The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Nadhim Zahawi was unceremoniously but entirely predictably sacked at the weekend – what will be the Tory fallout? We forecast the sleaze as the Government continues to fight fires on all fronts. Plus we look at the widespread strikes and the latest from Ukraine. Ros Taylor is joined by Arthur Snell to outline the days ahead. “Zahawi projected the image of someone who isn’t in touch with normal people who doesn’t feel much shame about his actions.” – Arthur Snell “Sunak is surrounded by a pretty ramshackle gang, he’s never going to be able to present being an ethical group of people – because those people are not available.” – Arthur Snell “The new ethics advisor seems to be very good at his job which is worrying for Tory members.” – Arthur Snell “When you have a conversation where the witnesses are only Vladimir Putin and Boris Johnson, the chances of an accurate account are quite limited.” – Arthur Snell Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell. 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

Millennials and Gen Z are ditching the booze, while older generations are sticking to the same habits. What does this changing approach to drinking by young people mean? Professor John Holmes of the University of Sheffield joins Ros Taylor to find out what our drinking habits tell us about society as a whole. “Young people are drinking less in most high income countries. They’re either not drinking at all, drinking smaller amounts, and binge drinking less often.” “Across the Covid period, about a quarter of people drank less, about a quarter drank more.” “The Government is getting a political bonus from taxing beer less, but getting a revenue bonus from taxing wine more.” Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. 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. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Billions of dollars are spent on political campaigns in the US, even by the losers. Where is the money going?Jacob Jarvis speaks to Kyle Tharp, managing editor of FWIW News, to ask about the trends in political strategy, where cash is being wasted and how fundraising is the “wild west of American politics”. “Republican campaigns are very old school and rely a lot on right wing media to carry water for them.” “It’s insane the amount of money and the amount of groups in our political ecosystem.” “Grassroots fundraising is the wild west of American politics.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. 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

As sea levels rise, flooding will become more likely across the globe. But is Britain prepared for the inevitable rising waters? Ros Taylor is joined by Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, to assess when floods might hit and how to prepare for them. “We are going to see many more floods in the summer.” “Our great pressure for housing is making flooding inevitable.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The abrupt end of China's Zero Covid policy shocked the world. What do we know about the consequences of this change in tack? Accurate figures from Xi Jinping’s Government are hard to come by and the Chinese people are torn in two directions: with excitement about opening up and fear as Covid rips through the population. Cindy Yu, assistant editor at The Spectator, joins Alex Andreou to find out what the mood is like, and what opening up means for the rest of the world. “Twenty years ago we were talking about ‘The Chinese Century’. I don’t think China is going to take over the USA at this rate.” “In terms of Taiwan or Russia, China is going to want to do the stable thing for now. “All of this will have a positive impact on the world economy because China is so integrated into the world economy.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Austerity is a staple fixture of our political system. How did it become such a dominant economic policy? And is it really a ‘prudent’ and ‘realistic’ way of organising our economics? Philosopher and historian Clara Mattei, author of The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism joins Ahir Shah to explore how austerity came to become the water we swim in and why we can’t imagine a world without it. “Austerity has become the water we swim in.” “We use very specific economic models from the 1900s, in which the worker loses agency while the entrepreneur is championed.” “The purpose isn’t to ‘trickledown’, it is to incentivise those at the top.” “In the US the richest 400 families pay the lowest tax.” “Even Lenin had to accept austerity.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jet Gerbertson, Alex Rees. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Airbnb has enabled people to earn more by letting second houses as holiday lets than to families. What does this mean for locals in tourist areas? With housing provision at an all time low, the Welsh Government is looking at a system of carrots and sticks to incentivise landlords to prioritise locals. Can this problem be fixed? Dr Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation talks to Hannah Fearn about the communities facing an Airbnb boom. “In every single Welsh local authority bar one a property owner could make as much money in 10 weeks as letting out the house to the housing authority for an entire year.” “Properties that were down as holiday homes decided to flip to Airbnbs to get out of having to pay extra council tax.” “Don’t think about the maximum amount you can make, maybe yes, get your money back, but think about the community's needs more broadly.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fasten your seatbelts, because it’s going to be a rocky week in UK politics as sleaze comes back with a vengeance. How will Sunak handle backlash to his car misdemeanour, Johnson’s loan scandal and Zahawi’s ongoing tax quagmire. Plus, we look at the latest news on strikes. Alex Andreou talks to Jacob Jarvis to outline the week ahead. “Part of the government is so incestuous, it doesn’t even realise it has a problem.” “Sunak’s made an idiot of himself by getting a fine and messing up gaining ground.” “The public perception is that the government always has money for their mates, so the strikes will soon succeed.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmanuel Macron feels firmly like an elder statesman of Europe – but while his global prowess grows, how is he doing at home? With his power held together by coalition, can he be the reformer he wants to be? Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for The Economist, speaks to Ros Taylor to discuss the French president’s changes in tack and the future of his nation’s politics. “It has been forced on him to govern differently and that's no bad thing.” “Macron has reassessed and changed his judgement of the risks and seen it is important to back Ukraine all the way.” “There are a number of ambitious, would-be successors to Macron, but it’s too early to see who might come through.” “Macron is incredibly engaging, he doesn’t try to duck questions – but he has failed to project that in public.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Donald Trump bleeds out politically, a new generation of paranoid and conspiracy-minded MAGA Republicans has captured the party. A nightmare hardcore Freedom Caucus holds House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hostage, and nationally, the GOP just gets crazier. Do we have to steel ourselves for MAGA 2.0 – a deTrumpified extreme right in America? UCL politics professor Brian Klaas tells Andrew Harrison what they stand for and why they’ll be so hard to beat. “This wasn’t about principles. It was a personal vendetta. Kevin McCarthy just isn’t a true believer in the Trump camp.” “If enough crazies vote against raising the debt ceiling you will have a self-imposed global recession which will make Liz Truss look like a blip”. “The Democrats need define the Republicans as the crazy party… These are some actual lunatics in charge there.” Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer Jet Gerburtson. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the right to roam is eroded, Caroline Lucas, MP and former leader of the Green Party, joins Ros Taylor to discuss what we can do about it. In the wake of the high court decision to support landowners over wild campers, are we being excluded from our green and pleasant land? “Landowners are creating an atmosphere of intimidation.” “In the South Downs a quarter of the land is owned privately” “It was found that access to green space could save the NHS £2 billion” “People want to step away from the footpath and feel the wildness of nature.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s hard to plan for the future when the present seems so grim. But is a nihilistic attitude to pensions creating a ticking time bomb for millennials? And have scandals and corporate embezzlement meant we have all lost faith in the safety net of our twilight years? Disillusioned Bunker host Marie Le Conte is joined by Dr. Hayley James, senior research fellow in the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University, to ask what (if anything) can restore trust in the pensions system. “ We often hark back to a ‘golden age’ of pensions that hasn’t always existed.” “The gender pension gap is huge, bigger than the gender pay gap.” 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

A special taster of our new series. Search for Jam Tomorrow in your favourite podcast app or visit https://kite.link/JTS1 How did Britain’s dreams of a new postwar world go unfulfilled? And what does that mean for us today? In the first of a new documentary series from the makers of Oh God, What Now?, Ros Taylor looks at the legacy of the War itself. Ιdeals of the Blitz Spirit and dreams of wartime heroism still shape everything from pop culture and entertainment to the Brexit debate. But the truth of the War is more complex and less comforting. What will it take for us to see the Second World War – and ourselves – clearly? • “If you’re going to have a foundation myth it might as well be one where you destroy Nazism.” – Al Murray • “If the response to air raid wasn’t stoicism there was a fear that morale would break down.” – Lucy Noakes • “The Keep Calm And Carry On poster was designed for a type of war that never arrived.” – Henry Irvine • “Britain went into the war not alone but at the head of the world’s biggest empire… When Britain went to war, so did vast part of the world.” – Lucy Noakes Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Imogen Robertson. Original music by Dubstar. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clean, safe power from nuclear fusion is the Holy Grail of energy research – but how close is it to reality? A breakthrough in December, when a fusion reaction produced more energy than went into the experiment, suggests it could be. Dr. Sharon Ann Holgate, author of Nuclear Fusion: The Race to Build a Mini-Sun on Earth, joins Andrew Harrison to unpack the science and ask whether this science fiction staple could become fact. “A Tokamak reactor? Imagine you’ve gone to the bakers, bought yourself a doughnut, and for reasons best known for yourself you’ve decided to have it gold plated.” “Some of us call the fusion reaction ‘inherently safe’ because it doesn’t have the ability to run away with itself in the way a fission reactor can.” Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer Jet Gerbertson. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anyone who uses Britain’s railways can see things aren’t running smoothly. How do we solve this mess? From cancelled trains and driver shortages, to the rolling series of strikes, a nation that once prided itself on its railway appears to have let services go off the rails, as it were. Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: A New History, joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to find out what needs fixing. “It’s absolutely ideological…it wouldn’t cost anything to take these franchises back”. “The department of transport is demanding productivity increases along with a pay rise. That is a mistake.” “It’s a ‘nobody gives a damn' railway. There’s nobody in charge and everybody has given up.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer Jet Gerbertson. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Government's handling of strikes gets worse, it tries another tack: make strikes and protests impossible in certain industries. Can the Tories pull it off? Plus, Westminster vs Holyrood on gender recognition, the Brexit beast rears its head again, and has Joe Biden’s cache of documents in his garage offered the Republicans an open goal? Alex Andreou sets out the week ahead with Jacob Jarvis. “The Government’s problem is that they went into the strikes with no exit strategy.” “The Government picked this fight with the unions to show off their economic competence – and it hasn’t worked out for them at all.” “Stopping a protest that hasn’t happened yet sounds a bit thought-crimey.” Written and presented by Alex Andreou and Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. 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

Finland is the happiest country on earth. What can we learn from this Nordic nation? How is its education, health care and housing systems different to ours? Ros Taylor speaks to Danny Dorling, professor of human geography at the University of Oxford and author of Finntopia: What We Can Learn from the World's Happiest Country, to work out what makes it such a well-functioning state. “Finland has ended up doing remarkably well, if you’re trying to show people what is possible and what is different, let’s look there.” “Government ministers in Finland resign upon immediately making the smallest of mistakes, they simply go, no questions asked.” “There aren’t good schools and bad schools, there are just good schools. Teachers have a lot of autonomy.” Written and presented by Ros Taylor. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The QAnon conspiracy theory has run rampant throughout America’s far-right. Why won’t it die? Could it ever disappear? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Mike Rothschild, author of The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything, to discuss the state of the cult-like belief structure, how it has evolved over time and what might replace it should it ever go away. “Q is very good at taking the events of the day and reinterpreting them through the lens of the conspiracy.” “It’s really turned into a choose your own adventure version of conspiracy theories.” “Now that all of this stuff is so mainstream and all of these beliefs have infiltrated every part of politics from the national to the hyper local - it is millions and millions of people who believe in some aspect of QAnon.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NHS is in a worse position than during the height of the Covid pandemic. What can the Government do to remedy its woes? From bed capacity to oxygen supply, to staff shortages, where does the solution begin? As NHS staff strike en masse, Roy Lilley, writer of the NHS Managers Network newsletter, and former vice-chair of West Surrey and North East Hampshire Health Authority joins Alex Andreou to find out. “This was eminently settleable when it started. Now of course everyone has dug a great big hole for themselves.” “At the moment because we can’t get people home they’re on the wards, because we can’t get them off the wards they’re queuing up in A&E, because they’re in A&E ambulances are queuing up outside, and because the ambulances are queuing when you call up you can’t get an ambulance.” Presented by Alex Andreou. 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. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benjamin Netanyahu is back in power at the head of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. By allying himself with religious extremists including the Jewish Power Party, has the great escape artist of Israeli politics put his country’s democracy in the hands of theocrats? What do the new far-right ministers want? And will Netanyahu protect the rights of Arab Israelis, women and LGBTQ+ citizens the way he claims he will? Anshel Pfeffer, writer for Haaretz and Israel correspondent for the Economist, tells Andrew Harrison about the meaning of a dark new phase in Israeli politics. “The centrist and centre left parties refused to sit in a government with Netanyahu≥ Now he’s fully reliant on the far right and the ultra orthodox parties”. “The ultra orthodox are at most 20% of the population, but they’re the ones shoring up Netanyahu’s administration”. “Netayahu says he’s the one who is safeguarding the freedoms of the Israeli public, rather than them being protected by the Government and the law” Read Anshel Pfeffer in Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-06/ty-article/.highlight/the-end-of-israeli-democracy-its-real-but-can-still-be-prevented/00000185-8265-d4ba-add5-aaf74d660000 www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Life in the UK Test is the ultimate barrier to becoming a British citizen. But is it working – and how could we change it? Since its launch in 2001 the test has been criticised for failing to achieve its goal of integration, and making it harder for people to become citizens. Thom Brooks, author of Reforming the UK’s Citizenship Test: Building Bridges, Not Barriers, joins Yasmeen Serhan in the Bunker to ask: is it time for a new approach? “It’s not so much about building bridges, it’s about creating barriers on the arbitrary basis of a memory test.” “Other countries do not require a knowledge test like this to be a resident of a country.” “Americans and Australians - mostly native English speakers - have a pass rate of 97%. When it comes to Turkey, Iraq you see pass rates of less than 50%. There’s a big difference in different nationalities.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Yasmeen Serhan. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Artwork by James Parrett. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Levelling Up was a key policy after the Conservatives swept the Red Wall in 2019. Three years later and Tory chaos has the policy to bring greater equity between the North and the South floundering by the roadside. Rob Parsons, editor of The Northern Agenda joins Jacob Jarvis to find out if there’s still reason to be optimistic. “Restoring pride to people’s places is definitely a good thing to do. Whether it will address these massive inequalities in skills and jobs and transport, is a different thing.” “A lot of people spent a lot of time and money bidding for this money, and they didn’t get it. There were places in the North where their bid was unsuccessful but the neighbouring town did. That did create bitterness, and it did create cynicism towards the criteria.” “There needs to be more to the conversation not just about giving pots of money, but power to raise their own money.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Sunak squirms under questioning, will anti-union legislation save his bacon? Plus, Brazil’s far-right storms the country’s congress – what can we expect next? And we discuss the latest from the US, plus as the family feud of the century as Prince Harry causes a royal furore. Hannah Fearn, columnist and reporter for The I and Independent, joins Andrew Harrison to discuss the week ahead. “If Sunak continues a hardline stance on these strikes, he creates an atmosphere where a general strike is a possibility.” “The length of time everything’s taken has made Sunak’s position more difficult, splintered the party and hurt the country.” “Angry supporters of Bolsonaro are seeing a playbook in the US they are wanting to try and emulate.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comparisons to the Winter of Discontent are everywhere. But are these accurate, or even helpful? With an autumn and winter of strikes, high levels of inflation and maxed out energy prices it’s an easy reference to make, but is it lazy? Colin Hay, professor of political sciences at Sciences Po in Paris, joins Andrew Harrison to discuss. “It’s not really the story of a coordinated campaign by union leaders. It was the rank and file rejecting the advice of the union leaders and withdrawing their labour.” I’ve been asked throughout my career if THIS is a return to the Winter of Discontent. This is the first time I haven’t just blanketly said ‘no.’” “Labour has had the ghost of the Winter of Discontent dancing over its corpse in the intervening time.” “It’s quite impressive how much industrial and public sector disruption is currently in place at the moment when you consider how difficult it is to get a legal strike organised.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. 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 Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Republican Party is in a state of turmoil with Kevin McCarthy’s Speaker stalemate having sparked scenes not witnessed for a century. What is going on, where can it go next, and what does this mean for the GOP? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Julie Normal, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics to discuss the chaos in the Capitol and what 2023 holds for American politics. Oh, and Donald Trump, unfortunately… “For some it’s key policy differences, for some it’s personal differences - not liking Kevin McCarthy. For some it’s just a power play.” “Whichever way it goes it’s definitely not the way you want your party starting out their term in office, especially in the run up to an election. “The ironic thing with Trump is that a conviction or an indictment… would in some ways galvanise him even more. He loves to portray himself as a victim of the Deep State.” “Some Democrats were literally bringing popcorn to the House this week. Biden has basically said. ‘This is embarrassing, but it’s not my problem.’” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music and Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices