerism. Plus Marie explains what the hell’s happening in France – and the don of football writing Philippe Auclair explains why despite a frenzy of busts and exposés, world football’s corruption problems are worse than ever. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with script and assistant production Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wily virus comes in like a wrecking ball… Are poor leadership and bad information hampering the UK and US fight against the Coronavirus? Bernie, Biden, or Bloomberg on Super Tuesday. To beat Trump do you need someone as crazy as, well, Trump? Or will any shouty billionaire do? Priti Patel’s nasty regime. And was South Park the Nirvana to the alt.right’s Nickelback? Self-isolating in The Bunker this week with Dorian Lynskey are Ayesha Hazarika, Ian Dunt and special guest Brian Klass, political scientist at UCL, Washington Post columnist and host of the Power Corrupts podcast. “Most of the things America has gotten away with are simply because Trump’s own stupidity hadn’t caught up with him.” – Brian Klaas Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ayesha Hazarika and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Alex Rees. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Dom’n’Priti at the controls, is Britain’s failing justice system ready to be reformed within an inch of its life? Inside points-based immigration for the world’s unemployed Mandarin-speaking violinists. And with Starmer on course to lead Labour, we play Shadow Cabinet Fantasy Football to predict who’ll make the team – and who’s leaving on a free. Oh, and we have some exciting news from the live arena too… This week’s panel is Helen Lewis of The Atlantic (new book Difficult Women out this week) and Ros Taylor of LSE “B”-word blogs, with special guest Sashy Nathan of Commons Legal and 89Up. “If you want to get involved in men’s rights then get into prison reform. It is the biggest male-based injustice in the country.” – Helen Lewis Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Helen Lewis. Audio production by Alex Rees. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Here are we living in a tin can…” If NIMBY helped create Britain’s housing nightmare, is YIMBY the answer? We talk to the grassroots disrupters who are trying to turn Britain’s development-phobia on its head with the battlecry “yes in my backyard.” Plus: the Democrat Primaries. Is the party about to make the same mistake as Labour and nominate a kindly old grandpa who just can’t get the votes? And what the hell is TikTok? Why is every 12 year old in your life using it to hog the broadband? All this and more on the Brexit-free* podcast from the makers of Remainiacs. This week’s panel is comedian Ahir Shah (on tour now, fans of fun) and Best For Britain CEO Naomi Smith with special guest John Myers of London YIMBY. “The unfortunate truth is that if don’t build flats that bankers want to live in, then bankers are going to price YOU out of that affordable home YOU wanted to live in.” – John Myers * Mostly Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Ahir Shah. Audio production by Alex Rees. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Michael Gove dumps the frictionless trade we were promised into the memory hole, will good old-fashioned belligerence get the Government the EU commerce settlement it wants? And what DOES it want anyway? Trade expert Dmitry Grozoubinski explains it all. Plus, Cath Haddon of the Institute for Government on Classic Dom’s preparations to reform the British Constitution (with an axe?). And why does the rest of Britain hate London? All on the (mostly) Brexit-free podcast from the makers of Remainiacs. “From the very moment Boris Johnson entered No.10 it’s been very hard to work out the objective truth on what’s going on. And that’s a strategy.” – Ian Dunt “No conversation that begins with ‘The thing about trade is…’ will ever get you a telephone number at the end of the night.” – Dmitry Grozoubinski Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt. Audio production by Alex Rees. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on the Brexit-free podcast from the makers of Remainiacs… What are Baby Boomers so angry about? And will they always hoard the lion’s share of political power? Vladimir Putin, Original Populist: how he remade Western democracies in his own image. Marie Stopes sends her poetry to Hitler. And when is it right to deprive someone of the most sacred right of all: a Twitter account? Crammed into the bunker this week are Helen Lewis of The Atlantic magazine, ex-diplomat and foreign policy expert Arthur Snell, and good old Ian Dunt of politics.co.uk. “Especially in America, populists’ argument is that private enterprise is great and government is useless. So by getting into government and being useless, they get to prove their own point.” – Helen Lewis Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt, Helen Lewis and Arthur Snell. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to THE BUNKER, the new weekly politics podcast from the makers of Remainiacs. This week we’re joined by former Obama homeland security advisor Amy Pope to discuss the Trump Impeachment latest and the suddenly pivotal role of “Evil Ned Flanders” John Bolton. Plus: If Keir Starmer wins the Labour leadership, will his first big fight be with Boris Johnson or with Continuity Corbynism? And can the BBC survive a Dominic Cummings-inspired hit on the TV licence fee? “[The Senate Trial] suggests that America is so polarised that people are unwilling to look at the facts as they come in… There’s not even a pretence of a fair hearing here.” – Amy Pope Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork by Mark Taylor. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
THE BUNKER is fearless, free-range political talk from the team behind REMAINIACS, the hit independent Brexit podcast. Every week Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith, Dorian Lynskey and Alex Andreou plus special guests examine the big issues with expertise, humour and fierce independence. We cut through the claptrap, help you make sense of what’s really going on – and give you the fighting spirit to keep on keeping on. Think of it as Remainiacs, just without quite so much Brexit. That’s THE BUNKER, out every Tuesday evening. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices