The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Many anticipated a subdued Victory Day – and that was before the Kremlin claimed Ukraine attempted to assassinate Vladimir Putin. With this leading to even more cities scaling back their festivities, Arthur Snell asks Professor Stefan Wolff what exactly does Russia have to celebrate in 2023? “Putin is trying to link Ukraine to a larger narrative that Russia is always being on the right side of history.” “The drone incident may be a way to downscale the victory day events.” “This is a narrative you can feed to a population deprived of a balance feed of news” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Liam Tait. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of the most controversial and extreme figures in US politics. Why is she the way she is? She’s a GOP member of Congress for Georgia’s 14th District, a role steeped in responsibility. And someone really should tell MTG that. She often spouts unproven conspiracy theories; has called President Biden the real enemy of the state and most recently backed Tucker Carlson after he was given the boot by FOX. Jay Bookman is a columnist for the Georgia Recorder – and he thinks she’s an idiot. He told Jacob Jarvis why. “She’s, if arrogance went on a blind date with stupidity, Marjorie Taylor Greene would be the result of that pairing.” - Jay Bookman “Speaker McCarthy has said that he would be with her no matter what happens and that's a boundary that she’s willing to test.” - Jay Bookman “There’s a long long string of amazingly irresponsible statements and rhetorics by Marjorie.” Jay Bookman “She’s looking for attention and she’ll say and do whatever it takes to get that attention.” Jay Bookman “I don’t think she has an agenda other than her own celebrity, her own power.” - Jay Bookman www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis Producer: Chris Jones. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alastair Campbell has a plan to fix the crisis in our politics. Andrew Harrison talks to one of politics’ most controversial figures about where our democracies are going wrong, the poison of populism, the long shadow of Iraq, why Boris Johnson was so dangerous, and his new book But What Can I Do? Why Politics Has Gone So Wrong And How Can You Help Fix It. “In my lifetime, most politicians have genuinely been trying to wrestle with problems. Populists try to exploit those problems.” “You can’t be a leader without some moral compass. Johnson was chaotic, he didn’t manage people, he didn’t really care. He is not a serious person.” “I was aggressive at times and I wanted the media to understand that if they stepped over a line, I was going to call them out.” “There are some people that will never accept what I say is true.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast BOOK LINK: https://linktr.ee/alastaircampbellbook Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Simon Williams. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone predicted it would fall apart immediately, but it didn’t. Six months later, Twitter seems to be chugging along but how long can it last? Kasia Tomasiewicz speaks with head of digital at iNews, Luke Bailey, to discuss Elon’s grand plan for the bird app. “Musk is asking people to pay to see poor quality tweets and have people yell at them.” “He’s pulled everything apart to find out just why Twitter made the decision in the first place.” “The twitter files exposed that there was a left wing bias but they were trying really hard to keep the platform balanced.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Produced by Liam Tait. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GB News positions itself as a noble endeavour to widen the voices in Britain’s national debate. Which is fantastic in theory, but over the last two years the output of the channel has proved ungovernable. Alex Andreou sits down with broadcaster, and future national treasure, Dr. Matthew Sweet to ask the question, how do you control a news channel that’s like no other? “If you are part of the conspiracist culture - then you understand the coded language they use on GB News” “If you go on GB news you’re endorsing them. I don’t want to sit with them and make them equals.” “Why doesn’t GB news have a science editor? Because nobody with the qualifications would do the job!” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Liam Tait. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Local elections (for local people) are coming up this week. What would mark a good night for Starmer? And what will a bad one mean for Sunak, amid the cost of living crisis and strikes? Plus, as the coronation brings the role of the royals into the spotlight, we get ready to pledge allegiance… And war in Sudan and Ukraine rumbles on – what is the latest from these conflicts? Gavin Esler joins Alex Andreou to explore the news to look out for. “We have got the talent in this country to do things – but we tend not to have that talent in Government.” – Gavin Esler “Most of us take local elections for granted.” – Gavin Esler “Cost of living might have become greedflation: costs falling and companies profiteering.” – Alex Andreou “It seems like in Britain we are living in the pageantry of the past.” – Gavin Esler www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou and Gavin Esler. Produced by Jacob Jarvis and Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ukraine War is reshaping the world. Arthur Snell writes the first draft of its history. In this excerpt from Ep.1 of our new series: How Russia’s febrile history, Putin’s paranoid resentment and Western complacency led to an historic crime against a peaceful nation, the largest European land action since the Second World War… and a conflict of unprecedented brutality. Doomsday Watch: The Ukraine War is out now. Hear it wherever you listen to podcasts. Get every edition a week early and ad-free when you support the show on Patreon. Photo by Paul Conroy. Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Doomsday Watch is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside. Don’t we? Places like Blackpool, Jaywick and Skegness are among the poorest areas of the UK. Yet other resorts are so desirable that property-owners can afford to keep them empty for most of the year and rake in the profit from renting them out in summer. Madeleine Bunting, author of The Seaside: England’s Love Affair, tells Ros Taylor about her odyssey around the English coast, the threat posed by sewage discharges, and the special affection she holds for Brighton — a town where anything can seem possible. “There are still huge reserves of affection for seaside towns.” “People flock to seaside towns because they think that is where they can start again.” “There’s a hedonism to the seaside. It has always been about indulging fantasy.’ “The Essex coastline is fascinating, and often gets overlooked.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer and audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. 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

Labour’s attack ads against Sunak put targeted political advertising back in the spotlight. But the Tories have done more than their fair share of online attack ads too – not least to win over the public to *cough* Brexit. Have they gone too far? And how do we moderate what goes online? Alex Andreou talks to Kyle Taylor, founder of Fair Vote UK and author of The Little Black Book of Data and Democracy. “When social media emerged we thought it would be this public town square. The reason it’s been so successful is because it’s the exact opposite.” - Kyle Taylor “The thing about political ads is you do want more people to vote for you, but you only want to tell each box what they want to hear.” - Kyle Taylor “Taking things for granted in the digital age is a fool's errand.” - Kyle Taylor. 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. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been a bit of a week over in the US. First, after Fox News paid out almost $1 billion to Dominion, Tucker Carlson left the network. After that Biden announced he’d be running for president again, albeit slowly. And then if that wasn’t enough, Carlson released a pretty profound statement about his departure on Twitter. Hoping to unpack it all is Julie Norman, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics. She joined Jacob Jarvis in the Bunker. “Tucker Carlson has been controversial for a while but through all of that his viewings were super high, the highest in cable news.” “One person that would maybe challenge Trump would be Tucker Carlson.” “Biden knows he’s going to get hit from the right as a big spender.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis Producer: Chris Jones. Music and 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

China’s relationship with Europe is…difficult. But some leaders, like Emmanuel Macron, see China as a conduit for peace in Ukraine. But can Europe really trust China to negotiate with Russia? Philippe Le Corre, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, sat down with Alex Andreou to discuss just that. “The current situation, which is close to a cold war you might say, will not bring China closer to the West.” “Whenever you talk to Chinese officials they will tell you that China is growing; you better get used to it.” “It’s unacceptable for China to say this is not our war, we have nothing to do with this.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Liam Tait and Chris Jones. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Public trust in the Met Police is at a nadir – with a raft of scandals and crimes involving serving officers having shook faith in the force. What’s gone wrong and can it ever win back the confidence of those it is meant to serve? Ros Taylor spoke to Kathryn Farrow, a doctoral student at Oxford University, who has studied the way British police forces work, to find out. “Officers do need to have a certain amount of discretion but the flip side of that is there’s often a lack of accountability.” “Especially in frontline policing, it’s not rare for officers to be off with stress.” “I'm not sure to what point they will be able to recover that trust, they will have to show that they’ve changed.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NHS reels from crisis to crisis, with a waiting list of seven million and chronic workforce shortages. Why is it so hard to change a service that clearly isn’t working? David Haslam, a former GP who has chaired NICE and the BMA and is the author of Side Effects, tells Ros Taylor that a focus on hospital treatment means that public health and end-of-life care are shamefully neglected. “It’s almost as if we’ve designed the health service based on the interests of specialists.’ “If you stay with the same GP over many years you have fewer hospital admissions, reduced out of hours care and a lower rate of early death. If that was a drug, we’d have invested in it massively.” “I find it completely extraordinary that hospices are generally funded as charities. We’d be up in arms if our maternity units were only funded by charity shops.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer and audio editor: Jade Bailey. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. 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 Kremlin has convinced many of Russia’s young people that its invasion of Ukraine is just. In fact, about 62 percent of Russians between the ages of 18 and 24 have shown approval, according to the Levada Center. But how has Putin curated this young generation of fascists? Dr Ian Garner, author of Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia's Fascist Youth, speaks to Arthur Snell to dig into exactly that. “What you’re going to find is that you have a generation of children that believe violence is normal.” “These are teenagers, like what you may know at home, who are just teeangers who want to fit in.” “What the state does is punt out certain materials into the social media world and then just lets people run with them.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producer: Chris Jones. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. 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

Dominic Raab finally resigned (definitely all his own choice) – what does it mean next for Sunak’s clown car Government? In Labour, Diane Abbott has had the whip removed – will she stand as an independent? Plus we bring international news from Sudan and Ukraine. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Arthur Snell to give you the stories to look out for this week. “Johnson didn’t believe in any standards, whereas you could argue Sunak has a miniscule level.” “The Tories are quickly resembling a clown car.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Arthur Snell. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Memories of the Second World War are often oversimplified through the lens of politicians. A common thread missed is that of love and sexuality – particularly the experiences of queer men. Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined by Luke Turner, author of the book Men at War: Loving, Lusting, Fighting, Remembering 1939-1945, to discuss the sexual revolution that happened during that period. “It’s true the British can’t stop going on about the war. But there is so much left to discover.” “Outsiders often have an interesting perspective.” “I’d gotten sick of judging the past by the standards of the present.” “We still are incredibly repressed about sex in Britain.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

Lobbying is a key way in which politicians and pieces of legislation are influenced in the United States. But who exactly are these mysterious figures trying to manipulate people in power? How do they work – and what do they want? Jacob Jarvis joined by Amy McKay, associate professor of political science at the University of Exeter, whose work focuses on the influence of outside interests on public policy. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented and produced by Jacob Jarvis. Music by Jade Bailey. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BONUS EPISODE KLAXON: Fox News paid out almost $1 billion dollars to Dominion – but despite that, did Murdoch dodge a bullet? Or is the financial blow, sparked by the networks voting machine misinformation, a catastrophe? Jacob Jarvis was joined by Dan Cassino, political scientist and author of Fox News and American Politics How One Channel Shapes American Politics and Society, to unpack what this payout means for Fox News. “This really is an admission that they knew what they were doing was false but they thought that they had to or they’d lose their audience.” “The question is are they going to change their behaviour over this – and I think the answer is absolutely not.” “It seems very unlikely that anyone will lose their jobs over this, the reason is Fox News isn’t acknowledging this at all.” “I’d say you could replace someone like Tucker Carlson with Gonzo the Muppet and still get the same audience.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis Producer: Chris Jones. 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Saudi Arabia is experiencing a once in a lifetime moment of transformation, funded by their control over the world's oil supply. The nation is taking risks on a global scale like never before – and the ‘maverick’ prince Mohammed bin Salman, stands at the forefront of this change of strategy. Arthur Snell sits down with Bradley Hope, co-author of Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power to try and understand the ruler of Saudi Arabia. “He went from completely unknown with no power or authority to the ruler of Saudiu Arabia through some cavalier and cunning activity.” “Business people of the world who had a moral objection to MBS are now back in the country cap in hand asking for investment.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast BOOK LINK https://www.johnmurraypress.co.uk/titles/bradley-hope-2/blood-and-oil/9781529347890/ Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Liam Tait. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. 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

The Net Zero Scrutiny Group shares ties with the likes of the late Nigel Lawson and his network of “climate deniers”. They like fracking and have tried to link the cost-of-living crisis to the government’s net zero goals. But exactly who are they? What do they stand for? And who funds them? Andrew Harrison is joined by Sam Alvis, head of economy at The Green Alliance, to unpack exactly that. “They are no longer denying that climate change is a thing, but what they are saying is that actually the cost of it is much more of an issue.” “Often with these groups, and particularly with the net zero group, it's easier to understand what they don't like; the one thing we know they do like is fracking.” “It’s murky, we don’t really know where the money comes from to support the Net Zero Scrutiny Group.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production, Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investment zones have been hailed by some politicians as the solution to our economic woes. But what are the risks of economic gated communities? By existing outside of the usual rules of the state, do they undermine democracy? Alex Andreou is joined by historian Quinn Slobodian, author of Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World Without Democracy, to unpack why these zones are increasingly appearing across the globe and why politicians like Kwasi Kwarteng are so keen to back them. “London has come to see the presence of the super-wealthy as a sign of urban health.” “Thatcher’s biggest legacy wasn’t creating democratic free markets, but creating sites for wealth hoarding for non-democratic forms of capitalism.” Book Link: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/316685/crack-up-capitalism-by-slobodian-quinn/9780241460245 https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Managing editor: 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

Andy Burnham has thrived after switching Westminster for Manchester as a mayor. And he has high hopes for the North harnessing its voice more in the future. The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester spoke with Andrew Harrison about boosting regions outside of London, and dealing with names and not numbers in his role. “You look at things through different eyes. You can deal with names not numbers.” “Before these mayors in regions, where did people complain? People at least have one person to complain to.” “Having made all these promises to the north, they were very quickly in default mode.” “If you go with the rules of Westminster, in the end people don’t know who you are.” “We’re building the answer for more places to set their own course.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. 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

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