The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Strikes are going to go on and on as the Government continues not to strike deals with unions. Will this situation ever be resolved? And further afield, fatal clashes continue to break out in Sudan – what’s unfolding? Hannah Fearn joins Ros Taylor to lay out the news for the week ahead. “The way people feel about the strikes is not following the usual pattern at this point.” – Hannah Fearn “For anyone who hoped the strikes were going away, we are moving to a summer and autumn of discontent.” – Ros Taylor Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor with Hannah Fearn. Produced by Jacob Jarvis with Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Space – the final frontier, and the next political battleground? As nations compete for dominance and resources, Andrew Harrison is joined by Tim Marshall, author of The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World, to discuss how this might go beyond the confines of earth. “I was going to say the world is our oyster, but the universe is.” “If one country controls low earth orbit… they would be the gatekeeper of who could go out into space and beyond.” “The space industry will be worth a trillion dollars before 2030.” Pre-order The Future Of Geography here. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Federal Reserve has a huge sway over the US economy – and therefore the world’s. But as well as financial clout, it also has a massive political impact. How does it run – and how do its actions impact us all? Alex Andreou is joined by Larry Jacobs, co-author of Fed Power: How Finance Wins and professor at the University of Minnesota, to discuss for The Bunker USA. “It’s serving the interests of finance and working separate from democratic accountability.” “The key thing to remember is it is its own operation. It stands alone with its autonomy.” “It is not beholden to Congress. It doesn’t rely on Congress for any appropriation. Its officials have tremendous latitude.” “The magnitude of its intervention is quite remarkable.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. Music by Jade Bailey. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When did we all start wanting to invest in stock and shares? And who were the winners and losers of the investment boom? Dr Amy Edwards, senior lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Bristol and author of Are We Rich Yet?: The Rise of Mass Investment Culture in Contemporary Britain, tells Ahir Shah about how our lives changed forever in the 1980s as investment became a way of life rather than something you do. “Investment culture didn’t begin with Thatcher, but it really took off in the 1980s.” “Our entire culture changed with privatisation.” “There was a huge explosion in investment cowboys.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520385467/are-we-rich-yet Presented and written by Ahir Shah. Audio production by Alex Rees. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The KGB is one of the most notorious intelligence agencies of all time. Though long defunct, how did this Soviet network warp the world we live in today? Seth Thévoz is joined by Mark Hollingsworth, author of Agents of Influence: How the KGB Subverted Western Democracies. “The myth of the KGB being brilliant intelligence gatherers is largely exaggerated.” “There was a game between the KGB and MI5 over what was really happening.” “It was about planting doubt, sowing seeds of doubt, to weaken the United States.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Seth Thévoz. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Birmingham plays a key role in the Tory imagination – something that might shock some of its 1.1 million inhabitants. So what is the relationship between the Conservatives and Britain’s Second City? Marie Le Conte is joined by Richard Vinen, professor of history at King’s College London and author of Second City: Birmingham and the Forging of Modern Britain, to unpack the myth and memory behind this Tory spiritual home. “You don’t have to like it to recognise how important Birmingham is.” “Birmingham grew the most under Tony Blair – it’s a very New Labour city.” “The Tories have far less of a relationship with Birmingham than they think.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer is staying on the attack while Sunak faces more strike conundrums with junior doctors staging a mass walkout. Is the Government going to resolve these issues – or just try to distract? Plus, we discuss the latest from Ukraine, protests in Georgia and Xi’s posturing over Taiwan. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Alex Andreou to tee up the week ahead. “If [the right] can character assassinate you online, why should you have to play nice?” – Alex Andreou “Junior doctors came out of the pandemic and the government said ‘sorry, applause is all you get’” – Alex Andreou “I can’t see Steve Barclay being the person qualified to fix this” – Jacob Jarvis “Leaked documents of any kind tend to be glorified as the definitive position, and they are often not” - Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Bank Holiday, enjoy a Bunker from the archives… 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 Support us on Patreon: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain has hundreds of abandoned villages. How did they fall victim to history? And how are the communities that once called these places home remembered? With more than 4000 villages at risk of flooding over the coming decades, these question feels more pertinent than ever. Hannah Fearn is joined by historian Matthew Green, author of Shadowlands: A journey through lost Britain, to dig up the ruins of our gone but not (quite) forgotten lands. Matthew’s book is out in paperback from Faber and can be bought here: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571338030-shadowlands/ “The black death led to over 3000 disappeared villages.” “It’s hard not to see an uncanny foreshadowing of our destruction from climate change.” “When we remember and tell the stories of our lost lands we never lose them.” “The more you meditate on ruins, the less of a ruin you become yourself.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Audio production by Alex Rees. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester’s music scene is famous the world over – but did Joy Division, the Haçienda and Factory Records really lead to a real estate boom that transformed the city? Journalist and adopted Mancunian Andy Spinoza tells Andrew Harrison how Tony Wilson’s empire triggered a boom that transformed the city’s skyline and more – as charted in his book Manchester Unspun: Pop, Property And Power In The Original Modern City. BOOK ORDER LINK: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Andy-Spinoza/Manchester-Unspun--Pop-Property-and-Power-in-the-Original-Modern-City/27859796 “Those leaders in Manchester didn’t dismiss the music as just a bunch of kids larking around. They could see this was the way economies were changing.” “All cities should give space to the artists to create their authentic homegrown culture and that should be away from officialdom and away from corporate interests.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Chris Jones. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Sweden most people have a great deal of trust in the state, but in recent years vaccine scepticism has gained ground. Ethnographer Mia-Marie Hammarlin spent time in the Swedish countryside sharing saunas and kitchen tables with women who refused the COVID vaccine. She explains how a belief in the power of nature and spirituality, bolstered by conspiracy theories found online, has convinced some Swedes to refuse jabs. “There are high levels of social trust in Sweden.” “Trust in nature and spirituality became a central belief for vaccine rejection.” “Vaccine sceptics furiously reject the notion they lack solidarity.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Jade Bailey. Audio production: Tomas Rojas. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the autumn of 1984, the Provisional IRA almost wiped out the British Cabinet. Five people were killed in the Grand Hotel bombing. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, The Guardian’s Ireland correspondent Rory Carroll joins Gavin Esler to revisit the event that – had it been successful – would have changed British politics forever, and the way it did change history. Rory’s book Killing Thatcher: The IRA, the Manhunt and the Long War on the Crown can be bought here: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/killing-thatcher-the-ira-the-manhunt-and-the-long-war-on-the-crown-rory-carroll “In Ireland, Thatcher was a figure as hated as Cromwell.” “No one in the IRA knew what the consequences of killing a British Prime Minister would be.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production by Alex Rees. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next to births and deaths, taxes are one of life's only certainties. But with a tax system made up of a bewildering mish-mash of rates and loopholes, who are the winners and losers? And how can the system be hacked? Siân Pattenden is joined by the top-secret Rebel Accountant, author of Taxtopia, to explore how the tax system is scamming us all. “The poorest in society pay the most amount of tax – the whole system is rigged.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Group editor Andrew Harrison. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Book link: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/the-rebel-accountant/taxtopia/9781800960886/ Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We know what political failure looks like in Britain. But why does it happen? Why do governments pass bad laws and ignore looming crises? Ben Ansell, author of Why Politics Fails, tells Ros Taylor why a small number of party members can impose leaders on the rest of us, how self-interest scuppers our decision making, and what happens to a mature democracy when politics stops working. Have we turned a corner since the disastrous Truss premiership? Or are we in for more of the same? “We have moved to an American-style election process.” “More democracy in political parties has led to the many centrists in society feeling misrepresented.” “The breakdown of unions and church membership means now it’s just us and political parties, mediated by Twitter.” BOOK LINK https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/444113/why-politics-fails-by-ansell-ben/9780241992760 Presented and written by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump is to be arrested this week – what drama can we expect to unfold? Plus in the UK the Tories are looking at potholes, while Labour gets ‘tough on crime’ – are we completely out of new ideas? And as Suella Braverman continues to dream about Rwanda, why won’t she admit any flaws to her plans? Arthur Snell joins Jacob Jarvis to lay out what’s happening in the week ahead. • “Trump is using his indictment to raise more funds.” • “London-based consultants create silly caricatures like ‘Swindon Woman’, it’s embarrassing.” • “Antisocial behaviour happens because the social realm has collapsed.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Arthur Snell. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cold War fears of nuclear disaster have been replaced for many by the horrific prospect of climate oblivion. How can our past fears prepare us for the possibility of future catastrophe? Jude Rogers meets Dr Matthew Grant, a senior lecturer in History at the University of Essex, to discuss what lessons can be learnt from our ‘Protect and Survive’ days and how the past is shaping our responses to extreme weather. “The main fear of nuclear apocalypse wasn't that you'd die, but that you’d survive.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Artwork: James Parrett. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump has been indicted and his arrest looms – what the hell is going on? Will this be his downfall or a boost to the former president? Brian Klaas, Washington Post columnist and associate professor at UCL, joins Alex Andreou to discuss what we know now, the fallout and how this all might play out. “There’s a viewpoint that Trump has stoked that any sort of criminal investigation involving him is automatically a witchhunt.” “The only question that matters to Republicans is, ‘Do you think this is a crime?’” “I expect more indictments will arrive – because people had put the breaks on them, due to the perception of political motivation.” “If this came out a few days before the 2016 election, I think Trump would have lost.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. Music by Jade Bailey. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Denmark is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. Gert Tinggard Svendsen of Aarhus University explains how Danes routinely hold each other to account for their actions so that political corruption is not tolerated. Wrongdoers find themselves outcast from Danish society, which acts as a powerful incentive to do the right thing. With Ros Taylor. “If you lie in Denmark, your reputation will be severely damaged. There’s no way back. You really have to do something extraordinary to compensate.” “There’s a saying, if two Danes meet they shake hands, if three Danes meet they form an association.” “The reason why many countries are poor is because they’re corrupt.” Gert Tinggard Svendsen is the author of Trust (Aarhus University). https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Henry Dimbleby really quit his role as the Government’s food policy advisor “in disgust”? Why have its attempts to create a healthier nation through our diet proved such a failure? And what should they be doing instead? Ros Taylor talks to the founder of LEON and the author of Ravenous: How To Get Ourselves And Our Planet Into Shape about the salad shortage, changing Britain’s food culture, the dark side of Bake Off… and why we still depend on celebrity intervention to get kids eating decent school dinners. “Politicians are out of step with the public. They really are sick of their kids being bombarded with ads for junk food.” “The term ‘Nanny State’ was coined by politicians who actually grew up with nannies…” “OK, telling people to eat turnips is funny in a downbeat Blackadder sense… but we really should be growing more vegetables in this country.” “Giving up meat can seem a bit worthy. We’re trying to create a positive ad campaign around eating less meat.” Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GB News launched with much fanfare two years ago and was swiftly mocked for the seeming ineptitude of its entire team. But, it’s still going – and getting more popular. And the questionable output is cranking up to be more extreme too… Should we be taking it more seriously? Jacob Jarvis asks William Turvill, associate editor of Press Gazette and media correspondent for New Statesman. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brexit is done — insofar as it ever will be. But the Brexit we got was not the one most Britons wanted. Years of bad-tempered Parliamentary battling only came to an end when Boris Johnson purged his MPs and stopped the Commons from sitting, then called a general election. Ros Taylor is joined by Meg Russell and Lisa James, authors of The Parliamentary Battle over Brexit, to talk about the damage done, the legacy of those years — and whether we should ever have a referendum again. “These terms of hard Brexit and soft Brexit only really come around after the referendum.” – Lisa James “So much of the story of Brexit is what’s going on with the Conservative Party over these years.” – Lisa James www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mass protests in Israel as secular members of society fear a theocratic takeover from the religious right. Will Netanyahu be forced to halt his controversial judicial reforms? Plus, the focus of violent protests in France moves from Macron’s pensions reform to the President himself. Plus, what will be on the new SNP leader’s to-fix list? And Kwasi Kwarteng and Matt Hancock get caught out touting their Westminster influence at £10,000 a day. Hannah Fearn gives Andrew Harrison the stories to look out for this week. “In unprecedented scenes, Israelis are considering leaving the Jewish state.” “Macron beware – the strikes in France have been brewing long before the pandemic.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do we support soldiers traumatised by war? And is the public too sheltered from the reality of life during and after conflict? As the 20th anniversary of Iraq reignites questions over the experience of war and care for service personnel, Arthur Snell is joined by Louise Jones, an ex-Army Officer who served in Afghanistan and an active Labour Party member, to discuss how war changes a person. “We have treated the Afghans we served with appallingly.” “As a country, we have let down those who have protected us.” “Veterans and active soldiers are massively under-resourced, there is a crisis in mental health.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Arthur Snell. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Republican Party was once hawkish in its stance towards Russia – but now some within its ranks seem sympathetic towards Putin and his regime. What’s changed? And why is there a split? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Jackie Calmes, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, to discuss. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Suella Braverman’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda has been described as inhuman. But what is the country actually like? And what does the nation’s Government get out of the deal? Award winning journalist Anjan Sundaram joins Arthur Snell on a deep-dive into a country few of us know, but is rarely out of headlines. Anjan describes life after the genocide, the Western blind-spot to present human rights abuses and the political coercion at the heart of the present regime. Anjan wrote about the persecution of journalists in Rwanda in his book ‘Bad News: Last Journalists in a Dictatorship’. His forthcoming book Breakup on the war in the Central African Republic will be published in May. “Rwanda is a surveillance state of the highest degree.” “Kagame has ruled over Rwanda for 30 years, and he has positioned himself as a global postcolonial leader.” “Partnering with the UK paints Rwanda as a safe haven instead of the dictatorship it is.” “During the genocide, the West did very little to intervene and Kagame has used that for his own political agenda.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UK is “muddling towards extinction”, says the Irish thinker and journalist Fintan O’Toole. Neglected by a Westminster political class that’s preoccupied by Brexit, the things that once held it together are disappearing. He tells Ros Taylor how England is embracing a nationalism it can’t articulate, why the SNP has failed to get what it wants, and why the UK is not the natural union that its supporters believe it to be. “The UK was not a natural occurrence.” “Englishness knows what it is not, but not what it is.” “With Brexit, this is always where it was going to end up — and no one in Britain cared.” “The English reluctantly accepted Scots, but only through an unequal relationship.” Fintan O’Toole’s latest book is We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Ireland since 1958. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NATO’s power has been thrown into sharp focus amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. How does it operate – and what has it got right and wrong of late? Alex Andreou is joined by Mark Webber, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham who is co-authoring the book What’s Wrong with NATO and How to Fix It, to discuss the military alliance. “Whenever NATO acts it is acting as the aggregate of its members, that is its great strength.” “What NATO has done very well is it has strengthened its own defences.” “NATO enlargement is not a project that was anti-Russian, but where things failed is that project was not successful in bringing in Russia as a partner.” “The US is still the dominant power in Europe after the Cold War.” “There is moral clarity around the current support for Ukraine – but that longer thought is important.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: … Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Iraq War began 20 years ago – what lessons have been, and what must still be, learned from this invasion? Arthur Snell, the host of Doomsday Watch who served as a diplomat in Iraq, joins Alex Andreou to discuss the mistakes that were made, the human and cultural costs of the conflict, and the arguments surrounding a conflict which fundamentally reshaped global politics. “There was a lot of groupthink and clustering around a set of predetermined conclusions.” “The human losses, the cultural losses, the rise of Isis, there are so many long term effects of this war – to keep saying it was worth it to get rid of Saddam, you have to ask ‘What level of loss overwrites that argument?’” “There is a fundamental loss in confidence… people lost confidence that the Government was telling the truth.” “This intelligence should have never gotten that far… the people best placed to examine this were not shown it.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Both Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are in hot water – how will each try to wriggle their way out of trouble? The former PM faces the privileges committee for a grilling, while the ex-President has said he could be arrested this week. It’s also the twenty year anniversary of the second Iraq war, while bank Credit Suisse has been bought by UBS, and the ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin. Alex Andreou is joined by Gavin Esler to give you the stories to look out for this week. “We’re not talking about one lapse of judgement from Boris Johnson, we’re talking about a pattern.” “I mean this as a compliment, Sunak and Biden are quite boring – and that gives me optimism I don’t usually have.” “With Trump and Johnson, politics was like a transatlantic reality TV show. Hopefully it is over now.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most people consider themselves reasonable. But are they? And what rules is that notion defined by? Siân Pattenden is joined by Kirsty Sedgman, author of On Being Unreasonable, to discuss what the response to breastfeeding in public, noisy theatre audiences, neighbourhood watch indiscretions and Edward Coulston show about society today – and whether our collective rules might be wrong. ““Being ‘reasonable’ has usually meant being a man.” “The NextDoor app shows us the dangers of thinking you are reasonable – when really you aren’t.” “We need to take acting ‘reasonably’ seriously because it involves policing and power.” “Who are the rules of ‘being unreasonable’ harming?” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Siân Pattenden. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Republicans play chicken with the debt ceiling, could America suffer a Liz Truss-esque financial meltdown? Alex Andreou speaks to Neil Malhotra, a professor of political economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, to discuss this financial showdown being played out by Congress. “Republicans see it as part of a game – this is an opportunity to extract concessions.” “It’s like Liz Truss’ financial plans, it’s hard to know what might happen.” “As you found in the UK – what happens first is that the markets anticipate everything.” “If you’re willing to let the country go down, you’re in a much stronger negotiating position than if you’re not. Republicans are in a stronger position because they’re viewed as though they’d tank the whole thing.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. Music and 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tax breaks for the 1%, business giveaways that won’t make a difference, free child care that turns out to be a fraction of what’s needed, and nothing for public services. Does Jeremy Hunt’s Budget make sense? Is he loading the pain onto the next government because he knows it won’t be Conservative one? And can he put the post-Truss tax-cutting headbangers back in their box? New Economics Foundation chief exec and Bunker regular Miatta Fahnbulleh takes the Budget apart for Andrew Harrison. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The unexpected “accidental” deaths of prominent Russians have become a dark joke in the West. But the truth about ‘Sudden Russian Death’ syndrome is even darker. Bill Browder campaigned for the Magnitsky Acts against Russian corruption and wrote Freezing Order: A True Story of Russian Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath. He tells Andrew Harrison about the chaos within wartime Russia; what turned Putin from a reformer into a despot; and why Ukraine must win this war. You can get Bill's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Freezing-Order-Laundering-Surviving-Vladimir-ebook/dp/B09RKQFJXZ “As the Russian economy grinds to a halt, anyone with assets is caught in the crossfire.” “In Russia, when money is scarce it is more important than human life.” “Oligarchs are not independently rich. They are dependent on Putin’s favour. He can take everything away in a second.” “Either Ukraine wins or Russia wins. And if Russia wins they won’t stop at Ukraine.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tomas Rojas. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The war in Syria began twelve years ago today. But who are the key players in this complex conflict? And how have changes of leadership in neighbouring countries and the recent earthquake changed how the war is being fought? Alex Andreou is joined by Christopher Phillips, professor of international politics at the Queen Mary University of London and author of The Battle for Syria: International Rivalry in the New Middle East, to discuss the current status of the conflict. “Things have settled into a familiar if miserable pattern.” “Iran and Russia propped up Assad through money and foreign mercenaries.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are going through a polycrisis – with multiple catastrophes playing out at once. But despite fuel costs, war and climate change – many remain optimistic. Is this a sign of delusion or pragmatism? Hannah Fearn is joined by Ben Page, CEO of market research leaders Ipsos, to unpack the psychological impact of our current crises, and why some look on the brighter side. “Lots of inequalities have been exposed by the pandemic – you can’t move for crisis.” “People have a tendency towards optimism bias.” “If you’re a Western European, your mid-40s seem like the worst years of your life.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the illegal migration bill set for its second reading – how will Braverman and Sunak feel now it faces some serious scrutiny? And with the BBC in crisis over the Gary Lineker debacle, will anyone take the fall? Plus it’s budget week – we discuss why Hunt might be happy for this to be a dull announcement… Arthur Snell joins Jacob Jarvis to outline the stories to look out for this week. “The question now isn’t if Lineker broke the rules, but why the BBC can’t handle the decisions it makes.” “You can tell that Boris Johnson is seething with jealousy that Sunak gets to talk about submarines with Biden.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Arthur Snell. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good samaritans or narcissistic egotists: what is behind the rise in YouTube philanthropy? Ros Taylor is joined by Rhodri Davies, the founder and director of ‘Why Philanthropy Matters’, to discover why influencers like MrBeast are turning to charitable causes – and how their realm of influence could expand. “YouTube philanthropy videos generate unimaginable amounts of money.” “Many YouTube stars have maintained their fandom through charity videos.” “We are witnessing a transformation in how philanthropists raise money.” “There is a fine line between cynicism and celebration.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump twisted the GOP beyond recognition during his time as president. What did it stand for before this aberration – and could it ever revert to a sane, sensible and serious party again? Jacob Jarvis discusses with Julie Norman, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics. “Many in the party recognise the GOP doesn’t have a strong message – so they are trying to limit the role of the state.” “Trump’s voters are very concerned about election integrity, fears he manipulated expertly.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 17th Century the English slaughtered one another, beheaded their king, fought bitterly over religion and politics, and acquired a taste for coffee and newspapers. Jonathan Healey, Associate Professor of Social History at the University of Oxford, tells Andrew Harrison how their world turned upside down shapes our own in his new book THE BLAZING WORLD: A New History of Revolutionary England. Includes Cromwell, cross-dressing, regicide, seditious libel, the New Model Army (not that one), the Levellers (not those), the ‘Blazing World’ itself (perhaps the first science fiction novel) and the Roundhead-Cavalier rivalry explained in terms of Half Man Half Biscuit… • “During a ‘skimmington’ you could break all the rules and slag off politicians… you could turn the world upside down.” • “Catholics would hold cross dressing weddings to mock Protestants.” • “Punk takes its name from the 17th century slang for prostitute.” • “The tale of Guy Fawkes has lost all its violence.” Thif podcaft hath been written and uttered by Mafter Andrew Harrifon. Miftress Kafia Tomafiewicz did finely produce it and My Lord Jacob Jarvif was ye Lead Producer. Miftress Jade Bailiy did edit ye sounds within and divers idolatrous musicks were supplied by Mafter Kenny Dickinfon of far Manchester. “Lucifer over Lancashire!” We warrant that YE BUNKER is withal a Podmafterf Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mhairi Black joins The Bunker to discuss the future of Scottish independence, her party’s ne leader and the quirks of Westminster. Following Sturgeon standing down as SNP leader and Scotland’s first leader, she joins Marie Le Conte to speak about what will come next – and what might happen under her successor, whoever that may be. “If you’re in a democracy and you can’t get a reply from a minister, then your democracy’s not very good.” “I still think Sturgeon is head and shoulders above pretty much any politician in the UK. She understands normal people’s lives, even though she hasn’t been living one.” “I have no doubt Scotland will be independent, it’s not a matter of if but when it happens. The case speaks for itself.” “Westminster is failing us… internationally, there are plenty of examples of what Scotland could be like.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Marie Le Conte. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the ERG to the CGG, the different factions within the Conservatives build up a picture of the divisions within the party. But what do all of the different groups stand for, and why don’t we seem to see the same splintering within Labour? Professor Tim Bale, author of The Conservative Party After Brexit, joins Marie le Conte to find out. “Tendencies mean that the party is more easily managed, factions make it much harder to manage, and they make governing much harder as well.” “There’s a lot of groups that got going under Thatcher, mostly to protect her legacy. “I think if you're a leader a faction can be a real springboard for you into the leadership but you can also become a prisoner to that faction.” “There’s a degree to which belonging to a faction can give you some legitimacy when you’re speaking, it can amplify your voice.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer:Jacob Jarvis. Bunker 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour’s shock General Election loss in 1992 still haunts the party – and nobody wants to tempt fate by mentioning 1997’s landslide victory either. Will the next Election be a ’92, a ’97 or something else entirely? Steve Richards of the Rock & Roll Politics podcast explains what lay behind Neil Kinnock’s defeat and the trauma it inflicted on Labour; how it created the control freakery of the New Labour era; and what it all means for Keir Starmer. Listen to Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards on all platforms: https://kite.link/RNRP Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak tries to dish out some hard right catnip on small boats – but then here’s Johnson offering his rancid father a knighthood. Can’t Rishi catch a break? Also, is the Hancock/Oakeshott WhatsApp epic really persuading Britain that lockdown was a disaster? Or just reminding them of how awful the Cabinet are? Plus Sue Gray, strikes latest, Raab in firing line and more. Hannah Fearn sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. “Boris nominating his father for a knighthood shows he’s the ultimate reverse nepo baby.” “From cronyism in Westminster to small boats in the channel, we are a joke on the world stage.” “You have to be honest in politics or you end up with insane conspiracy theories.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lambasted by the Tory press for calling Boris Johnson a “known liar” at the Edinburgh TV festival when she was head of news at Channel 4, Dorothy Byrne is now President of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge. She talks to Ros Taylor about the pressures facing young female students, the future of C4, why we’re not treating violent porn seriously enough, and how ITV and Sky breached key broadcasting standards during the search for Nicola Bulley. “The ones who tell you ‘people don’t trust TV news any more’ are the ones who don’t WANT you to trust it.” “The level of anxiety, stress and depression among young women is frightening – and it’s going up and up and up.” “Young people know that social media news often isn’t true.” “Sky and ITV’s treatment of the Nicola Bulley case was a breach of trust to the viewers and to her family.” Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Florida could well be America’s future. Governor Ron Desantis presides over an increasingly right-wing and combative “loudocracy” and he thinks he can become President by out-Trumping Trump. So why is the Sunshine State so notoriously bizarre? FLORIDA MAN Craig Pittman, author of The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife, tells Andrew Harrison about Matt Gaetz, socialised mermaids, and why Florida produces more madness than it can consume. “You put that many people in a confined space and they’re bound to start ramming each other’s cars and chasing each other with machetes.” “For Floridans, being free doesn’t mean I can do what I want. It means YOU have to do what I want.” “We have a huge cost of living yet our leadership would rather talk about drag shows and Disneyworld.” “We have more shark bites than anywhere in the world except Australia – I think because we’re so tasty.” Get Craig's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/State-Youre-Florida-Women-Wildlife/dp/081306886X Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Music and audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Germany seems to have had a blind spot over Russia – why is that? And how has their relationship changed following the war in Ukraine? Alex Andreou is joined by John Lough, author of Germany’s Russia Problem, to unpack when their relationship changed, what it means for Europe, and why the Berlin Wall still casts a long shadow over German politics. “Russia changed direction in 2005 but Germany didn’t take note.” “Despite knowing a lot about Russia, Germany has been very naive.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz.Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stella Creasy, who feels like a Labour grandee these days, talks to Ros Taylor about Brexit, Tory negligence and removing barriers to get more mothers into politics. Creasy discusses the work she’s done from opposition, and talks tentatively about a future where Labour might be in Government… “Women have always wanted to be involved in politics, but it’s about the environment we create for them.” “We’ve really struggled as a country because of austerity… imagine how much stronger we could have been.” “I know how much is at stake. I think the British people want to hear the case for the alternative.” “Isolating Britain from the world makes us smaller, not taller.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer and audio editor: Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is a generational divide between who votes Conservative and who votes Labour – and it’s a problem for both parties. It used to be thought that as people got older, they naturally became more conservative – but that pattern has broken. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London joins Marie Le Conte to delve into why. “Denigrating young people is an absolute constant throughout human history – we always think the current generation of young people are absolutely awful… all the way back to Socrates.” “There doesn’t seem to be a solution to intergenerational connection without a solution to housing because it’s so at the heart of life chances, wealth generational, feeling of independence.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hollywood has shaped how we see spies – but who are these people who secretly walk among us? How hard is it to become one? Siân Pattenden unpacks the world of espionage, and discusses why the next James Bond will be a woman with Ava Glass, author of the new spy novel The Chase, who previously worked alongside spies in the civil service. “The highest level of security clearance takes a whole year to pass.” “Spies rarely wear tuxedos and drink martinis.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Siân Pattenden. Producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak is meeting Ursula von der Leyen to seal a new deal to get Brexit done again, again. Will the agreement get sealed? And what fallout will any such settlement spark? Plus, we return to the strikes and discuss the SNP leadership latest. Ros Taylor joins Alex Andreou to discuss the week ahead. “It all depends on whether the DUP think they can get anything more out of it or not.” – Alex Andreou “There’s nothing Johnson would like more than return as Prime Minister… but my sense is that the energy is moving away from him.” – Ros Taylor “People just want Brexit to go away.” – Ros Taylor “The reaction to Kate Forbes shows that in Westminster we don’t know Scotland as well as we think we do.” – Ros Taylor www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices