The Bunker

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! French politics is in turmoil at the moment with President Macron facing pressure over who he names as the nation’s next Prime Minister. Can the different factions in France be brought together? And can Macron fend off his enemies – or might someone else be better suited? Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief of The Economist, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the chaos and what might come of it.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! The fall of the Assad regime in Syria is dominating headlines – what does it mean for the future of the country and the region more broadly? Ros Taylor discusses with Jacob Jarvis. Plus, they discuss domestic news including the fallout of Starmer’s reset and a war on NIMBYs. And – France, what’s going on and can Macron weather the political storm? We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! If you’re under 45 the only way you’ll buy a home is with help from the Bank of Mum and Dad. What is the increasing power of family wealth doing to Britain? Far from intergenerational inequality, is inTRAgenerational inequality creating a Britain of haves and never-will-haves? Are we entering a Jane Austen world where money marries money? And is it all the Boomers’ fault?  Eliza Filby, author of Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad, joins regulars Hannah Fearn and Andrew Harrison to talk about Britain’s new Parent Trap. • Buy Inheritocracy through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.podmasters.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! How much impact would Musk giving $100 million to Farage and Reform UK have on British politics? And how would such a move be legal – and could it be blocked in any way? Ros Taylor is joined by Peter Geoghegan, author of the Democracy for Sale substack, to discuss how this sort of funding is regulated – and how analogue rules struggle to keep up in a digital world.  • “It’s both the money and the might of Musk behind Farage, we’ve never seen a tech oligarch involved in British politics like this.” • “We have very few rules on what you’d call third party campaigning. You can really run and do whatever you want.” • “There are no caps when it comes to donations to a political party – you can give them your house, you can give them everything if you like.” Read Peter’s recent piece on his Democracy for Sale Substack. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! Kamala Harris faced an uphill battle in her bid for the White House ending in a shock defeat which has left her party reeling. But, she’s suggested she wants to stay in the fight, and early polling hints that she could muster support to run in 2028. Would that be wise for her or the Democratic Party? Today on The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis is joined by David Smith, Washington DC bureau chief for The Guardian, to dissect the fallout from this historic loss and what Harris might do moving forward. Together, they explore what the campaign's failure reveals about the Democratic Party’s strategy – and whether Harris could run again in 2028. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!  From inheritance tax to winter fuel to the early mini-scandal over ministerial freebies, it seems Labour just can’t take control of the news agenda. Is it down to a lack of killer journalistic instinct, Starmer’s own personality, or something deeper? Patrick Diamond was policy and strategy adviser to New Labour, and he’s now Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University London. He tells Andrew Harrison how Blair and Campbell took the media by the scruff of the neck… and what Labour can to do “roll the pitch” so the next four years aren’t as defensive as the last four months.  (This episode recorded before the forced resignation of Transport Minister Louise Haigh)   • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon. Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Jade Bailey Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!    Keir Starmer definitely isn’t doing a relaunch or a reset no matter what the papers say. But, he is doing something that looks a bit like one, so Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis unpack what the Labour leader is up to. And, Trump’s making everyone go see him at Mar a Lago, what can we make of his initial interactions on the world stage? Plus, the latest from Russia and conflict in the Middle East.    • This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit https://proton.me/pass/thebunker • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! Britain's high streets are shadows of their former selves. Over the last decade, 40,000 shops have closed. But in the past high streets were more than places to shop – they were the heart of communities, hubs for activism, and even spots for a bit of drama to unfold. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann sits down with Annie Gray, author of The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street, to delve into the rich past of these spaces – and why we shouldn’t rush to mourn them just yet. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Support us on Patreon. Buy The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! Back by popular demand: The Bunker panel edition where we talk about multiple topics with regulars and guests. This time: The Telegraph thinks Jeremy Clarkson could lead a new populist party. Stranger things have happened… haven’t they? The intense debate on assisted dying reaches its climax. And the big future news stories we should watch out for. ITV News’s UK Editor Paul Brand and Paper Cuts/Pod Save The UK regular Coco Khan talk all it over with Andrew Harrison. The Bunker Panel will return at the end of every month. • This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit https://proton.me/pass/thebunker • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for!    Young men turned out in huge numbers for Trump, thanks in part to his ability to tap into the “manosphere”. So what is this online phenomenon? And how has it shaped political views the world over? And what will it mean going forward? Zing Tsjeng speaks to the authors of Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere, Jamie Tahsin and Matt Shea to discuss that and more.       We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Support us on Patreon.     Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! It’s known for leather trenchcoats, shades and cool fight sequences in “bullet time”. But The Matrix’s concept of “taking the Red Pill” – rejecting consensus reality and all who believe in it – has spread to become a malignant force in politics, providing a rationale for conspiracy theorists, misogynists, antisemites and fascists. How did a sci-fi blockbuster do so much damage? Derek Robertson, who writes on the politics/pop culture intersection for Politico, talks to Andrew Harrison about the Redpilling of American politics, how creators the Wachowskis feel about their vision being commandeered, The Matrix as a transgender allegory … and how deep the right-wing rabbit hole goes.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! MPs will debate assisted dying ahead of a significant vote on the matter this week – who is arguing for and against? What questions are there over the bill? Ros Taylor is joined by Hannah Fearn to discuss the split in the Cabinet over this legislation and more broadly. Plus, the latest from an apparent benefits “crackdown”, news from COP29 and more to look out for in the coming days.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Hannah Fearn. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off annual Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! Donald Trump has secured a “trifecta” as he heads to the White House, while the House and Senate are due to be controlled by Republicans. So, can the checks and balances of the US system work at all? Can he circumvent everything – or will anyone push back? Dr. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, joined Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones on our sibling podcast American Friction to give them an idiot’s guide to Congress.  Want to learn more about US politics? Head here for more from American Friction. Find out more about Casey’s upcoming book here. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump seems like a hardline ally of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right. But could his unpredictable nature and need to make big news end the nightmare in Gaza on terms that don’t suit Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition? The Economist’s Israel correspondent Anshel Pfeffer talks to Andrew Harrison about the true nature of the war, its wider effects, and the ending that Trump might impose upon the region.  • This edition recorded before the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. • Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support for The Bunker with our Black Friday sale. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support for The Bunker in our Black Friday sale. The perfect gift to ask for! Elon Musk is the new head of DOGE – the Department of Government Efficiency – alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, because two people doing one job is very efficient. But despite its fancy name, which bolsters its status immensely, is this idea actually anything new? And will this pitch to run the US government like a business work this time out? Zing Tsjeng speaks to Andrew Rudalevige, professor of government at Bowdoin College, about the Tesla boss’s big ideas and whether they will work whatsoever.  • “There are a couple of different aims. One is to give Musk something to do and keep him out of trouble – without having to give him a real job in government.”  • “I think he wants a bigger state in the things he can control and a smaller state on things that don’t affect him. Everyone thinks government spending that isn’t on them is wasteful.”  • “You have things that are done in government because private companies will not do them.” We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Get 20% off a year’s Patreon support for The Bunker. The perfect gift to ask for! Carbon capture is a highly controversial technology – but that hasn’t stopped governments ploughing huge sums of money into it. How does it work – and how effective is it? Does it do little more than let major polluters carry on as normal, by saying this will offset their emissions? And, even if it isn’t a cure, can we hit Net Zero targets without it? Ros Taylor is joined by Steve Smith, executive director of Oxford Net Zero, to discuss.    • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has vowed to make London the AI capital of the world. But is that truly possible? Silicon Valley continues to dominate the rapidly growing industry and with Trump promising to repeal Biden's AI regulations, the UK could struggle to keep up. In today’s episode of The Bunker, Dr. Kate Devlin speaks with Sana Khareghani, former Chair of the UK’s Office for AI, to explore whether London will rise as the next global AI hub – or if it is destined to fall behind in the race. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   • This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit http://proton.me/pass/thebunker www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As people flee X, or Twitter for the rest of us, what is Musk up to – and how’s his bromance (sorry) with Trump going? Then in world news – what will be happening at the G20, and how is the incoming US president already warping discussions? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to talk through the stories to watch out for this week.  We’re on BlueSky! – follow us here. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump feels like a TV character – and if you’re a Sopranos fan, you might have noticed a similarity with Tony Soprano. Both are imposing egomaniacs, desperate to control their families, get more power and indulge themselves along the way. Jacob Jarvis is joined by former Obama speechwriter and fellow Sopranos superfan David Litt to discuss the comparisons and what the HBO show can teach us about the world of MAGA.  Read David’s piece: The Sopranos Is the Perfect Show to Help Us Understand the Trump Era.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    This episode is sponsored by Proton Pass, to find out more visit http://proton.me/pass/thebunker www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Freeports! They were going to be a huge Brexit benefit (they weren’t). Boris Johnson said we couldn’t have them while we were in the EU (he was lying). Labour was going to announce more in the latest Budget and then… didn’t (“cock up in the comms,” it says here). But what are they? Do tax-free zones really benefit deprived areas? Or are they havens for money-laundering and tax avoidance?   Trade expert Dmitry Grozoubinski explains the long history and cloudy future of special economic zones to Andrew Harrison.   • Order Dmitry’s Why Politicians Lie About Trade. You’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees also help support independent bookshops.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the food we eat get so political? Are men really refusing to eat strawberries because they’re too ‘girly’? From avocados to artisan coffee – our taste in food can reveal more than we might realise. Today on The Bunker, Emma Kennedy sits down with Pen Vogler, author of Stuffed: A Political History of What We Eat and Why It Matters, to explore how class, innovation, and tradition have linked politics to the food we eat. Don’t miss the latest season of Why? with Emma Kennedy. Out now, wherever you get your podcasts.  Buy Stuffed: A Political History of What We Eat and Why It Matters [link -  https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780691230337] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: Liam Tait and Chris Jones. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a jury cleared a firearms officer of murdering Black Londoner Chris Kaba, it triggered protests and intense scrutiny of the Met. Should charges ever have been brought? Was the killing a product of racist policing? Did Kaba’s gangland connections – concealed during the trial – change the picture of the case? And will officers stop volunteering for firearms duty if they could face prosecution? Bernard Hogan-Howe, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, talks to Andrew Harrison about a moment of maximum controversy for policing in London and the whole UK.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump starts building his cabinet, only sycophants need apply and score-settling is on the agenda. Will Britain need to choose between the EU and Trump’s Orange Empire in the trade wars that are coming? Plus, antisemitic football violence in Amsterdam, the slow-motion collapse of Germany’s government, and Manchester United’s new manager is the latest victim of the end of Freedom of Movement. A shellshocked Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recorded before we knew the election result would come so quickly – we wondered: what is it actually like to move into the White House?     Moving is always a nightmare. In January, a new president – we now know will be Trump – will head into the White House – what will the big move be like? Alex von Tunzelmann speaks to Matthew Costello, chief education officer at the White House Historical Association and director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, about the history of the White House, what the new first family might find – and what moving day will look like.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Donald Trump prepares for his return to the White House, the world is gearing up for another term full of big promises and unconventional moves. Trump’s plans could shake things up at home and abroad – so what will they mean for the economy in America and beyond? Today in The Bunker, Coco Khan is joined by Dr. Kara Reynolds, professor of economics at American University in Washington, D.C., to discuss his fiscal plans. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Coco Khan. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Graphics by James Parrett. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojitos. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Out early for everyone! Americans face the reality of four more years under Donald Trump. But how did we get here? What went right for Trump and what went so wrong for Kamala Harris? Gavin Esler is joined by political experts Michael Cullinane, U.S. History Professor at Dickinson State University, and Clodagh Harrington, American politics lecturer at the University of Cork, to unpack why Harris lost and explore what these results mean for the future of democracy.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Falling circulations, trivial stories, shrinking budgets, squandered trust? It’s worse than that, says US media analyst and academic Jeff Jarvis. A combination of self-seeking billionaire owners and complacent, outdated reporting meant that papers and TV failed to alert Americans to Trump’s real threat: the advent of actual fascism in the USA.  He tells Andrew Harrison how the US press “sanewashes” Trump’s demented edicts, how the Republicans hack the news to their advantage, and what needs to happen to save real journalism.   • Order Jeff Jarvis’s The Gutenberg Parenthesis and pre-order The Web We Weave. You’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Follow American Friction for the best analysis of the US Presidential Election up to and beyond the vote.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Obama’s effortless cool aura to Zelenskyy’s stoic defiance, charm and charisma have shown themselves to be game-changers in politics. Often dismissed as superficial, these qualities can shift public opinion, steer policy, and even swing elections. Today on The Bunker, Zing Tsjeng speaks with Julia Sonnevend, author of Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics, to explore the power of charm global politics.     Buy Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio producer: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s only one story this week: the US Presidential Election, with Harris and Trump neck-and-neck and democracy itself at stake. Special guest Nikki McCann Ramírez of our partner pod American Friction sets out what will decide the final confrontation in the key swing states – how Trump is already preparing the ground for another big lie about a stolen election – and why the fight for America’s future is a battle of the sexes.   • Follow American Friction for the best analysis of the US Presidential Election up to and beyond the vote.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves’ first budget has caused quite the stir. But what aspects were really surprising – and important? What was risky? And what issues didn’t it address? Ros Taylor discusses all this and more with Giles Wilkes, senior fellow at the Institute for Government.  • “It was very much an old Labour budget.” • “It was the first honest attempt at saying, ‘If you want this, it’s got to be paid for,’ since Gordon Brown.” • “They missed any opportunity to make the tax system less bonkers.” We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As science answers more and more questions, you’d imagine our obsession with the paranormal would diminish. Yet we’re still obsessed with the apparently “unexplained”. Andrew Harrison speaks to Chris French, author of The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal, to discuss why we want to believe – or trick ourselves into believing – in the supernatural, even if it terrifies us.  Buy The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With a new president due to be elected in America, what impact would each candidate have on the war in Ukraine? Rafael Behr speaks to Simon Shuster, reporter for Time and author of The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky, about what the outcome in the US might mean – and to discuss the state of the conflict more broadly, as well as how Ukraine’s leader is continuing to handle the war.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon.  Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week’s BRICS Summit was Vladimir Putin latest ploy to strengthen an anti-western alliance. But despite the united front, behind the scenes, cracks are forming in Russia's alliances. Today on The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Dr. Ian Garner to explore what this mega-summit means for Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a week of big decisions: Labour’s first budget, the Tories choose their leader, and the last desperate week of campaigning in the Presidential Election. Can Rachel Reeves reset the new government’s course? What will shift the dial in Harris vs Trump? And how about that Runcorn MP allegedly thumping someone in the street? Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The future is here—or is it? Last week, Tesla’s “We, Robot” event introduced us to Optimus, Elon Musk’s AI-powered humanoid helpers. These futuristic machines grabbed the spotlight but also raised urgent questions about the true cost of our fascination with automation. Today on The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Dr. Julie Carpenter, author of the upcoming book The Naked Android, to discuss whether humans and robots can coexist. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The race between Trump and Harris is so tight that nobody wants to call it. But from afar, it can be hard to understand how the polls are possibly so tight. What’s made them so close, can anything change them, and are any of them helpful in understanding the election race? Jacob Jarvis asks Andrew Rudalevige, professor of government at Bowdoin College, why it’s all so close.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A bonus excerpt from the new series of our science and psychology podcast, Why? In Episode One: Most of us think we’re too smart, stable and strong-willed to join a cult – but clearly somebody’s joining them. So why do people willingly give up their free will and independence to join secretive communities with charismatic leaders – and how do they get out? Emma Kennedy talks to world-leading cult deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross and NXIVM cult survivor Sarah Edmondson to discover the strange allure of the cult mindset. Go here to hear the complete episode. Why? with Emma Kennedy is the podcast for curious minds, from the makers of The Bunker. Every Thursday, Emma delves into the science and psychology of why we are the way we are. She talks leading experts and some of science’s brightest minds to answer the big questions you never knew how to ask. Follow on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production and theme music by Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Artwork by James Parrett. Additional music is from Artlist.io. WHY? is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

General Election 2024: Was Starmer lucky, ruthless or both? Was there any way back for the Tories after that disastrous rain-sodden launch? And was the vote a real watershed moment – or just an interval before we return to the business of national decline? ITV News’s Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana talks to Andrew Harrison about Taken As Red: How Labour Won Big and the Tories Crashed the Party, her frankly unputdownable account of people and power inside the hot zone of the major parties’ campaigns.  Buy Taken As Red through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Chris Jones. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Georgia is a key battleground in the US election – and was central to Trump’s push against the 2020 result. Trump has been charged over allegations of leading a criminal racketeering enterprise, in a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 outcome. With the case pending, Gavin Esler speaks with Marian Mohamed, director of Trump: The Criminal Conspiracy Case, which airs at 9pm on Wednesday, October 23 – and will be available online after – to discuss Trump’s audacious actions in the state and what emerged while digging into this story.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Want more US politics from Podmasters? Listen to American Friction here.     Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is it like to wear a hidden camera among neo-fascist extremists? Or at a rally for far-right groups from across Europe, some with a reputation for extreme violence? In a chilling new C4 documentary Undercover: Exposing the Far Right, reporters from Hope Not Hate pose as far-right recruits to discover how they talk privately, how they network, and how they’re laundering discredited “race science” for a gullible new audience.    Reporter Harry Shukman and director Havana Marking talk to Andrew Harrison about a documentary so powerful it was pulled from the London Film Festival at the last minute due to safety concerns.      Watch Undercover: Exposing the Far Right now on the Channel 4 app now or visit undercover.film to discover more.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon   Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Chris Jones. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the last full week before the Budget and of course the press is losing its cool over a raft of leaks. What will be in it, who’s annoyed in Government – is any of it worth paying attention to? Plus, Charles and Starmer attend the Commonwealth summit, the latest from the US election, and the state of conflicts across the world. Gavin Esler talks Jacob Jarvis through the week ahead.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Want more US politics? Listen to American Friction here.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JD Vance says The Lord Of The Rings shaped his politics. Italy’s Georgia Meloni used to dress as a hobbit and go to right-wing Tolkien meet-ups. Far-right oligarch Peter Thiel named his company after a magic stone from Middle Earth. Why are right-wingers so fascinated by Tolkien? And is their fake, fascist-adjacent vision of a mystic rural paradise dangerous? New York Times columnist and self-declared Tolkien nerd David French explains all to Andrew Harrison.     Read David French’s column The Lord Of The Rings Is Not The Far Right’s Playground.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     Support us on Patreon.   Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As pressure to return to the office continues to grow, could we be witnessing the end of flexible working? Despite promises from the government to explore working from home and four-day weeks, bosses seem adamant to return to the status quo. In today’s episode of The Bunker, Hannah Fearn sits down with Professor Cary Cooper to unpack why workplaces are urging employees back into the office.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whenever there’s a crisis in America, conspiracy theories follow. The response to Hurricane Helene has highlighted the growing mainstream acceptance of these bizarre tales. From Marjorie Taylor Greene’s wild claims about weather controlling technology to militias disguised as disaster relief. In this episode, we unravel the web of misinformation and dive into the growing trend of mainstream conspiracy theories. Today in the Bunker, Gavin Esler sits down with Mike Rothschild, author of Jewish Space Lasers, to explore the growing belief in these extreme views.  Buy Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservative leadership race has taken an unexpected turn, with Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick emerging as the final two candidates. On The Bunker, Rock & Roll Politics host Steve Richards sits down with Andrew Harrison to discuss how we ended up here. What are the key differences between the two, and should either be a cause for concern for Keir Starmer? • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Starmer’s 100 days milestone, focus is turning to a major investment summit this week. Will he manage to keep business on side by vowing to cut red tape, without causing too much unrest in his party ranks? Plus, we look at escalation in the Middle East and the race to the White House as it draws ever closer. Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to talk through the stories to look out for in the week ahead.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Listen to Jam Tomorrow here. Musk’s Twitter two years on: How Elon handed X to the far-right www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two years after Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter takeover, the platform has become a hotbed for alt-right content. Having lost a fifth of its user base and a mass exodus of advertisers, what happened to Musk’s dream of turning the platform into an ‘everything app’? Today, Jacob Jarvis sits down with tech reporter Ryan Broderick, author of the Garbage Day newsletter, to try and understand Musk’s impact on the social media landscape.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All new cars sold in Britain will be electric by 2030 if we stick to Government plans. But instead of cheering for decarbonisation, our right-wing press pumps out a steady series of angry hit pieces against electric vehicles. What’s really going on? Is demand for electric cars really plummeting? Is the technology really falling short? And what have the right wing got against electric cars anyway? Automotive journalist and electric car specialist John Voelcker talks us through a culture war on the highway.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yuppies, successful and affluent young urban professionals, were a notable demographic in 1980s America. Newsweek declared 1984 the year of the yuppie, and these types of characters were immortalised in fiction through American Psycho. But, what were the real world Patrick Batemans actually like – and how did they shape the politics of the America we see today? And how do they tie in with Trump. Jacob Jarvis discussed this with Tom McGrath, author of Triumph of the Yuppies: America, the eighties, and the creation of an unequal nation.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.        Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China’s economy has been described as “unsustainable” after a model of massive growth in recent decades begins to fail. How does it currently work, how might it change – and is Xi Jinping capable of leading – or even simply acknowledging – the shift it requires? With critical economists being jailed or literally disappearing in China, Ian Williams, the author of Vampire State: The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Economy, joins Gavin Esler to discuss the shifting economic landscape in China, its impacts and what might fix it.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The news to look out for this week: Why did Sue Gray have to go and what will her departure mean for Starmer and his government? And the Tory leadership contest rolls on… should we care? Plus, is there any end in sight to conflict in the Middle East, one year on from October 7th? Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler discuss the stories to pay attention to in the week ahead.  • “Running a political campaign is not the same as running a government.” • “The Tory leadership contest is performative politics at its worst… the membership do not represent the 68 million of us.”  • “The situation in Gaza is one of the greatest human catastrophes of our time.” We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Starmer and his Cabinet caught hell for accepting donations of clothes, accommodation, tickets to see Taylor Swift and Arsenal, and more. But as historian Seth Thévoz explains, this is peanuts compared to the largesse afforded to past political generations. Listen up for jaw-dropping tales of free holidays, yachts and stately homes… how Churchill barely owned the clothes he stood up in and fought the Second World War while catastrophically overdrawn at the bank… and where Boris Johnson fits into the Great Nose-in-Trough League of British politics.  • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the fall of the Soviet Union, a new Russia emerged – one that was open for business. Over the next 30 years, huge international companies took advantage of this new global Russia and found immense success. But Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed everything. Charles Hecker has been a journalist and geopolitical risk consultant involved with Russia for around 40 years. In his new book – Zero Sum: The Arc of International Business in Russia, he highlights the choice international businesses had to make, stay in Russia and face huge reputational backlash or leave and risk financial loss. He Joins Chris Jones in The Bunker. Buy Zero Sum: The Arc of International Business in Russia through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death penalty is a fixture of the American penal system – with 27 states still implementing it. Since it was reinstated in 1976, there have been 1,600 prisoners and counting executed as a punishment. Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, joins Gavin Esler to discuss the use of capital punishment in the United States. What is the history of this penalty – and what is its future? We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who ensures that dictators and oligarchs get good press? Who feeds the media fake stories that serve the ends of the powerful? Phil Elwood was a PR operator who worked for authoritarian regimes, manipulating the media to support his controversial clients. In his book All The Worst Humans he opens the lid on the dark arts of PR and news management, from “kneecapping” the US bid for the 2022 World Cup to getting positive press for Libya during the release of the Lockerbie bomber. “I carry a lot of regret for my career,” he tells Jacob Jarvis. But why did he stop? Buy All The Worst Humans: How I Made News for Dictators, Tycoons and Politicians from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on.  • The Pension Confident Podcast from PensionBee aims to improve listeners’ understanding of personal finance – whether that’s helping you to navigate the cost of living crisis, exploring the impact of your relationship status on your finances or discussing how to teach kids about money. Listen to the latest episode here https://link.chtbl.com/FSF2Yu6y www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tory conference is upon us and the leadership candidates are trying to outdo each other with audacious comments and weird merchandise. What should we look out for as they gather in Birmingham? Plus, Labour donation outrage continues – will the media keep going with this story? And is Starmer able to get a grip of it? Plus, we look ahead to the VP debate in the USA and discuss the escalation in the Middle East. Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead.  Listen to Jam Tomorrow here. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production     www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the feeling been like in the White House since Biden dropped out of the race? And how is Harris juggling both distancing herself from Biden and running on his record? In a teaser for our sibling podcast American Friction, The Bunker’s very own Jacob Jarvis and Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez, speak to the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent Peter Baker to discuss the feeling around the race, where it’s headed and much more.  Want to know more about the race for the White House? On American Friction, you’ll find out everything you need to know, in plain English. Listen here.   • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EBQbDcgPFEf9Bx5AJvvrX?si=a572a2d92dd24231    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. AMERICAN FRICTION and the Bunker are Podmasters productions. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Donald Trump wins in November, the Republican Party will remain his plaything. But what if he loses? Can the party regain its bearings and return to a pre-Trump era of relative sanity – or is it too far gone, and its supporters too radicalised? To find out, Dorian Lynskey talks to McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of two books about the GOP.  Click here to read McKay Coppins’ Atlantic article. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The problems with our rail network are clear to anybody who’s been on a train lately. It’s a colossal challenge for Labour – so how will they handle the issues? And could our rail systems ever rival those of Japan, Switzerland and Germany? To find out, Ros Taylor talks to rail engineer and writer Gareth Dennis, whose upcoming book How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the Essential Brilliance of the Iron Road offers a deep dive into the British rail system. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EBQbDcgPFEf9Bx5AJvvrX?si=a572a2d92dd24231 www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Simon Williams and Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump and his allies are clearly motivated by money just as much as politics. How did these chancers go from exploiting a movement, to basically taking complete control of it? Joe Conason, author of The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism, joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss. Buy The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get tickets for Levitation, the annual festival of electronic music and ideas presented by friends of the pod Castles In Space, at Bedford Esquires on Sat 5 Oct. And here’s a taster playlist of who’s on: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EBQbDcgPFEf9Bx5AJvvrX?si=a572a2d92dd24231   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The small boat crisis isn’t going away. Keir Starmer says he wants to solve the problem by stopping the gangs who organise the crossings – but will that work, and what do we do with the thousands of migrants who’ve already made it here? To find out, Ros Taylor talks to immigration barrister and author of the Free Movement blog, Colin Yeo.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Keir Starmer’s first Labour Party Conference as Prime Minister – what’s the vibe like and what should we be looking out for? Steve Richards, host of Rock & Roll Politics, knows party conferences better than anyone in the business and joins us on site in Liverpool for a very special Start Your Week, looking ahead at what to expect from the Labour gathering.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Lord Darzi review on the state of the NHS painted a dire picture of our healthcare system. And while that comes as little surprise, what new information does the report offer – and can it be used for positive change? Alastair McLellan has spent the last two decades writing about the NHS and shares his reflections on the Darzi Report with Ros Taylor.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carol Vorderman has made a remarkable journey from Countdown maths guru to one of the most popular and forthright political commentators in the country… and a lot of people in the Torysphere really hate her for it. She tells Andrew Harrison what it’s like to be in the right wing’s sights – how British media and politics keep outsiders in their place – and about her new book Now What? How To Fix Broken Britain where she sets out a few ways to make British politics healthier… or at least less horrible.  Buy Now What? How to fix broken Britain through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The relationship between the UK and Germany survived Brexit better than many expected – but are we as close to Germany as we could be? Berlin was the first capital Keir Starmer visited as Prime Minister, and there was even a photo of the Reichstag in the Labour manifesto. But what’s the truth about the UK-German relationship, and why do so many of us know so little about Germany? To find out, Ros Taylor speaks to New Statesman columnist and Eurointelligence director Wolfgang Munchau.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel conflict still feels painfully far off. If one were to be secured – what would it even look like? As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, Gavin Esler talks to former advisor to Israeli governments Daniel Levy, who provides insights based on years of experience in peace negotiations in the region.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yesterday’s unprecedented second assassination attempt on Donald Trump will take over the election agenda this week but will it change the course of the campaign? Back in the UK, Labour’s upcoming party conference next week means it’s their last chance to roll the pitch. What are we expecting? And how will Starmer’s meeting with Italian far-right PM Giorgia Meloni go down with the Labour left? Plus the Tory leadership Final Four and UK missiles to Ukraine. The week ahead with Andrew Harrison and Zoe Grunewald. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The final report into the Grenfell Tower fire was released last week. It unequivocally states that the tragedy was the result of systemic failures across central and local government, in the construction and design industries and among local social housing managers – and that the 72 deaths were avoidable. What are the key points, lessons, and the details you need to know? Hannah Fearn is joined by housing journalist Peter Apps, author of Show Me the Bodies: How we let Grenfell happen to discuss.  Buy Show Me the Bodies: How we let Grenfell happen through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Hannah Fearne. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While America may be Britain’s most important ally, we are just one of many special relationships the US maintains worldwide. How has the nature of our relationship changed over the decades? And how might it differ under a Harris or Trump presidency? In the fourth episode of our Foreign Affairs mini-series, Gavin Esler discusses the past and future of UK-US relations with Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Harris and Trump’s election debate clash, do you want to know what actually mattered from their showdown? In a teaser for our sibling podcast American Friction, The Bunker’s very own Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones are joined by Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez, to discuss the highs, lows and the facts and lies from the event.    Want to know more about the race for the White House? On American Friction, you’ll find out everything you need to know, in plain English. Listen here.      We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   We’re on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFrictionPod  Follow us on social media:  Twitter Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hear a lot about the personalities of infamous figures like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un – but relatively little about one of the most powerful people in the world: Xi Jinping. Who is Xi, how did he get to where he is today, and what does he want? To find out, Ros Taylor talks to Michael Sheridan, whose new book The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China charts the leader’s incredible rise to power.   Buy The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US presidential debates are part spectacle, part showdown, and sometimes total sh*tshow. What is it about American politics that lends itself to these televised debates, and how have they evolved over time? Ahead of the Harris-Trump debate, Seth Alexander Thévoz spoke to Alan Schroeder, emeritus professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University and author of Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trail, about the weird history of US presidential debates.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Seth Alexander Thévoz. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a busy week ahead of conference recess, look out for a major report on the state of the NHS and a contentious vote on winter fuel payments. Plus, there’ll be action on no-fault evictions, new developments in the COVID inquiry and the start of early prison releases. How is Labour navigating these challenges? Plus, Keir Starmer meets with Joe Biden – and in more U.S. politics news, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump hold their first debate this week. Find out what news to look out for in the week ahead with Ros Taylor and Hannah Fearn. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something is going terribly wrong with Hollywood. The movie industry is shrinking, its revenue is down and its employees are being forced out. Fewer major studios are making fewer movies. But why? What is leading this mass creative exodus, and can the engine of America’s movie industry be saved? Pop culture historian Daniel Bessner answers this in his exhaustive Harper's Bazaar piece entitled ‘The Life and Death of Hollywood’, which he discusses with Andrew Harrison in The Bunker.    The Life and Death of Hollywood, Harper’s Bazaar, by Daniel Bessner: https://harpers.org/archive/2024/05/the-life-and-death-of-hollywood-daniel-bessner/   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scare stories about Artificial Intelligence are everywhere – but its colossal environmental impact is startlingly underreported. How exactly does the use of A.I. contribute to the climate crisis, is there anything being done to counteract it, and why is this issue largely unknown? To find out, Kate Devlin talks to  Jesse Dodge, senior research scientist at the Allen Institute for AI.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US Republican Party used to be known as the party of law and order. Now it’s headed by a convicted felon, Donald Trump. Peter Wehner, has served in three Republican administrations and was speechwriter for George W. Bush during his presidency. He now writes for The Atlantic and The New York Times and says what has happened to his party “haunts” him. He joins Chris Jones in The Bunker to explain why.    Peter Wehner’s essay for The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/opinion/trump-vance-republican-party.html     Support us on Patreon. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has promised change – but what form will it take? And could it mean the return to the concept of the so-called ‘Big State’? Will Labour’s proposed plans for increased public ownership and workers’ rights be the transformation Britain so desperately needs – or could an interventionist approach do more harm than good? To find out, Gavin Esler talks to New Statesman senior politics editor George Eaton.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer is coming to a close, kids are returning to school, Parliament is back and there’s no shortage of problems facing Keir Starmer. What will the Commons be focused on? And how quickly can Starmer clean up the Tories’ mess? In Germany, the far-right AfD triumphed in state elections on Sunday. How worried should we be? And in the Middle-East, why are we no closer to seeing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas? The week ahead with Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We used to think that machines would only take over manual work. Now A.I. looks capable of anything. Will work become a luxury for a select few? Are there some jobs that can never be automated? Alex Andreou talks to Allison Pugh – author of The Last Human Job – about tech’s growing power and why our humanity depends on the connections that work fosters.   Buy The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With its paranoid fantasies of Donald Trump at war with a secret, Satanic US government, the QAnon conspiracy wrought terrible damage on American politics. But spreading the word of Q exacts damage on believers too. Journalist Jesselyn Cook explored the broken lives and shattered relationships of Q believers for her new book The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family. She tells Andrew Harrison what makes someone fall into the mirror world of QAnon – and whether they can be rescued.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Buy The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the Conservatives turn 14 years of unprecedented political power into near-extinction at the ballot box? Where did it all go so wrong? How will their era go down in history? And what made Rishi Sunak  take his catastrophic electoral gamble in 2024? Steve Richards of the Rock & Roll Politics podcast talks to Ben Riley-Smith, whose new book Blue Murder: The Rise and Fall of the Conservative Government 2010-2024 charts the dramatic rise and fall of the Tories.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Steve Richards. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UK and Russia have long had a strained relationship – and ties have only been worsened since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Is there any future possibility for a return to a 1990s state of civility between the two nations – or has Putin’s reign marked a permanent end to such a connection? In the third episode of our ‘Foreign Affairs’ mini-series on Britain’s foreign relationships, Rafael Behr speaks to RUSI Senior Associate Fellow Andrew Monaghan to better understand tensions between the UK and Russia.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer is due to snap us back to reality after the Bank Holiday with a stark speech on the decade needed to clean up the Tories’ mess. What’s he going to say – and why now? In US news, Trump has basically dumped JD Vance for RFK Jr. – but will this improve his chances against Harris and Walz? Plus, clashes between Hezbollah and Israel signal an escalation in the Middle East. How concerned should we be? And, looking to Ukraine, how is the Ukrainian incursion on Russia progressing? Jacob Jarvis and Gavin Esler discuss the key stories to watch for the week ahead.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Presented by Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kamala Harris is closer than ever to being the president of the United States. Focus has been on America this week at the DNC, but what would a Harris presidency mean for the rest of the world? What foreign policy issues does she care about -- and how would she handle wars springing up around the globe? To find out, Ros Taylor is joined by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox in The Bunker.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oil, and the industry around it, has a huge influence on our world. From our social existence and food systems to urban spaces, military power and financial architecture. But how did oil and capitalism become so intertwined? And in what ways does oil control our entire social structure, beyond providing a source of energy or transport fuel? Alex Andreou is joined by University of Exeter professor and author of Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market Adam Hanieh to discuss how our oil-dependency defines our lives.    Buy Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russian state media is notoriously corrupt and rife with propaganda. So how are Russian citizens being fed information about the Russia-Ukraine war? Does any truth exist within Russian television – or is it all one big narrative crafted by Putin? To find out, Chris Jones talks to BBC Monitoring journalist Francis Scarr. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Chris Jones. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s nothing like American political conventions here in the UK. When Kamala Harris accepts her party’s nomination at this week’s Democratic National Convention, it’ll be more of a spectacle and a celebration than a mere political moment. Why do these gaudy, over-the-top events matter? And in this strange and tense Presidential Election, following the Trump assassination attempt and Biden’s withdrawal, will the DNC offer up its own set of surprises? Gavin Esler talks to political historian Seth Thévoz about the theatrical coronation known as the DNC.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kamala Harris will accept the Presidential nomination at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago – but will Gaza protests draw more attention than this celebrity- and former-president packed ‘political Glastonbury’? Ukraine’s counter-invasion of Russia presses on – is the end of the war drawing closer? At home, the new government tackles hate: from plans for misogyny to be treated as extremism to the continued sentencing of rioters. Plus, more rail strikes announced, and do we need to be worried about MPox? The week ahead with Andrew Harrison and Hannah Fearn. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A trove of Project 2025 videos have been leaked, giving unique insight into what Trump appointees might want to do if he wins the election. In this teaser for American Friction, Jacob Jarvis discusses leaked Project 2025 training videos, with ProPublica reporter Andy Kroll, one of the journalists who obtained and analysed them. Go here for the full episode.     Want to know more about the race for the White House? On American Friction, The Bunker’s very own Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones are joined by Rolling Stone’s Nikki McCann Ramirez, to discuss the latest developments in American politics. Listen here.      We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This year marks NATO’s 75th anniversary – having survived the Cold War, 9/11 and most recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Is NATO’s role is changing, can it hold on to its members – and will it be recognisable in ten years? Will it even exist? Peter Apps, author of Deterring Armageddon: a biography of NATO, joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss its uncertain future.    Buy Deterring Armageddon: a biography of NATO through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Online politics is drowning in memes – repurposed movie stills, videos and viral catchphrases are everywhere. From the UK General Election to the American Presidential race, memes are increasingly central to political campaigns. But can they actually sway votes? Senior Research Fellow at Complutense University Madrid Paolo Gerbaudo joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss the intrinsic political power of memes.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The second in our ‘Foreign Affairs’ mini-series on Britain’s battered foreign relationships. Today: China is growing in industrial and military power while post-Brexit Britain is increasingly adrift. Will StarmQer have to accommodate to whatever Beijing wants – or can Britain assert itself against the new superpower? Gavin Esler speaks to KCL Professor and former Beijing embassy official Kerry Brown – whose new book looks at China-UK relations all the way back to 1600 – to explain the current climate between the two powers. Buy The Great Reversal: Britain, China and the 400-Year Contest for Power through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Far-right riots and racist violence have traumatised Britain – but how powerful are the extremists? Where are they drawing their power from? And how can ordinary people stop them? Paul Mason is a journalist is the author of How To Stop Fascism. He tells Andrew Harrison what makes modern far-right politics different and dangerous – the compromises we’ll need to defeat it – and why we need “militant democracy” to protect our freedoms.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fallout from rioting continues to dominate the news – how will the Government handle this? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss challenges for Starmer now and into the future. Plus, they discuss clashes with Elon Musk, relations with China, Trump’s most recent grim behaviour and the latest from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There’s all that and more in your primer for the week ahead.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1914, war engulfed Europe in a conflict that killed millions and change the course of the twentieth century. Now, 110 years later, the geopolitical climate feels uncomfortably familiar to the period preceding the First World War. Are we moving ever closer to another global conflict – and might it be avoided by taking lessons from the origins of the Great War? To find out, Luke Turner talks to David Stevenson, professor of international history at the London School of Economics.       We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Luke Turner. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For decades class has been a dirty word in British politics. Now Keir Starmer heads the most working class, least privately-educated cabinet in modern history, and is putting class concerns like workers’ rights reform at the centre of its politics. Will Labour’s programme work? How true has the party been to its working class origins? And does it win when it is? Political historian Anthony Broxton of Tides of History takes Andrew Harrison into Labour’s tangled history with the class issue.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Biden won’t have a second term as president after he heeded calls to leave the 2024 race. So as it comes towards an end, how will his time in office be remembered? Leslie Vinjamuri director of the US and the Americas programme at Chatham House, talks to Dorian Lynskey about Biden’s legacy.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The country is facing its worst wave of far-right violence in the modern age –but is it just mindless thuggery or are deeper forces at work? Can the psychology of rioting help us defeat this wave of violence?Professor of social psychology Clifford Stott unpacks the dynamics of the riots, how they’ve spread, and what they really mean to Andrew Harrison.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An occasional series on how Britain is fixing its battered foreign relationships. Today: After the combative Tory years, Keir Starmer is trying to reset the Anglo-French connection. What do we want from France and what does Paris want from us? Britain’s former Ambassador to France Lord Peter Ricketts talks to Ros Taylor about whether Starmer and Macron are natural allies, the damage caused by Brexit, and what France’s “deep unease” with itself means for Britain. • “I would not have relished being Ambassador to France and having my friends ask ‘Poor Britain, what are you doing?’” • “By about 2020-21, things were at rock bottom… When Liz Truss was asked ‘France, friend of foe?’ and she replied that the jury was still out.” We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the worst civil disorder in a decade, will severe instant sentencing deter rioters like it did in 2011? Is the violence evidence of the far right’s weakness, not its strength? And is this really a test of the Starmer Government’s strength? Plus Kamala Harris’s choices of running mate, the chances of an Israel/Hezbollah war, and more Alex Andreou sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Assistant producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s new army chief recently said Britain must be ready for war in three years. Where are the biggest threats coming from, what are our current weaknesses, and how can we best prepare? To find out, Gavin Esler speaks to the Economist’s defence editor Shashank Joshi.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump recently announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. Who exactly is Vance – and why is he the subject of so much controversy? POLITICO national political correspondent and author of Trump in Exile Meridith McGraw tells Dorian Lynskey of her own recent experience on the campaign trail with the Senator.   Buy Trump in Exile through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Olympics are in full-swing – but news of medals and victory are often overshadowed by controversies linked to contestants and politics. We’ve seen this already this year – but has the Olympics always been so political? Emma Kennedy sits down with David Goldblatt, author of The Games: A Global History of the Olympics.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From overcrowding to underfunding, British prisons are in crisis. So how can Labour remedy 14 years of the Tories’ neglect of criminal justice system? Former director of public prosecutions Lord Ken Macdonald sits down with Ros Taylor to discuss how we might solve the prison conundrum.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves is set to unveil a £20bn black hole in public finances – what will Labour do about this? In more bleak news, GPs are set to strike over unfair working conditions – what would this mean for patients? And, a public sector pay deal is expected, what will it look like? Plus, who are the top contenders in the Tory leadership race? In world news, we discuss the latest in the U.S. Presidential race, and concerning escalations between Israel and Hezbollah. Jacob Jarvis and Ros Taylor discuss what you need to know for the week ahead. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Kamala Harris set to replace Joe Biden in the 2024 race, focus has turned to who will be her running mate. Jacob Jarvis gets the rundown on the top contenders from Katie Gaddini, visiting scholar at Stanford University, an associate professor of sociology at the Social Research Institute, University College London. Take a listen to America Friction podcast: https://listen.podmasters.uk/American_Friction   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As our climate continues to heat up, wildfires, flooding and drought are becoming the new normal. But beyond weather events, how is extreme heat affecting our politics, economy, and society at large – and have we already reached a boiling point? Alex Andreou asks Jeff Goodell, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of The Heat Will Kill You First.   Buy The Heat Will Kill You First through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund [name of podcast] by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As vicious conflicts rage across the world, the civil war in Sudan has received limited attention. To explain the far-reaching impacts of the conflict, the humanitarian crisis unfolding, and why we should start paying attention, Gavin Esler speaks to Alan Boswell, Crisis Group’s director for the horn of Africa, in today’s Bunker.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has one hell of a challenge fixing everything the Tories broke in their 14 years in charge. Where to begin? Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee sits down with Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss Starmer’s uphill battle ahead.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the morning after Joe Biden’s shock withdrawal from the U.S. Presidential race. Why now – and who will replace him? Closer to home, we’ve got Keir Starmer’s first PMQs to look forward to. What should we expect? And what does the strike on Yemen mean for the Middle East – and how will international governments respond? Want to hear more about the situation in the US? Listen to American Friction, from the makers of the Bunker. Here’s a link to their bonus episode discussing Biden’s withdrawal: https://listen.podmasters.uk/AF2407bidenquits?at=1001l39LM We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amazon turns 30 this month – and it’s unrecognisable from the online bookstore it once was. But can it continue to grow forever – or might recent legal cases mark the end of Bezos’ global market domination? Kate Devlin speaks to The Wall Street Journal’s Dana Mattioli, author of The Everything War, to find out. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for The Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.   Buy The Everything War: Amazon's Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power through our affiliate bookshop here and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Kate Devlin. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Political leaders have been targeted by assassins for thousands of years – Donald Trump being the latest example, after the attempt on his life in Pennsylvania. Historically, what impact have these actions had on societies the world over? What similarities are there between these acts and the people who carry them out? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Arie Perliger, professor in security studies at University of Massachusetts Lowell and author of American Zealots: Inside Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism, to discuss the history of political killings – and how we can prevent them.     • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for The Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour’s landslide has brought in a new wave of political optimism to the UK. But a  near record poll attendance has been a cause for concern in the weeks following the election. Hannah Fearn is joined by Professor of behavioural science at Kingston University Gaëlle Vallée Tourangeau to find out why people just aren’t turning out to vote and what can be done to engage with the electorate.     • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for The Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.     Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer has plenty to get on with at home – but amid global turmoil, Labour’s foreign policy is increasingly important too. In response to multiple wars, regional conflicts, an increasingly far-right Europe and a turbulent U.S. Presidential race, how might Starmer interact with the rest of the world? Zoë Grünewald asks Dr Victoria Honeyman, associate professor of British politics at the University of Leeds. Please note, this episode was recorded on the 8th of July before the NATO summit.   • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for The Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Zoe Grunewald. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Trump shooting we ask what it means for America and the election. Could the failed assassination win the race for the former president? Meanwhile, the new Labour Government is in full swing. From the new Growth Agenda to the launch of Great British Energy what can we expect from Starmer this week? Recorded in the aftermath of England’s defeat, best not to say too much about that, Andrew Harrison and Hannah Fearn look out for the news stories which will shape the week ahead. Want to hear more about the situation in the US? Listen to American Friction, from the makers of The Bunker. Here’s a link to their bonus episode discussing the shooting: https://listen.podmasters.uk/AF240716TrumpShooting?at=1001l39LM • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Biden is the US’ oldest ever President – and it’s showing. From his catastrophic performance during the recent debate against Donald Trump, to celebrity calls for him to step down, the question on everyone’s lips is: Will he quit? Gavin Esler asks Democratic insider Sidney Blumenthal in today’s Bunker.     • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an increasingly unstable international climate, we need our internal laws more than ever – but they don’t seem to be working. Which states are ignoring them, what are the consequences, and who will enforce them? Alex Andreou asks Professor Kevin Heller, the ICC Prosecutor’s special advisor on war crimes, in today’s Bunker.       • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for The Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.    Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We think of the US as a universe unto itself, uninterested in the outside world. But according to geopolitics analyst and host of the Disorder podcast Jason Pack, few things influence American elections as much as three diaspora countries – Ireland, Italy and Israel – and “peer nation” the UK. Their role as political test labs for new ideas means that Keir Starmer’s victory could be good news for Democrats. But how do these “mystical relationships” work? Get Disorder wherever you get your podcasts. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for Bunker listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan with Incogni. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservatives are out of power for the first time in 14 years. So what does the future of the party look like, and should we expect a serious Tory-transformation if they have hopes of regaining control in the future? Ros Taylor asks Queen Mary University professor of politics and The Conservative Party After Brexit author Tim Bale, in The Bunker.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Robin Leeburn and Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

France’s shock election result: what does it mean and what comes next? Plus, week one of the new Labour government: Starmer heads the NATO summit and tours the Nations, Streeting aims to solve the junior doctor’s strike, and Lammy aims to reset relations with the EU. And all eyes are on Joe Biden amid calls for him to step down as presidential nominee. The week ahead with Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler.   • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Immigration is a divisive issue in America, much as it is here in the UK. How did the debate become so toxic – and is there a way to fix it and remove the heat from the arguments? Jonathan Blitzer, author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the situation, how politicians have failed – and how the public could change the way it thinks about the issue. Buy Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

General elections are pretty unusual events – and they can bring out the weirdest in both politicians and voters. But what are the strangest moments from votes of the past? Ros Taylor asks King’s College London Professor of Politics and Contemporary History Andrew Blick in today’s Bunker.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Newspapers aren’t as powerful as they were, but they still behave as if they are – and they remain overwhelmingly biased towards a Tory Party that could well be dying. How will they handle a new Labour government? Are the days of press power over? And where does the new power lie? Gavin Esler asks Goldsmiths Senior Journalism Lecturer Terry Kirby in The Bunker.  Buy The Newsmongers: A History of Tabloid Journalism through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are streaming LIVE on election night! Come and join your favourite panellists from Oh God, What Now?, The Bunker and Paper Cuts on YouTube from 10pm on Thursday 4th July as we react to the results live – you won't want to miss it. Visit https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow and subscribe now. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tax consistently ranks as one of the most important issues to voters. So why can’t anybody in politics talk about it honestly? Alex Andreou asks Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, in today’s Bunker. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In just three days, Brits will head to the polling stations to vote in the General Election. What do the polls show, and is there any chance of a Harry Kane-esque last minute Sunak win – or is it all over already? In other election news, France went to the polls yesterday, intensifying concerns about the country’s move to the far-right. Further afield, Biden has made a rallying comeback after a disastrous debate against Trump last week. But might he still step down? Plus, England miraculously salvage their spot in the Euros quarter finals, Glastonbury winds down, and Balmoral opens its doors to the public for the first time. The week ahead with Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor.  We are streaming LIVE on election night! Come and join your favourite panellists from Oh God, What Now?, The Bunker and Paper Cuts on YouTube from 10pm on Thursday 4th July as we react to the results live - you won't want to miss it. Visit https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow and subscribe now. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Starmer wins, just how will his Labour government be different from those of the past? And is the party’s new identity inextricable from Starmer himself? Andrew Harrison asks Labour Party historian Anthony Broxton, who runs the ‘Tides of History’ project. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – Go to Incogni.com/thebunker to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak’s cringe moments have received laser focus throughout the campaign. But what about messaging he’s putting out online? Who are parties targeting, where, and with what information? Jacob Jarvis asks Who Targets Me founder Sam Jeffers about the good, the bad and the ugly in online political ads throughout this campaign cycle. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the rising cost of mortgages to a lack of social housing, the housing crisis is one of the most pressing issues in this election. Hannah Fearn is joined by one of the UK’s most high-profile housing campaigners, Kwajo Tweneboa, whose book Our Country in Crisis: Britain's Housing Emergency and How We Rebuild is due out in July, to look at the sorry state of housing in the UK. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There have been plenty of memorable election stunts lately – with Ed Davey stealing the show so far in this campaign. But how far back does the history of these sorts of actions go? And do they work? Andrew Harrison is joined by Seth Thévoz to look at the history of political stunts and their impact on the polls. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The betting scandal just keeps getting worse for Sunak – will it dominate the week, or will another gaffe knock it off the front pages? Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead in the election campaign, plus the latest from the French election, conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and the looming Biden vs. Trump debate.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On 28 Jan 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after take-off, watched by a worldwide TV audience of millions. Seven crew members died and images of the tragedy etched themselves on the American mind. Now a new book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space reveals the corner-cutting and corporate culture that made Challenger an accident waiting to happen. Author Adam Higginbotham talks to Andrew Harrison. Buy Challenger through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professor Nick Maynard says the scenes he has witnessed in Gaza are the worst he’s seen in his 36 years as a surgeon. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to recount his most recent trip to the West Bank. • “We’re not politicians, we’re not lawmakers, we’re humanitarians – we’re just describing the appalling things that we have seen.” Click here to visit the GoFundMe page mentioned in today's episode. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Simon Williams. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Relations between Western nations and China are worsening. The US fears China’s growing global influence, but how far will it go to halt Xi Jinping’s ambitions? Sir Robin Niblett is a distinguished fellow at the international affairs think tank Chatham House and author of The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the US and China Will Shape Our Century. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker. Buy The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the US and China Will Shape Our Century through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China’s often controversial imprisonments of foreigners has horrified the Western world. But is Beijing doing this as part of its war with the West? Alex Andreou asks Harvard University research affiliate Peter Humphrey, who spent two years in the Chinese prison system, and now campaigns for the release of others. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production   www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s older generations have historically played a key role in elections. But how pivotal is the ‘grey vote’ ahead of July 4, and who is likely to win it? Gavin Esler talks to the New Statesman’s senior data journalist and Britain Elects co-founder Ben Walker about who this demographic actually describes and what they want.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor AndrewHarrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Tories bang on about tax, despite it not shifting the polls at all, is the prospect of total obliteration for the Conservative Party growing? And what policy areas and set pieces should we look out for this week? Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the campaign trail latest, and look at news from France, Ukraine and the USA.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Kremlin’s spy networks are well documented – but what’s less known is how they shaped Russian history. In centering the rise and fall of Communism in Russia’s history, are we missing a crucial historical axis – the intelligence services which have long kept an eye on citizens across Russia and further afield. Yuri Felshtinsky, author of From Red Terror To Terrorist State: Russia’s Intelligence Services and Their Fight For World Domination from Felix Dzerzhinsky to Vladimir Putin, joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to discuss whether the West fails to tell the full story of modern Russia. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s in the list of potential crises that could derail Labour’s first year, drawn up by Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray and nicknamed “Sue’s shit list”? Today Ros Taylor tells Andrew Harrison what happens to Labour if the prisons crisis boils over, the NHS hits a funding shortfall, or universities start going bust.   If you missed Part 1 yesterday, listen now to hear Jonn Elledge explain the consequences of the possible £15bn bankruptcy of Thames Water, the looming collapse of one or more local authorities, and public pay running out of control. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new Labour government could be thrown into chaos by any one of six potential crises, each identified in a dossier of dire warnings prepared by Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray. What’s in this critical document, which was quickly nicknamed “Sue’s shit list”? Today journalist Jonn Elledge takes Andrew Harrison through three of them: the possible £15bn bankruptcy of Thames Water, the looming collapse of one or more local authorities, and public pay running out of control. In Part 2 tomorrow, Ros Taylor explains what happens to Labour if the prisons crisis boils over, the NHS hits a funding shortfall, or universities start going bust.   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Macron’s snap election an act of desperation or a brilliant bluff? With young upstarts nipping at his heels, unprecedented alliances forming and his legacy hanging by a thread, Ros Taylor is joined by The Economist’s Paris bureau chief Sophie Pedder to get an insight into Macron’s election gamble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the SNP in turmoil and the Conservatives deeply unpopular, Scotland’s seats are potentially key to a Labour victory. Is Starmer’s party set to sweep up across the country? Gavin Esler talks to Glasgow Caledonian University Professor of Social Change Gerry Hassan, about Scotland’s role in the upcoming election.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmanuel Macron's surprise snap election has shocked politicos. Why did he call it? Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison discuss the landscape in France and the wider changes in Europe. Plus, where’s Sunak? We discuss the press dodging PM’s latest from the campaign trail. And manifestos are due this week – what should we expect? We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ’90s was a hugely consequential decade for the United States – for good and for bad. On the down side, we saw the rise of angry white men and the world’s worst TV channel. If only they’d stayed in the past. Jacob Jarvis speaks to Terry H. Anderson, author of Why the Nineties Matter, to discuss what made this ten year period so significant.      We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Chris Jones. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The European Elections are fast approaching – and the rise of the far-right is sparking concern. With some 373 million Europeans eligible to vote, this is a pivotal moment for democracy as a whole. Rafael Behr talks to political scientist Simon Hix, the Stein Rokkan chair in comparative politics at the European University Institute in Florence, about what this means for Europe – and the rest of the world.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s dominance of his political space is unprecedented, with the GOP in thrall to him despite all of his faults. There’s not much advice Biden should take from him, not morally or ethically at least, but could he benefit from copying his style somewhat? Chris Jones speaks to Berkeley professor of political science, Steven M. Fish, about his new book Comeback: RoutingTrumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy’s Edge.    You can buy a copy of Professor Fish’s book by following the link: https://www.rivertownsbooks.com/book-page/comeback     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter    www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Election campaigns are expensive to run, from travelling across the UK, to leaflets to adverts. So how are Sunak and Starmer going to spend their money? University of Sussex Senior Politics Lecturer Sam Power sits down with Ros Taylor to discuss how Sunak and Starmer are spending their campaign cash – and whether they’ll focus on traditional actions or pump it all into TikToks.      We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Labour try to brand themselves as the party of defence and the Tories go ever-more anti-woke, it’s the first head debate between Starmer and Sunak on ITV tomorrow – what can we expect? Plus, South Africa’s ANC has lost power after 30 years and now enters coalition talks. Big gains for far right parties are expected in the European Elections across 27 countries this week. And the US expects Israel to accept Joe Biden’s three-part ceasefire proposal, a huge development in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The week ahead with Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison.       We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Support us on Patreon.    Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production      www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As AI becomes more intelligent, should we cease treating chatbots like robots and more like humans? Should they be held accountable to similar standards and laws? Amid the exponential growth of humanoid machines and interfaces, Chris Jones speaks to Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, co-author of As If Human: Ethics and Artificial Intelligence and professorial research fellow in computer science at the University of Oxford. Buy As If Human: Ethics and Artificial Intelligence through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak banked on an improving economy when he went for an early general election. But does it matter if people aren’t feeling the changes? Do the Government’s claims that the UK is the fastest growing country in Europe stand up? And are the Tories now marked as the party of high inflation? Former Theresa May advisor Giles Wilkes talks to Andrew Harrison about the Tories’ high-stakes bet.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon.   Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is England? Well, that depends on the myths and stories you listen to. Are these tales more fiction than fact? In their new book England: Seven Myths That Changed A Country – and How to Set Them Straight authors Tom Baldwin and Marc Stears seek the reality of England’s national story. They join Ros Taylor in The Bunker.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Buy England: Seven Myths That Changed A Country – and How to Set Them Straight through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk     Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak’s election campaign is going as you’d expect – he’s managed to annoy everyone and make himself look like an idiot at the same time. After the national service announcement, can we expect anything but red meat for Express readers in the coming days? And, on the other hand – what real stuff will Starmer be discussing? Plus we look at the latest in Europe ahead of the EU elections.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak’s hapless, rain-sodden election announcement left the country agog. Is this how he means to go on? Why did he choose now? Can he really handle six weeks of punishing campaigning? Hasn’t anyone in No.1 got an umbrella? Seasoned political journalist Steve Richards of the Rock N Roll Politics podcast forecasts stormy electoral weather with Andrew Harrison.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio producer: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    Instagram | Twitter        podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The upcoming Indian election will be the biggest in history, with one fifth of the world’s population voting. How consequential will it be – for the nation and the rest of the world too?  Gavin Esler speaks to Rohan Venkat, consulting editor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Centre for the Advanced Study of India and editorial consultant at India’s Centre for Policy Research.  • “India is an unusual democratic experiment. What happens in this election is important for democracy all across the South.” – Rohan Venkat • “This is one fifth of the population that we’re talking about. Whatever happens for India matters for all of humanity.” – Rohan Venkat We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Say “monetarism” to anyone who was around in the early 80s and watch the chill run down their spine. Margaret Thatcher tried to conquer inflation by using a fringe economic credo of slashing the money supply. The result was a collapsed economy and unemployment on a colossal scale. What was monetarism? Did it work, even in its own terms? And where are its echoes today? Tim Lankester – then the PM’s private secretary for economic affairs, now author of Inside Thatcher’s Monetarism Experiment – takes Andrew Harrison back to an age of scorched earth economics.   • “She set out to get inflation down, but it didn’t work out well at all. There was a massive deflation of the economy and unemployment almost doubled.” – Sir Tim Lankester • “Manufacturing suffered enormously. Output went down by almost 20%. These were pretty bad years for the economy.” – Sir Tim Lankester Buy Inside Thatcher’s Monetarism Experiment through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Simon Williams. Produced by Eliza Davis-Beard. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Art by Jim Perrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conspiracy theorists and disinformation around issues such as the Coid-19 pandemic have created an army of non-expert experts around the world. With the advancement of AI and social media dominating people’s lives, properly researched information from trusted sources is needed now more than ever. But has society already gone too far? Tom Nichols is a writer for The Atlantic and the author of “The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters”, and joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker. Buy The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash destabilise Iran, worsen its conflict with Israel, reignite the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests – or all three? Plus the infected blood scandal turns out even worse than anyone thought. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case faces the COVID inquiry. And are the Tories deliberately driving British universities into crisis? The week ahead with Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production    www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The most searing drama of the 1980s, Alan Bleasdale’s Boys From The Blackstuff turned Thatcher’s unemployment crisis into unmissable TV. Unemployed builder “Yosser” Hughes’s desperate plea “gizza job” became a catchphrase. Now the story comes to London in an acclaimed stage adaptation by James ‘Dear England’ Graham. Barry Sloane, cast as Yosser, talks to Andrew Harrison about why the Blackstuff still matters, the legacy of original Yosser actor Bernard Hill… and the power of dark humour. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Simon Williams. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vladimir Putin has surrounded himself with loyalists who have kept him in power for 20 years. Earlier this week, Russian defence minister and close ally of Putin, Sergei Shoigu, was removed from his post. But the author of The New Politics of Russia, Andrew Monaghan, says Shoigu’s removal was less of a sacking, as Western media suggests, and more of a promotion. He joins Chris Jones to discuss how Putin’s inner circle operates.    Buy The New Politics of Russia through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit,    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard and Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain has a spy problem, with a significant surge in threats from China, Russia and Iran in recent months. What kind of covert operations are they running? Gavin Esler sits down with former MI6 director of operations and intelligence and director of transnational threats and political risk at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Nigel Inkster, to find out just how concerned we should be.     • “We’re seeing a significant upsurge in espionage and other forms of covert activity directed at western countries.” – Nigel Inkster  • “At the end of the day, there is always going to be a role for the human source, for secret agents, because you need to know what is going on in the minds of key decision makers… you can’t interrogate a tape recorder or a satellite.” – Nigel Inkster    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You might have seen a flurry of alarming headlines and articles about bird flu in recent weeks. Some reports are comparing it to COVID-19, and positioning it as the next potential worldwide pandemic. How concerned should we be? Alex Andreou asks Devi Sridhar, Professor and Personal Chair in Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh.  • “Previously, you’d have to be in very close proximity with an infected bird. That is changing. For the first time, we have now confirmed cow to human transmission – that is a signal that something is different here.” – Devi Sridhar  • “It’s like a lottery. There are millions of viruses circulating among animals.” – Devi Sridhar We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brits have a bad reputation abroad – but what about Britain as a whole? To discuss how other countries look at Britain, Rafael Behr speaks to FT journalist Michael Peel, author of What Everyone Knows About Britain (*Except the British).  • “Looking at Britain from overseas made Brexit easier to see coming.” – Michael Peel  Buy What Everyone Knows About Britain (*Except the British) through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In your round-up of the week ahead… Rishi Sunak warns that the UK is about to face its most dangerous years ever. The Israeli assault on the Gazan city of Rafah is imminent. And, what does Russia’s new incursion into Ukraine north of Kharkiv mean? Plus, the Trump trial continues with testimonies scheduled from his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. And why were EU flags banned from the Eurovision finale?      • “Rishi Sunak says the challenges of the next few years are so enormous and so scary that only Conservative innovation and Sunak’s own bold ideas can help us face it.”  – Ros Taylor    • “Sunak is undoubtedly trying to distract attention from the state that the country is in. If you look at what’s going on in Russia, the NHS will look less depressing.” – Ros Taylor     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.      Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain and America’s link is often called the “special relationship”. But is it that special anymore – or is it actually pretty one-sided? Angus Hanton is a businessman and entrepreneur and the author of Vassal State: How America Runs Britain. He argues that the relationship has changed for the worse – and that Britain has become the 51st state of the United States at great cost to its economy. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss.    Buy Vassal State: How America Runs Britain through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.    • “We’re being taken over at scale and the government doesn’t care.” – Angus Hanton  • “I think this has contributed to our impoverishment and higher tax rates.” – Angus Hanton    If you want more US politics – listen to our new podcast American Friction, out every Friday in the run up to November’s election. Available here, or wherever you get your podcasts.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit,    Support us on Patreon.     Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Swearing is a part of life. But is there a place for it in politics? Would Parliament function better if politicians were allowed to use a bit more profanity? Alex Andreou discusses this with Philip Seargeant, senior lecturer in applied linguistics at The Open University and author of The Art of Political Storytelling. • “Swearing always has a purpose.” – Philip Seargeant • “The idea that language can be particularly harmful has come more from the younger generation.” – Philip Seargeant  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Starmer’s referencing of Thatcher has enraged the left – but is it anything beyond symbolic politicking? And is he really Thatcherite at all? Andrew Harrison speaks to Robert Saunders, a reader in modern British history at Queen Mary University of London, about the legacy of Thatcher and how it ties in with modern Labour policy.  • “It’s worth remembering that Margaret Thatcher herself borrowed ideas from the left.” – Robert Saunders • “I think Thatcher would be quite alarmed by what she would see in a Reeves-Starmer manifesto.” – Robert Saunders  • “Truss and Sunak were giving two different memories of Margaret Thatcher in the last Tory leadership contest… it was like two branches of the same religion.” – Robert Saunders  • “Margaret Thatcher has become a myth. And the nature of myths means every generation can give different tales about them.” – Robert Saunders We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak is trying to spin his local election trouncing as best as he can – what bluster should we ignore this week? Plus, the latest from Gaza as Israel strikes Rafah. And, the Trump trial rolls on – while Xi visits Europe for the first time in five years. Alex Andreou talks Jacob Jarvis through the week ahead.     • “There’s a sort of electoral ruthlessness to the Labour Party at the moment.” – Alex Andreou  • “Sunak should call an election, he won’t, but he should.” – Alex Andreou   • “If Sunak should do something then that usually suggests he won’t do it.” – Jacob Jarvis  • “This is a critical moment for Netenyahu.” – Alex Andreou   • “There is a weird mix of entitlement and scattergun strategy going on from Trump in his court case.” – Jacob Jarvis    Want to hear more about the American election? Then listen to our new podcast, hosted by Jacob Jarvis, ‘American Friction’ – out every Friday in the run up to November’s vote.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is “fandom” one of the drives behind our dysfunctional politics? That’s the thesis of Dr Phoenix Andrews new book I Heart Politics – who writes about how people power is behind a series of quake moments in recent political history. He joins Andrew Harrison to discuss whether the phenomenon and power of fandom is overlooked in contemporary politics, and how the fandoms of politicians like Trump, Farage and Thatcher affect the cultural zeitgeist. • “The world feels mad, but finding people with a common passion is uplifting.” – Dr Phoenix Andrews • “Political fandom is basically Eurovision with consequences.” – Dr Phoenix Andrews We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Buy Phoenix Andrew’s book I Heart Politics: How People Power Took Over the World through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Adam Wright and Liam Tait. Audio Production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Artwork: James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The brand new podcast from the makers of The Bunker. Bewildered by the US Presidential Election? Don’t worry, American Friction has got you. Every Friday Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone join expert special guests to count down to America’s most rancorous election in generations.  Get the full episode and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major platforms.  Follow us on social media:  Twitter Instagram  TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fox News is regularly criticised for being sensationalist, full of conspiracies and obsessed with Trump. But, what’s it like if you really watch it for hours on end? Jacob Jarvis did just that and he talked to Dan Cassino, a political scientist at Fairleigh Dickinson University and author of: Fox News and American Politics: How One Channel Shapes American Politics and Society, about what he saw. What is the channel, which has been America’s most watched cable news station for twenty years, really all about?      • “What’s happened over the years to Fox News is it’s turned into something akin to a celebrity gossip magazine.” – Dan Cassino  • “If you come to the US Fox News is on wherever you are and that’s how it’s meant to be consumed… with about 30% of your brain.” – Dan Cassino  • “We’re still living in the world that Fox News Created.” – Dan Cassino    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Artwork by Jim Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s followers are often described as cult-like. But how much does the former president actually act like a cult leader? Does he employ the same coercive control tactics utilised by infamous infamous figureheads of the past – like Jim Jones and Sun Myung Moon? The Cult of Trump author and leading mind control expert Steven Hassan tells Rafael Behr how perceiving Trump as a cult leader might let us better understand the current political climate.  • “People don’t care that Trump has ninety-one criminal charges against him, that he has over 40,000 documented lies. They refuse to believe he lost the election. Their minds have been hacked.” – Steven Hassan • “There are a lot of different cults in the cult of trump.” – Steven Hassan We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Satire has been pronounced dead more times than disco. As the political world has lurched into chaos, satirists have struggled to match the absurdity of the figures they mock. But what happens if politics gets boring? Andrew Harrison is joined by Jan Ravens to find out how satire can survive beyond the next general election.     • “Liz Truss’s tragic flaw is that she hasn't grown up. She is still a little girl expecting approval.”  – Jan Ravens  • “Satire can't bring down the government, but it can attach an idea to people that they can never shake off.”  – Andrew Harrison  • “I'm very happy to do without my Liz Truss impression if it means we can do without her in any position of power whatsoever.” – Jan Ravens    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by Jim Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We live in a world of borders – and often take them for granted. But they’ve shaped the world in myriad ways over the centuries. Our politicians go to extreme lengths to secure them and in some cases build giant walls to protect them. So what can we learn from examining their history?     Andrew Harrison is joined by Jonn Elledge, author of A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps, as we talk about the weird and wonderful history of the lines on our maps.     • “Open borders aren’t inherently progressive, Genghis Khan was in favour of them!”  – Jonn Elledge   • “When you look back through history, You have empires, you have cities but there aren’t many borders.” – Jonn Elledge  • “Borders in Europe only really started settling down in the 17th and 18th centuries.”  – Jonn Elledge     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Buy Jonn Elledge’s book A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the local elections this week – just how bad does it look for Rishi Sunak? As general election rumours swirl, he’s going to be crossing everything in the coming days… And there was the no confidence vote in Scotland lined up – but it’s been reported Humza Yousaf will quit before it happens. Plus, Trump’s trial continues – will he contain his rage as it rolls on? Then finally we turn to Gaza and look at the latest in terms of ceasefire talks. All that and more in Start Your Week, with Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis.     • “Sunak wants to give the impression that the Rwanda deportations will happen and that no legal issues will get in the way” – Ros Taylor   • “Calling an election for July might actually be advantageous for Sunak.” – Ros Taylor    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. ENDS  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Silicon Valley presents itself as a haven for tech start-ups wanting to change the world for the better. But, beneath the facade, it has a serious fraud problem. Why do tricksters thrive among the geniuses? Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the FTX crypto exchange is the latest high-profile example – but he’s far from being the first tech start-up founder to wind up in jail. Erin Griffith is a reporter for the New York Times specialising in tech and finance – and joins Chris Jones in The Bunker to discuss this dark phenomenon.  • “When there’s a lot of free money going around, that’s going to attract a lot of people to exploit that.” – Erin Griffith • “The venture capital investors who are backing these companies are sophisticated… but there’s also an element of FOMO because there are only so many startups that might be the next Facebook.” – Erin Griffith • “I’m not sure anything is changing apart from some of these charges for fraud that are now being prosecuted in criminal court.” – Erin Griffith We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit Support us on Patreon. Written, presented and produced by Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservative Party was once a unified force, able to steadily maintain power. But today’s Tories are in constant turmoil. How did they become the party of chaos? Since Brexit there’s been a revolving door of leaders, the rise of tribalism within the party and a series of humiliating byelection losses. Alex Andreou is joined by professor of politics at Queen Mary University Tim Bale to try and understand this shift in conservative politics.     • “Everything that top Tories say needs to be considered as part of their future leadership contest.” – Tim Bale  • “Without Brexit, we wouldn't have seen the turmoil that we've seen over the last decade.”  – Tim Bale    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prospect of a new Civil War in the United States is increasingly discussed as political turmoil rips through America. How could such a conflict actually break out? Rob Hutton is joined by The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future author Stephen Marche to discuss the terrifying new film Civil War – and how the reality could be even worse.     • “Civil wars when they come are the very worst things that can happen to a country. In England, the civil war demonstrated a level of brutality that is now unthinkable to us.” – Stephen Marche   • “It’s so dangerous right now, not because the people are inherently violent, but because for those people to get power, they need hatred to get them there.” – Stephen Marche    Buy The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon.      Written and presented by Rob Hutton. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Union Jack represents many things for many people, linked to historical pride – but also shame. And, unfortunately, it’s become somewhat synonymous with the political Right. So what is Labour’s relationship with the flag? Andrew Harrison asks The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party co-author Gerry Hassan if Labour can reclaim Britishness.     • “I don’t think anyone in the UK can be completely objective about the Union Jack. Flags are things we have emotional connections with. The Union Jack’s meaning has evolved over centuries.” – Gerry Hassan  • “Lots of people say we have to either identify and feel pride in it, or loathe it – but it’s important we allow for a polarity of meanings.” – Gerry Hassan  • “In our current age of culture wars, symbols really matter. And symbols like national flags are highly contested.” – Gerry Hassan  • “Flags are part of who we are as human beings.” – Gerry Hassan      Buy The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    Support us on Patreon     Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak has lost another MP after Mark Menzies announced he’s leaving the Tories and won’t stand at the next election. What issues does this raise for the PM? Meanwhile, the Tory leader is set to head to Poland to discuss the Ukraine war with Donald Tusk. What will they talk about? Plus, will Israel go ahead with further strikes on Rafah? And can Donald Trump manage to stay awake during his hush money trial this week? Alex Andreou joins Ros Taylor to discuss the week ahead.     • “They were happy to comment on an ongoing investigation last week, life comes at you fast.” – Alex Andreou   • “The lack of any kind of compromise is part of the reason why the Lords have dug their heels in. The government has made absolutely no moves to meet them even 2% of the way, they’ve just flatly turned everything down.” – Alex Andreou  • “The legislative process shouldn’t be one of trying to ram things through a House that dislikes them.” – Alex Andreou      We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit    Support us on Patreon   Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We know what happened the last time Donald Trump lost – and Joe Biden wants to make sure he’s prepared for more shenanigans this time out. If Trump doesn’t win “he is willing to cheat and steal it,'' writes today’s guest Adam Rawnsley, reporter for Rolling Stone magazine. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss how President Biden is preparing for an electoral tussle with the GOP. • “The one message we keep seeing from the polls is that no one is excited for this race.” – Adam Rawnsley • “We have a uniquely dim system … the electoral college.” – Adam Rawnsley We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vladimir Putin has a tight grip on information in Russia. How does he shape how his nation sees the rest of the world? And how does he actually perceive other countries? Chris Jones asks Dr. Ivan Grigoriev, lecturer in Russian politics at the King’s Russia Institute.     • “Propaganda in Russia is like a steamroller that keeps rolling over and over the population.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev  • “Russia’s election went just how we thought it would: It was an 87% landslide election for Vladimir Putin. And the primary goal of this election was to show that if Putin wants 87%, he will get 87%.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev      We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paris is like Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. But it’s changing. Physically, through massive expansions in social housing and transport and a €40bn shot of investment, but also politically and psychologically. People are even smiling in the streets these days. Ros Taylor talks to Simon Kuper, Financial Times columnist and author of Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century, about how the French capital is transforming in the lead up to this year’s Olympics.  • “One thing that globalisation does is it removes these weird localities – and in Paris, that locality was rudeness.” – Simon Kuper • “Paris is trying to become London with the bad bits left out.” - Simon Kuper  Buy Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast    Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Political drama can be tedious but we can all enjoy watching a bitter rivalry unfold. What have been the greatest personal beefs in British politics? Before Starmer and Sunak there was Thatcher and Heath, Blair and Brown, Cameron and Johnson. Seth Thévoz talks Andrew Harrison through some of the ultimate Westminster head-to-heads.   • “When the personal overrides the principle, that’s when it becomes a problem. It’s a weak spot if you’re trying to bring down a person and not forward a cause.”   • “There are tales of Brown yelling at Blair, ‘You ruined my life!’”   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit . Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All eyes remain on the Middle East after Iran’s drone attacks on Israel. How will Netanyahu respond? And how are Britain and the US going to react? In the UK, Parliament returns – what is on the agenda? Plus, we look at other flashpoints across the globe – and round-up the rest of the domestic news. Alex Andreou and Hannah Fearn talk through the week ahead.     • “Perhaps it is a poor choice of timing for Iran, but it feels like a febrile time for the entire region.” – Hannah Fearn  • “It feels like both sides are looking for a forever war.” – Alex Andreou  • “The attack crystallised the partnership between Israel, the US and the UK.” – Hannah Fearn  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Producer: Liam Tait. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump needs evangelical Christian voters to back him to stand a chance in November. But can his religious rhetoric and doubling down on his supposed love of all things Jesus really help him win? Philip Bump is a national columnist for The Washington Post and says that “Trump’s appeal to Christians is more limited than he suggests”. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss whether Trump’s Christian pandering will help him.  • “There’s definitely a subset that believes that the hand of God came down and anointed Donald Trump.” – Philip Bump • “I don’t know if there’s anyone Trump could pick as his running mate to lose his support from evangelical Christians.” – Philip Bump We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every party promises a growing economy as a solution for everything – but can economic expansion carry on forever? On a planet with finite resources, can growth really be infinite? Ros Taylor talks to Daniel Susskind, economic professor and author of Growth: A History and a Reckoning, about the mystery of economic growth, what “degrowthers” want, and how to balance the pros and cons of an ever-expanding economy.  • “Economic growth feels like it’s a permanent fixture, and yet for most of history there was no growth at all. Modern economic growth only really began about 200-250 years ago.” – Daniel Susskind  • “One of the great mysteries in economics is that we actually know surprisingly little about the process of economic growth.” – Daniel Susskind  • “One thing degrowthers get wrong is this idea that we cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. I think we CAN have effectively infinite growth.” – Daniel Susskind  Buy Growth: A History and a Reckoning through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adolf Hitler still comes up in conversations startlingly regularly – particularly online. Why? Sir Richard J. Evans, regius professor emeritus of history at the University of Cambridge and the author of The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination, as well as countless other titles, tells Jacob Jarvis why we’re still so obsessed with one of the most evil people to ever live.    • “Our perspectives change - you can now look at Hitler through the eyes and experience of Donald Trump, whose relationship to the truth and hostility to democracy make us look at Hitler afresh.” - Richard J. Evans • “Seeing the worst that humanity can do, we can use that as a signpost to the more trivial decisions between good and bad.” - Richard J. Evans Buy The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780141991498] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could you watch GB News for a whole month? Gavin Esler did, in the name of research. What he experienced was a nightmare mix of confected anger, wild conspiracy and resentment designed to make its viewers feel like victims. GB News might be a joke but its growing social media presence is spreading and detoxifying the hard right views of some very powerful people. Gavin tells Andrew Harrison why we need to start taking Britain’s most absurd TV channel much more seriously. • “I am a recovering GB News watcher. I have to say, it was an ordeal - it was awful.” - Gavin Esler • “Some of the appeal is that ‘we give voice to people who aren’t heard’… But it is an attempt to normalise things that are fundamentally linked to the far right.” - Gavin Esler • “GB News plays into our social divisions, it plays into culture wars, it plays into people who wish to create problems and not solve them. - Gavin Esler Read Gavin’s highly entertaining story GB Spews – What I learned watching Britain’s most ghastly television news channel in Prospect magazine.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Israel/Gaza war reaches stalemate, are hopes of a ceasefire just wishful thinking? Are “peace talks” in Ukraine just a euphemism for giving Putin what he wants? Plus Thames Water circles the plughole, the William Wragg WhatsApp fallout, and a total eclipse of everyone’s sanity. Ros Taylor sets out the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.   • “I think we’re seeing a slow creep towards giving up some Ukrainian territory to Russia”  • “The more Putin can pick-off Ukrainian support, particularly in Eastern Europe, the less likely Ukraine will be able to fight”  • “The William Wragg honeytrap scandal could just be someone being mischievous, but it could well be something much more serious”  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even if you aren’t on Tiktok, you’ll know one of its billion plus monthly users. But how many of them know how their data is being collected, by whom, and why? The US is now proposing to ban the Chinese-owned social media platform over its links to the Chinese Communist Party. Chris Jones asks leading tech journalist Will Guyatt whether this is all just a form of political warfare against China – or if we really should worry about TikTok.     • “The idea that TikTok is in whole owned by the Chinese Communist Party isn’t true. It’s a complex system of ownership spread across the world, including the U.S. and the Cayman Islands.”   • “There are rabid inconsistencies. Joe Biden is saying he’ll support the act to ban TikTok, and using it as a part of his campaign.”   • “Is this about fears over information gathering or is this purely geopolitical? Or a bigger feeling that we shouldn’t do anything to benefit China?”     Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s Miners’ Strike conjures up strong emotions to this day – despite 40 years having passed since the confrontation. But what are the common misconceptions of this period of history? And how are its effects still being felt today? Andrew Harrison asks Robert Gildea, emeritus professor of modern history at the University of Oxford, about the enduring legacy of the Miners’ Strike.       • “The slogan was ‘close a pit, kill a community’ – and there was indeed devastation across mining communities in the decade after the strikes.” – Robert Gildea   • "There was a kind of ‘alternative welfare state’ that was set up largely by the miners’ wives who sustained striking miners and their families. Women came into their own.” – Robert Gildea      Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast      Listen to the latest episode of Jam Tomorrow on the coal industry:   https://listen.podmasters.uk/JT2404coal    Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s police forces seem constantly embroiled in scandal. Where does this stem from and where is most of the corruption? Former police officer and undercover drugs operative Neil Woods, author of Good Cop, Bad War, talks to Alex Andreou about the extent of police corruption in Britain and the pressing need for drug reform to reduce the problem.   • “If the public understood the extent of corruption caused by drug policy, we would have a referendum... Drug laws in this country are not ethically sound.” – Neil Woods  • “Because criminals control the over £10 billion a year drug market, which is completely unregulated, the vastness of that wealth is what gives organised crime its power to corrupt.” – Neil Woods  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Tories face electoral obliteration, according to the polls – can Sunak do anything about it? We reflect on the latest damning survey and the current fallouts swirling around the PM. Plus we discuss conflict in the Middle East, and the latest strikes on Gaza and Syria. And finally we look at the latest from the war in Ukraine, then the election results in Turkey. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead.     • “This is a really high-stakes local election – if the Tories do as poorly as some of the polls predict, it might be time-up for Rishi Sunak” – Alex Andreou   • “Most Tory voters are now either sanguine about a Labour government, or actively want one.” – Alex Andreou   • “Putin’s words often have the opposite effect to what they intended.” – Alex Andreou    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Collapsing birthrates have inspired dramas from The Handmaid’s Tale to Children of Men, but it isn’t just science fiction any more. We might not realise it, but we’re living through an epidemic of infertility – and it’s getting worse. How did we get here? What does it mean when humans have fewer babies? And how do we turn it around?     Jude Rogers finds out from world-leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Dr Shanna Swan, author of the cheerily-entitled Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development and Imperilling the Future of the Human Race.    • “This is too fast to be merely evolution... This is a worldwide challenge, if not a catastrophe.” – Dr Shanna Swan  • “Chemicals that affect hormones are influencing the decline in birth rates. We’re the guinea pigs… People need to exert pressure on governments to bring in legislation to stop that.” – Dr Shanna Swan    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Putin’s threats have made nuclear conflict plausible for the first time since the Cold War – but few really understand the enormity of what it would mean. New book Nuclear War: A Scenario describes such a war step-by-step, from a surprise first strike from North Korea to the destruction of Washington D.C, miles-wide firestorms, the immolation of hundreds of millions of people, and the final extinction of civilisation – all within two hours and 40 minutes.  Pulitzer-nominated author Annie Jacobsen conducted dozens of new interview with military and civilian experts. She talks Andrew Harrison through her timeline of a realistic Apocalypse.  • “What unfolds is a series of missteps with extraordinary consequences.” – Annie Jacobson • “This is without doubt the most terrifying book I’ve ever read.” – Andrew Harrison • “We have a launch on warning policy. If we believe a ballistic missile is going to hit the U.S., the President will launch a nuclear weapon immediately. But they are woefully unprepared and uneducated about it.” – Annie Jacobson Buy Nuclear War: A Scenario through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Moon is packed with precious resources – silicon for microchips, manganese for batteries, and titanium for missiles. As private companies, Japan, China, Russia, India and others rush to claim our lunar neighbour, will they look after humanity’s interests or their own? And what happens when these big, belligerent actors collide? A.C. Grayling, writer, broadcaster and philosophy professor, has just published Who Owns the Moon? In Defence of Humanity’s Common Interests in Space. He talks to Alex Andreou about exploration, exploitation and trouble on the next frontier. Buy Who Owns the Moon? through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “Nobody owns the Moon, which means everybody does. And if we all own it, we should all have a say in it. But in reality, very few people are having a say in it.” – A.C. Grayling • “The U.N. treaty, in declaring the Moon a no-man’s land, has provided us with nothing that would restrain any activity there. The treaty is not fit for purpose. We need a better one.” – A.C. Grayling • “Right now is the last time in history that you’d want to try and get everyone to sign an international treaty for the moon.” – A.C. Grayling www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We think our media is mostly truthful, honest and fearless, but investigative journalism is increasingly stymied by legal threats and the infamous SLAPP (“Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation”) from the powerful. In Cuckooland: Where The Rich Own The Truth, Guardian investigations correspondent Tom Burgis follows a trail of money and influence from Uzbekistan, Nepal and Putin’s Russia to the heart of the Conservative Party – and an extraordinary encounter with Tory donor Mohamed Amersi. If money, power and limitless legal resources mean the rich can redefine the truth, as Burgis claims, what can we do about it? Buy Cuckooland through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “People think journalists can report things honestly, but what you don’t see is that … a lot of journalists self-censor, choose not to write about people who are litigious.” - Tom Burgis • “This is the reality of journalism these days. We’re always carrying a lawyer around in our heads. - Tom Burgis • “The story of our time, from Putin to Trump and all points in between, is how these kleptocrats seize and maintain power through corruption.” - Tom Burgis www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard and Chris Jones. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain is blaming Beijing for a major cyber attack on voter data – how will this impact relations with China? And how awkward could things get for David Cameron? Plus, Rishi Sunak isn’t doing well as Prime Minister – but are the Tories giving up on plans to replace him? And we discuss the fallout from the recent Moscow terror attack, as well as the latest calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to talk through the news to look out for this week.      • “I can’t imagine how [David Cameron] must be feeling, it was only in 2015 he was trumpeting a golden era with China.” – Alex Andreou   • “Whatever way you cut it – the Conservatives will lose hundreds of seats” – Alex Andreou  • “There’s been a parade of people saying ’leave Kate alone!’, and those people have made living from not leaving her alone” – Alex Andreou   • “You can’t punish civilians for the sins of their leader” – Alex Andreou    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. ENDS  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Trump set to be the GOP’s presidential candidate, who will he pick to be his running mate? There’s a whole host of Republicans lining up to take on the role – despite Trump’s backlog of legal battles and the questionable ways he treats those around him. But who has a chance – and who’s been completely ruled out already? Jacob Jarvis is joined in the Bunker by Politico’s senior political columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin, before taking a deep dive on some of the candidates with Bunker USA producer Chris Jones.     • “There are plenty of thirsty Republicans, as the kids would say, who are eager to take the risk.” – Jonathan Martin  • “I think the criteria is someone he can totally control… and in short someone who is not Mike Pence.” – Jonathan Martin  • “Ambition is a powerful drug and that’s obvious when it comes to US politics.” – Jonathan Martin      Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Britain moving into a “pre-war world”, as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps warned in January? Could we fight a land war or other conflict with Russia if we had to? Are we prepared militarily, economically and psychologically? And what would we have to do to make ourselves secure? RUSI European Security Research Fellow Edward R. Arnold tells Ros Taylor some uncomfortable home truths about NATO, our European allies, and our ability to defend ourselves. • “Our forces are quite underprepared. Two years ago it was assessed the British army has enough artillery to fight for a week – the German army for only two days.” – Edward R. Arnold • “War between NATO and Russia would look very different from the war with Russia and Ukraine. Offensive operations are far more complicated than defensive operations.” – Edward R. Arnold • “The risk of Britain going to war with Russia as a part of NATO is certainly there, either deliberately or accidentally with Russia by the end of the decade.” - Edward R. Arnold Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 
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Kate Middleton conspiracy theories have run rampant since that doctored photo emerged. But, altered photos of public figures are nothing new. Today in The Bunker, Seth Thévoz speaks to Joshua Habgood-Coote, research fellow at Leeds University, about the power of manipulated images throughout history.    • “Image manipulation techniques go back to the earliest days of photography.” – Joshua Habgood-Coote • “Photos are supposed to capture reality – but that has never been the case.” – Joshua Habgood-Coote www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More and more high-profile figures are falling for conspiracy theories. And here in the UK, British MPs are seemingly becoming increasingly susceptible to engaging with them. Why now? Andrew Harrison asks Tom Phillips, co-author with friend of the pod Jonn Elledge of Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them.  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, could a backbench rebellion see Penny Mordaunt replace Rishi Sunak before the general election? As online conspiracies run rampant, how has the Royal Family fumbled the Kate Middleton situation? In international news, we look at Putin’s ‘landslide victory’ and what his win means for war with Ukraine. Finally we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict as Netenyahu comes under fire from high profile US democrats.      Gavin Esler talks Ros Taylor through the biggest news stories to look out for this week.    • "Changing leaders again isn’t going to change much in the eyes of the British public." – Gavin Esler   • “It’s almost like the Conservative Party is braindead, but the rigour mortis hasn’t kicked in yet.” – Gavin Esler    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of US presidents is mixed, let’s say. Some achieved incredible things, whilst others have 91 pending criminal charges against them across multiple states. The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey pits them all against each other to find out the best and worst of all time. Professor Justin Vaughn is an associate professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University and co-authored the survey. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss the results. Find the results of the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey here • “The ability to face a crisis is important to whether a president can be considered great.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn • “Biden comes in very well, but I expect there to be lots of fluctuation over the coming years.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn • “Our greatest president Abraham Lincoln averaged a score of 93.9… Donald Trump scores 10.9.” – Prof. Justin Vaughn www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The internet is getting worse. Google isn’t as helpful as it used to be, all of the best content is behind a paywall and the less said about X the better. But why is the internet getting so sh*t – and why do we simply accept it? Today in The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis speaks to tech reporter and writer of the Garbage Day substack Ryan Broderick about the sorry state of the internet in 2024.    • “The only way to get ourselves out of this enshittification trap is to rethink what we expect from the internet.” – Ryan Broderick • “There's an urge to create something new online, but so far Crypto, the Metaverse and AI aren’t clicking with the masses.” – Ryan Broderick www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Problems with leaseholds have ruined lives across the UK. Labour has vowed to end the system, but how? And are its plans realistic? Labour MP Barry Gardiner has been campaigning against leasehold for decades and recently fronted a documentary exploring its major issues. He joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker to discuss what his party plans to do about it?  Barry Gardiner’s documentary • “We have instances where people are paying £33k in ground rent a year… on top of their mortgage, it’s absolutely wicked!” – Barry Gardiner • “I know people who have committed suicide… you see the way the stress gets to people.” – Barry Gardiner www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world of online conspiracy theorists is daunting and bewildering. The BBC’s Marianna Spring knows that better than most. In today’s Bunker, Ros Taylor sits down with the disinformation and social media correspondent to discuss her new book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland.    • “The internet normalises aggression and abuse and that is reflected in the real world too.”  – Marianna Spring  • “In the absence of religion or local communities, people turn to the internet for that sense of meaning and purpose.”  – Marianna Spring    Buy Marianna Spring’s book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland   through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hunt’s budget hasn’t shifted the dial for the Tories like they wanted – what will they try next? Plus, we’ve got curious tales of Boris Johnson’s trip to Venezuela and of a doctored Royal family photo… Plus, the latest from Biden vs. Trump and an update on the situation in Gaza. Alex Andreou talks Jacob Jarvis through the news to look out for this week.     • “We know the Tories are headed for defeat, and because Sunak is too afraid to call an election, we are forced to watch them mess up again and again.” – Alex Andreou    • “The moment Biden said ‘we’re in campaign mode’, Trump was on the back-foot.” – Alex Andreou “  • It’s not clear if Trump is asking for money to fund his campaign, or his legal bills.” – Alex Andreou   • “The negotiations about a ceasefire seem to be stalling.” – Alex Andreou    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Warning: major spoilers from the beginning. In a special weekend bonus, we look at the political resonances of Denis Villeneuve’s $200m-grossing space-and-sand opera Dune. What does Frank Herbert’s saga of desert rebellion, imperialism and mystic feminist conspiracy tell us about our world? Can jihadis be heroes? Why do fascists love Dune? Is Muad’Dib a hero or a monster? And is it science fiction’s job to explain our reality to us?  Novelist and Professor of Nineteenth Century Literature Adam Roberts joins fellow Dune-head Andrew Harrison to spice up your life. This edition should only be played AFTER you’ve seen Dune Part Two.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Original music and audio production by Simon Williams. Art by James Parrett. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The relationship between the United States and Israel is hugely significant – but it’s under serious strain. Is President Joe Biden going to be pushed to rethink some long-held positions regarding this connection? Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University and author of The Hell of Good Intentions: America's Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy, tells Gavin Esler how Biden might end up revising his stance.  • “The U.S. is absolutely vital to Israel. They have provided billions of dollars in aid, as well as diplomatic protection.” – Professor Stephen Walt  • “What makes it a ‘special relationship’ is that the U.S. provides all of this support pretty much unconditionally, no matter what Israel does... but this is a strategic liability for the U.S. now.” – Professor Stephen Walt  • “What Israel is currently doing in Gaza is completely inconsistent with American values... this war makes Biden look either clueless or heartless.” – Professor Stephen Walt  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

British politics is a shambles, from the economy to the cost of living to the NHS and public standards. But is this age of disorder worse than the endgames of past governments? Steve Richards, former BBC political correspondent and host of the Rock & Roll Politics podcast, tells Andrew Harrison how this dying government ranks among key moments of fin de siècle political acrimony from recent decades. From epic scandals to strikes, corruption and shameful resignations, are we really living through the worst days ever?     • “The divisions within the Tory party are much more visible… Sunak has completely failed to contain them.” – Steve Richards   • “We think of politics as showbiz for ugly people but politics is also football for people who can’t play sport.” – Andrew Harrison     We’re now on TikTok as well as Instagram and Twitter. Follow us to keep up with news about our latest episodes and more: www.tiktok.com/@bunkerpod     Get Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards every Tuesday.    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter | TikTok  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scandal after scandal has eroded public trust in Westminster politics in recent years. Fresh research from the Institute For Government suggests that 65 percent of the public doesn’t think the current government behaves to high ethical standards. What does that mean for the next Government? And can MPs ever win back public trust? Or is it lost forever? Tim Durrant is programme director for the IFG and joins Ros Taylor to discuss this research and these issues.  IFG’s research: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/rebuilding-trust-public-life  • “It’s not straightforward – but I think the need for change is widely recognised.” – Tim Durrant • “If you have a PM who’s very clear that they expect their colleagues to behave in a certain way, and if they don’t there will be sanctions, that will shift the dial a bit.” – Tim Durrant • “Starmer has set himself a high bar and Labour recognises that.” – Tim Durrant www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the NHS in constant crisis, we constantly hear it’s at risk of being privatised. How close to the truth is that? To find out, Alex Andreou speaks to Health Service Journal editor Alastair McLellan. They discuss the state of the health service, what reforms are happening, and what change is needed.     • “Everywhere you look, the NHS is really struggling. It’s not that care now is worse than it was in 1970 - it’s that care now compared to what it could be is the greatest gap we’ve seen since the formation of the NHS.” – Alastair McLellan  • "It’s hard to find a Tory voter working for the NHS.” – Alastair McLellan    Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt has promised “sensible tax cuts” in his Budget – but will they be enough to satisfy backbenchers? Across the pond – will Super Tuesday solidify Trump as the Republican Presidential nominee? And what will Biden say in his State of the Union address? And finally, we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict, as Israel lists its conditions for a ceasefire.    • “Jeremy Hunt needs to give his backbenchers just enough to keep them quiet.” – Ros Taylor • "There is an argument for rebalancing the Tax burden in favour of younger people." – Ros Taylor  www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Truss is looking to spread her particular brand of chaos to the United States after trashing her reputation in the UK. She popped up at the latest CPAC, to give a speech to a crowd of baffled right-wingers who simply didn’t know who she was. What is CPAC, who is Truss hanging out with and what is she trying to achieve? Ben Jacobs is an American political journalist and joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to answer those questions. • “CPAC is a Trump show...this is full Trump fandom” – Ben Jacobs • “The folks who knew who Truss was were sceptical.” – Ben Jacobs. • “For hundreds of years people have been coming to the US to start afresh – she’s just following in their footsteps.” – Ben Jacobs www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most people know who Keir Starmer is – but don’t know much about his character. Who is the Labour leader really? Tom Baldwin is a journalist, political adviser and author of the newly published Keir Starmer: The Biography. He’s spent time figuring out who the man who’s likely to become the next Prime Minister really is – and joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss what he’s learned. Buy Keir Starmer: The Biography through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “He’s complicated like Britain is… and I think the media have largely got him wrong.” – Tom Baldwin • “A lot of politicians like to pretend they like football to make them look normal… Starmer uses football as an anchor to pull him back to normalcy.” – Tom Baldwin • “In politics everyone wants to place you on an ideological spectrum and he doesn’t like that.” – Tom Baldwin Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter | TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abbas Gallyamov wrote scripts for Vladimir Putin for 3 years from 2008. He describes Vladimir Putin in that time as ‘logical’ and ‘in control of his emotions’. Now, after Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine he says Putin is ‘erratic’ and unrecognisable. His opposition to Putin has reportedly landed him on the Kremlin’s wanted list. He joins Chris Jones from exile away from his motherland, to discuss how Putin has changed, his popularity and the upcoming March election. •”Back then he was totally different, he was absolutely logical and in full control of his emotions.” – Abbas Gallyamov. •”These polls are about the number of brave people that dare, in the current situation, to say they don’t trust Putin.” – Abbas Gallyamov. •”Who on Earth in Russia would answer ‘do you or do you not trust Putin?’ - it’s like opening the gates to hell.” – Abbas Gallyamov. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written, presented and produced by Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of Alexei Navalny sent shockwaves across the world. Has Russia’s hope of a brighter future, beyond the reign of Putin, died alongside him? And will we ever know the full truth around his demise – or why it has happened now? To answer these questions and more, Dr. Jan Dollbaum, head of research group ‘Mobilisation and Representation in post-Soviet Eastern Europe’ at LMU Munich and co-author of Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future? speaks to Chris Jones in The Bunker.  Buy Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “The emotions that the Kremlin wants to create are hopelessness and despair. When people are angry with something, that anger can make them overcome their fear. But hopelessness keeps people individualised, and stops collective action.” – Dr. Jan Dollbaum • “Naming any sanctions against Russia as ’Navalny Sanctions’ sends the message that Navalny is an agent of the West, and Russian propaganda would rejoice in using that opportunity to make that clear to its population.”  – Dr. Jan Dollbaum www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Chris Jones. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lee Anderson has lost the whip – will any other horrid MPs follow this week? And there’s the by-election in Rochdale coming up, which will likely mean more bad news for Sunak. Plus, we discuss the latest from the  US presidential race, conflict in the Middle East and concerns over Putin’s actions. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to tee up the stories to look out for in the coming days, • “A dog whistle is only meant to be heard by people really tuned in, this is turning into a foghorn.” – Alex Andreou  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began two years ago. Hundreds of thousands have died and more will follow. What is the state of the conflict right now? How has Russia altered global stability, and is Western support for Ukraine wavering? Gavin Esler is joined by Michael Kimmage formerly of the US State Department, now a professor of history at the Catholic University of America and author of Collisions - The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability. Buy Collisions - The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “Putin overestimated the capability of the Russian military.” – Michael Kimmage. • “I think NATO, while interesting and important, is a bit of a red herring.” – Michael Kimmage • “There's really no structure or set of powers that can iron this out.” – Michael Kimmage. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America’s presidents have generally been straight, white, old men. Barack Obama bucked that trend, but the United States is yet to have a woman or a queer person in the White House. In today’s Bunker, Alex Andreou asks Harvard professor, award-winning activist and author of the influential A Queer History of the United States Michael Bronski if the US is, or when it might be, ready for an LGBTQ+ president.  • “While Pete Buttigieg may break glass ceilings, there may also be backlash against that, in the same way that there was a decade long backlash from the Republicans against Obama getting elected with the ultimate punishment being Trump.” - Michael Bronski • “We’re at a point in American popular culture where Ru Paul’s Drag Race is one of the most popular tv shows, and we have multiple movies about trans and non-binary people. So Americans can accept this as a part of popular culture, and simultaneously there’s a political backlash." - Michael Bronski Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a massive election year, with billions voting worldwide. But will those casting votes do so logically? Has voter psychology changed in recent years? And what can be learned from it? To find out, Jacob Jarvis talks to Dr Sandra Obradovic, associate researcher at the Electoral Psychology Observatory to find out.  • “Some see voting as something that upholds democracy and connects you with society at large. It is not an individual activity, it’s one that makes you a citizen.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic • “We’re moving away from this ‘rational actor’ assumption and acknowledging that reasoning and emotions interlink in the context of politics.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic • “We’re much more distrusting of politicians and political institutions, even within our own camps.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After decades of unprecedented economic growth China’s rise seems to be slowing down. Has the nation’s power reached its peak? What would this mean for the country, and for the rest of the world? Alex Andreou asks Michael Beckley, associate professor of political science at Tufts University and author of Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower, in The Bunker.   • “The U.S. has the power to shape the international system in ways that China can’t match.” – Michael Beckley • “The failure of China’s zero COVID policy is emblematic of a bigger issue” – Michael Beckley • “China is at risk of a deflation debt cycle. It’s a fundamentally broken economic model.” – Michael Beckley www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The killing of Putin’s high profile rival, Alexei Navalny, has sparked outrage. Will this convince the UK and US to step up their support for Ukraine? Rishi Sunak faces the fallout of his most recent by-election losses – how is he clinging on? Across the pond – Liz Truss will be making an appearance at CPAC, as if Americans didn’t have enough to deal with already. Finally we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict as Netenyahu prepares a ground offensive in Rafah.  • "We have politicians in this country like Nigel Farage who say that they admire Vladimir Putin. Why?" – Gavin Esler  • “What kind of person would pay money to listen to Liz Truss?” – Gavin Esler • "Appointing David Cameron as Foreign Secretary has been one of the best things that Rishi Sunak has done."– Gavin Esler Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Biden’s economic and immigration policies are under relentless fire from Trump and Republicans, and his approval ratings are dire – but when you look at the facts, is he really doing so badly? And what does he need to do to convince the American public to re-elect him? Gavin Esler finds out from Molly Jong-Fast,  special correspondent for Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast. Listen to Fast Politics podcast: https://fastpoliticspod.com/  • “As much as there’s so much talk about Biden's age, Biden got the last nomination BECAUSE he was old.” – Molly Jong-Fast • “American political life is so demented and deranged.” – Molly Jong-Fast • “Why are we talking about immigration? Because the economy has gotten much better … the Republicans have shifted the narrative.” – Molly Jong-Fast www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: . Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The global ‘self-help’ market is worth over £30 billion. And yet, it seems no amount of books, apps or podcasts can fix us: we’re all still as burnt out and broken as ever. In today’s edition, Alex Andreou sits down with psychologist and fatigue specialist, Prof Vincent Deary, to talk about his latest book How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living and find out why ‘self help’ isn’t really helping at all.  • “No two people break in the same way.”  – Vincent Deary • “People are being broken not by themselves but by the world and environments around them.”  – Vincent Deary Buy Vincent Deary’s book How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living  through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Production Assistant: Adam Wright. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's often said that politics is showbiz for ugly people. So why has parliament produced so many sex scandals? Today in this special Valentine’s Day edition of The Bunker, Andrew Harrison sits down with sex historian and host of Betwixt the Sheets, Kate Lister to rifle through Westminster’s dirty laundry and find out why so many politicians are entangled in sex scandals. • “When you’re a politician, opportunities for sex come around more often.”  – Kate Lister • “It's such a strange life. You have to be exemplary in everything you do. Is it any wonder that every once in a while they do something stupid?”  – Kate Lister • “I think we are becoming more tolerant of affairs. Is it any of our business?”  – Kate Lister Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson’s two-hour sit down with Vladimir Putin has grabbed headlines worldwide. But can we really learn anything from it? Jacob Jarvis talks to Ian Garner, a historian of Russian culture and the author of Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia’s Fascist Youth, to discuss how to interpret the interview – and what the Russian leader really should have been asked.   • “Putin’s character was on display – he does tend to be very patronising. He’ll openly mock people for asking what he deems to be stupid questions.” – Ian Garner • “When Putin is talking about the past he’s not talking about a literal interpretation of events in the way we would expect. It is all about myth.” – Ian Garner Buy Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia’s Fascist Youth [LINK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9781787389281] through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benjamin Netanyahu’s power is faltering. From losing international support, to the charges of fraud and bribery that he’s facing – pressure is mounting on the Israeli leader. So how much power does he have left and could this rift with President Biden be the final nail in the coffin? Chris Jones is joined by Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi, who recently wrote: The US Is Dealing With an Israeli Leader Who’s Losing Control. Nahal Toosi’s Politico column: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/08/netanyahu-israeli-leader-losing-control-00134146   • “Just being prime minister is not enough to protect him from having to stand trial.” – Nahal Toosi • “Netanyahu is using the ICJ ruling to support his position, creating an ‘us versus them’ narrative.” – Nahal Toosi www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis and Chris Jones. Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week: By-elections will prove yet another test for Sunak – but things aren’t smooth sailing for Labour either. Plus, updates as Israel strikes Rafah – what will this mean for the conflict? And, Trump latest as he delivers controversial comments on Russia. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to tee up the week ahead.  • “The level of defeat in these by-elections matters” – Alex Andreou • “Michael Gove defending you feels like one of the four horsemen of the Tory apocalypse” – Alex Andreou  •“There is a balance to be struck between being cautious and being unambitious” – Alex Andreou  • “There must be an international intervention now – it is enough.” – Alex Andreou  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US life expectancy is at its lowest point in more than two decades – and behind that of some so-called ‘developing nations’? Why is this the case – and is anything being done about it? To answer these questions, Gavin Esler speaks to Dr Steven Woolf, lead author of the Journal of the American Medical Association’s report on health outcomes in the United States. • “It would be easy to blame this on a single cause such as the obesity epidemic, the opioid epidemic, guns: these are all big problems for the United States, but neither one by itself fully explains the systemic pattern of poorly performing against other high income countries.” – Dr Steven Woolf • “Studies have shown that even the so-called ‘advantaged’ populations of the U.S. die earlier than rich people in the UK. Across multiple categories of advantage – such as having health insurance, being a non-smoker, being white – all of these populations have been doing worse than in other countries.” – Dr Steven Woolf Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We like to imagine society is structured by rationality and reason. But, really, isn’t everything a matter of chance? Ros Taylor talks to Brian Klaas, associate professor of global politics at UCL, about his new book Fluke: Chance, chaos and why everything we do matters, in The Bunker and to discuss how randomness shapes our lives.  Buy Fluke by Brian Klaas through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “Unforeseen events have shaped everything economically and politically in our lives. The illusion of control causes us to be hubristic in how we navigate uncertainty, and that’s a very big problem social science needs to grapple with.” – Brian Klaas • “Very often people on the political left are worried about the idea of determinism because they say ‘this lets injustice off the hook’. The flip side of that is you believe that everyone dictates their own future – which is what the political right often says." – Brian Klaas www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s knife crime crisis is regularly called a “pandemic” in the media. But just how serious is the problem?  Who suffers from it most? And does any political party have the right idea of how to combat it? To answer these questions, Andrew Harrison speaks to Dr James Alexander of London Metropolitan University’s criminology department. • “Knife crime is reported as a black issue, which is a problem with the media. It is more widespread than that, it is about poverty, it is about these people not receiving the support they need, regardless of their ethnicity.” – Dr James Alexander • "People are growing up in areas where knife crime is just a fact of life. They are desensitised to the idea of carrying a knife.” – Dr James Alexander • “The criminals they are often targeting are 14, 15, 16 year olds – they are children who need support to get back into education, and support for mental health issues." – Dr James Alexander Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia’s presidential election doesn’t take place until March – yet we already know the result. Vladimir Putin will beat the other 3 ‘candidates’ with ease to retake his place as president. But does that mean the vote doesn’t matter at all? Or could we still learn something from the result? Chris Jones talks to András Tóth-Czifra, fellow in the Eurasia program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of Controlling the Narrative: A Roadmap to Russia’s 2024 Presidential Election, in The Bunker.  • “These elections are not taking place in a democracy – so it would be foolish to analyse them as if they were.” – András Tóth-Czifra • 'For the Kremlin this is a vital test of the officialdom – the political machinery that the federal government relies on to control the country.’ András Tóth-Czifra András’ research: https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/12/controlling-the-narrative-a-roadmap-to-russias-2024-presidential-election/  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Chris Jones. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard and Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week: Rwanda rows continue as James Cleverly drags the Church of England into the migration dispute. Plus – Could Liz Truss make a return to frontline politics with the launch of her Popular Conservatism project? And in the Middle East, the RAF and the US air force continue their offensive against Houthi Rebel targets. Is the military campaign making a difference? • "Dragging the Church of England into the culture war seems risky.”  – Ros Taylor • “The Home Secretary’s feud with the church is really all about the Rwanda Bill.” – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tucker Carlson’s getting weirder. Hard to believe it, we know. From promoting shamed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ return to interviewing indictment riddled Donald Trump last year, he’s not shying away from controversy. What is Carlson’s end game and how much power does he have, not just through media ventures but in US politics too? Nikki McCann Ramirez is a politics reporter for Rolling Stone magazine and has watched more Carlson content than most could bear. She joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker. • “He’s always been a bit of a weirdo.” – Nikki McCann Ramirez •” “That interview with Alex Jones was awful to watch.” – Nikki McCann Ramirez • “It’s entirely Tucker centric at this point...his audience takes his word as gospel.” – Nikki McCann Ramirez Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Produced by: Chris Jones. Audio production: Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

British politics can be laughable. But can poking fun at it actually spark change? Marie Le Conte speaks to professional prankster Oobah Butler, whose viral videos have amassed tens of millions of views online and caused real-world action in their aftermath.  • “There’s something really lame about a prank. It’s quite a disarming thing to use. If it’s not punching upwards, it can’t be funny fundamentally. It’s fun to mess with institutions that ‘deserve it’ in a way that is beneath them – you’re dragging them down with you.” – Oobah Butler • "I don’t think I can call myself an activist. I’m down here in the mud.” – Oobah Butler Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Marie Le Conte. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Winston Churchill’s legacy is often discussed – but is usually more complex than conversations suggest. Some call him one of the greatest Britons of all time – in India, however, he is regarded as one of the key villains of imperial rule. Ahir Shah is joined by historian Walter Reid, fellow of the Royal Historical Society and author of Fighting Retreat: Churchill and India, to discuss how Churchill is remembered. • “Churchill was racist because he constantly belittled India. ” – Walter Reid • “He believed India’s role in the Empire had to be protected at all costs.” – Walter Reid Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard and Liam Tait. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jürgen Klopp impressed the football world with his honest reasons for quitting as Liverpool manager. But how come so few politicians know how to quit when they’re ahead? Andrew Harrison talks to Oh God What Now regular Seth Thévoz about the history of political exits – and the times when leaders from Harold Wilson to Thatcher, Major and Blair just couldn’t let go. •“Even politicians who’ve said ‘I am definitely standing down’ find all sorts of creative reasons to hang on to power just a little bit longer.” - Seth Thévoz •“It’s actually quite sad speaking to retired politicians, especially if they’ve been turfed out of the office. One minute being at the center of power, making decisions, and the next minute nobody wants to interview them, nobody wants to quote them or ask their opinion on anything." - Seth Thévoz www.patreon.com/bunkercast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a bad Brexit news week as new regulations are put in place. Plus, Sunak’s woes continue – but Hunt’s going to try and help him out. And we discuss the latest from conflicts and elections across the globe, including Trump being made to look like a loser.  • “The government is once again farming out its problems caused by Brexit to companies.” – Alex Andreou  • “The last thing Sunak needs is to be seen as being helped by Labour because his own back benches are too fractious” – Alex Andreou  • “If Trump has to start selling stuff that could make him look like a loser, which is fatal to his image.” – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hit reality TV show The Traitors reveals how great some people are at lying – and how bad others are at detecting it. What lessons can we take from Claudia Winkleman’s backstabbing parlour game about the world of politics? Today in The Bunker, Ahir Shah speaks with The Guardian’s Zoe Williams to find out which of our politicians would flourish or flounder under the pressure.  Stay tuned until after the credits for Ahir’s slightly spoilery final thoughts leading into the final two episodes. • “The very act of honesty has become a badge of shame in modern politics.” – Zoe Williams • “I paused the episode and said to my wife: ‘I think I finally understand how Boris Johnson happened’.” – Ahir Shah Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Ahir Shah. Producer: Liam Tait and Chris Jones.  Audio production: Jade Bayley. Production Assistant: Adam Wright. Art by James Parrett. Music by 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 US election is being fought on many fronts, but what does the American public really care about most? Is it the economy, is it immigration, or is it simply the name of the person who sits in the Oval Office? Susan Davis is a political correspondent for NPR and host of the NPR Political Podcast. She joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to discuss how the likely candidates will campaign on the most important issues. • “There’s a sense of nostalgia for Trump… people think ‘my life was better under Trump’.” – Susan Davis • “Anger is the greatest character in American politics.” – Susan Davis • “Immigration has been an unsolvable problem in US politics basically since the Reagan era.” – Susan Davis Listen to NPR’s Political Podcast: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/npr-politics-podcast  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do people care most about at the moment – and how will this affect their votes in the upcoming general election? From immigration to the NHS, the economy to defence, there’s plenty for voters to think about. Ros Taylor speaks to Ben Walker, senior data journalist at the New Statesman and co-founder of Britain Elects.  •“The priority amongst all Britons is not immigration, not the NHS, but still for solutions on the cost of living.” – Ben Walker •“The reality of politics is that feelings matter more than facts - if you’re feeling like your income is being squeezed, if you feel like your community is turning to dust, you’ll vote with that in mind.” – Ben Walker Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by: Chris Jones and Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few TV dramas have had such an instant seismic effect as ITV’s miniseries on the Horizon scandal, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. How do searing stories of miscarriages of justice make it to screen in a ruthless television environment? And what makes them so effective at concentrating public outrage and forcing change? Simon Heath, CEO and Creative Director of World Productions, was Executive Producer of Line of Duty and the acclaimed Hillsborough drama Anne. He tells Andrew Harrison what makes true-life drama work – and how it does the job that World In Action used to do.  • “To be able to launch a drama while a public inquiry is still ongoing is just fantastic because you’re able to point the audience immediately toward a live political issue, and the two things feed on each other.” - Simon Heath • “Some stories do lend themselves more readily to dramatisation, and there was something about the Post Office Scandal that you could essentially distil it down to the little people versus this out of control, faceless bureaucracy that was crushing them.” - Simon Heath Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Ron DeSanctimonious” is out of the Presidential running meaning a two-way race between Trump and Nikki Haley in this week’s New Hampshire Primary. Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea start to filter through to the economy. The Lords get ready to savage the Rwanda Plan. And NASA opens up a can of asteroid dust – what could possibly go wrong? Gavin Esler sets out the week ahead for Andrew Harrison. Presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Art by James Parrett. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump once said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his supporters wouldn’t care. Not only does polling suggest that could be true – but since he was criminally indicted (not for shooting anyone) his loyalists have stuck by him. Thomas Gift is the founding director of UCL’s centre on US politics and he joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss what he believes are the five types of Trump voters.  • “Trump supporters have been likened to a cult … and I don’t think that’s far off.” – Thomas Gift •“Whenever I think about the need for drama Republicans I think about the chaos caucus… they want to blow up the system.” – Thomas Gift www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Migration is one of the most divisive issues in the UK – socially, politically, and economically. But a lot of the information we consume is propaganda, and many of the assumptions made are wrong. Hein de Haas, author of How Migration Really Works, offers Ros Taylor insights which could lead to effective migration policy.  • “The overall contribution of recent migration has been positive rather than negative.” – Hein de Haas  • “There is actually no difference between Left and Right wing governments in terms of the immigration policies they implement.” – Hein de Haas www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2024 US Presidential election will likely see Biden and Trump back on the ballot. And, if previous elections are anything to go by, Russia will play a key role in manipulating things in Trump’s favour. Joseph Webster, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and editor of the China-Russia report, joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker, to discuss what Russia seeks to gain out of a Trump presidency, and how they might just get it. • “Gasoline prices are a major determinant in U.S. elections. Anything that Russia can do to lower or increase prices will have a big impact.” – Joseph Webster • “Disinformation campaign efforts by the Russian state and by figures associated with the Russian state will almost certainly persist into 2024.” – Joseph Webster www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Young people, particularly young men, are increasingly becoming radicalised toward the far-right. Often chronically online and extremely vulnerable to manipulation, just how big of a risk do they pose? And what can be done about it? Alex Andreou joins Cynthia Miller-Idriss, founding director of the Polarisation and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at the American University in Washington, DC, in The Bunker.  • “The far-right is really a spectrum for supremacist ideologies; which include white, christian, western, or misogynist supremacies, but also anti-government and anti-democratic supremacies.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss • “The real shift we are seeing now compared to previous generations is that, where you used to have to be taken by the arm and invited by an individual to join a group, now all of that propaganda comes right to you online.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PM Rishi Sunak faces the commons today to explain military action against Houthi Rebels. Plus – the Rwanda bill is back. Will the Conservatives be satisfied with the latest draft? Across the pond – The Republican Party caucuses in Iowa. Is a Trump victory inevitable? And finally President Biden has congratulated Lai Ching-te following his victory in the Taiwan election, how will Beijing respond?  • "You simply cannot notify your enemies that you’re about to take military action." – Alex Andreou  • “We are vastly underestimating the threat of Russia.” – Alex Andreou • “Democratic nations are always at a disadvantage when it comes to war.” – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A special crossover episode with This Is Not A Drill, our geopolitics podcast. Why are UK and US navies defending Western shipping against missile attacks and hijacks from rebels in the poorest country in the Middle East? The battle between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia threatens to spill over into a wider regional conflict – and Iran is fanning the flames. What happens next? Gavin Esler talks to Helen Lackner, author of Yemen In Crisis, to find out who the Houthi are, what they want, what their rebellion means for the West… and whether the war could spread. Follow This Is Not A Drill on your favourite podcast provider for weekly interviews and reports on the world’s flashpoints. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Art by James Parrett. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. TINAD music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER and THIS IS NOT A DRILL are Podmasters Productions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brainwashing has been utilised as a political tool for centuries. How exactly is it weaponised today? Daniel Pick, author of Brainwashed: A New History of Thought Control, discusses the history and contemporary manifestations of thought control with Alex Andreou, in The Bunker.  • “Brainwashing seeks both to decimate and damage the mind – and to infiltrate ideas and to organise ideologies in a systematic way.” – Daniel Pick • “Behavioural units exist within governments, including Downing Street, to advise on the best way to nudge people in a benign way. Such units were utilised, for example, during the Covid pandemic.” – Daniel Pick www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Internet culture has changed a lot since the last general election – so the way politicians use it will have to evolve too. Facebook may no longer be the king of social media, but have Sunak and Starmer mastered Tiktok, Instagram or YouTube? Today in The Bunker, Ros Taylor speaks with professor of digital politics at Sheffield University, Kate Dommett, about the tricks politicians will be using to win your votes. • "Political parties are trying to reach out to younger voters and they aren’t using Facebook anymore.” – Kate Dommett • “A code of conduct on digital campaigning among major parties isn’t going to stop campaign groups using underhand tactics online." – Kate Dommett • “No politician in the UK has successfully mastered TikTok yet." – Kate Dommett www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Art by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Simon Williams. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once known as the Brexit Party, Reform UK wants to mortally wound the Tories in the General Election. Do its recent poll spikes show real support for Richard Tice’s vociferously anti-migration, anti-woke party? Should the Tories really worry – and should Labour? And could those fanciful stories about Nigel Farage joining the Tories and taking over as leader really come true? Legendary journalist and broadcaster Michael Crick explains it all to Andrew Harrison. Buy One Party After Another: The Disruptive Life of Nigel Farage through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • “I think there’s a 20% chance Farage will be Conservative leader someday.” – Michael Crick • “If he wanted to get rid of Richard Tice, he could. He’s a ruthless figure is Farage.” – Michael Crick • “You can’t just say that all of the votes Reform get would have gone to the Conservatives.” – Michael Crick www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak faces more backbench backlash as Parliament returns. Plus – will an emergency summit give closure to the 700 victims of the Post Office scandal? Finally in a year of vital elections, how will the Taiwan election shape global politics?   • “Sunak should not be pandering to the party faithful. That’s not governing.” – Ros Taylor  • “We’re looking at three byelections in just eight days. It doesn’t look good for the Conservatives.” – Alex Andreou • “Why has it taken an ITV drama to get the Post Office scandal noticed?” – Ros Taylor Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s pretty much only one certainty in US politics in 2024: chaos. Trump faces a reckoning with the law, but is still very much in the running for the presidency. Meanwhile scrutiny against Biden ramps up. How will these controversies play out? Joining Gavin Esler in The Bunker to discuss all of this is senior editor at The Dispatch and host of the Advisory Opinions podcast, Sarah Isgur.  • “Asteroids hit every day, but yes, it’s going to be Biden vs Trump.” – Sarah Isgur • “I have no idea whether Trump can pardon himself and neither does anyone else.” – Sarah Isgur • “We have not had a truly viable 3rd party candidate arguably ever.” – Sarah Isgur Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain’s damaged economy will dominate this election year but it’s a sprawling topic. We’ve broken it down into five key issues to keep an eye on in 2024 – from the endless battle over tax cuts to the still-dire cost of living crisis, from the mortgage timebomb to the unforeseen consequences of AI. Former advisor to Vince Cable and now senior fellow at the Institute for Government Giles Wilkes lays out the issues for Andrew Harrison.  • “Tax cuts don’t win elections.” — Giles Wilkes • “Debt is not evil in itself. Debt is the ability to borrow from the future and if we hadn’t invented it, we’d be much poorer.” – Giles Wilkes • “The past couple of years have probably been as bad for the cost of living as we've had since the period of rationing.” – Giles Wilkes www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI took the world by storm in 2023 – and has the potential to fundamentally change it in 2024. But will it be for better or worse? That all depends on who utilises it. Dr. Kate Devlin is joined in The Bunker by Kyle Taylor, author of the The Little Black Book of Artificial Intelligence: How Big Tech is Making Humanity Redundant to discuss.  • “Everything in the AI space is being designed in a for-profit lens.” – Kyle Taylor • “Now it’s the white collar jobs that can be replaced easily.” – Dr. Kate Devlin • “Half the world is going to the polls – and now because of AI you have no idea what is real online anymore.” – Kyle Taylor Buy The Little Black Book of Artificial Intelligence: How Big Tech is Making Humanity Redundant through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Dr. Kate Devlin. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New year, same old Sunak. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the latest misjudgements from the PM and the immediate political news to look out for, before diving into a forecast for 2024. From elections across the globe, to conflicts worldwide and AI – we discuss the key themes you need to look out for over the next 12 months.  • “Sunak has no time to do or promise anything meaningful.”  • “The economy is stagnant and I see nothing in Sunak’s plans that will stimulate it.”  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From pandemics to natural disasters, terror attacks to global warming, it seems the world is becoming more disastrous by the minute – and government responses consistently fall short. Why aren’t we ever prepared?  Ros Taylor speaks to Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness Director and co-author of Catastrophic Incentives: Why Our Approaches to Disasters Keep Falling Short.  • “The disasters we think about are the photogenic ones… but the ones I worry about are the slower creeping disasters, like drought and extreme heat.” — Jeff Schlegelmilch •“Intelligence predicted 9/11, it was just missed” – Jeff Schlegelmilch • “In developing environments, charities are essentially providing government services and subsidising failed states.” – Jeff Schlegelmilch www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve come a long way as society but has progress hindered our ability to have a laugh? Seth Thévoz is joined by David Stubbs, the author of Different Times to discuss the evolution of British comedy from silent movies to the raunchy sitcoms of today. "Monty Python looks a bit dodgy these days.” – David Stubbs "The real revolution in comedy was the Young Ones. It was punk.” – David Stubbs "Tommy Cooper is the king of woke Comedy. He’s hilarious and without sin.” – David Stubbs “Thatcher was crucified weekly in comedy shows but ultimately she had the last laugh came the elections.” – David Stubbs Buy Different Times: A History of British Comedy through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Alex Reed. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s Bunker Gold, a Christmas throwback from 2022…  What do veganism, Donald Trump and Brussels sprouts have in common? They’re all points of contention at Christmas time. But how do you deal with the terrible opinions of family and friends? Marie Le Conte is joined by Christmas elves Tom Peck and Seth Thévoz to discuss navigating conversations with Brexit-y uncles and Corbynista cousins.  • “Everyone talks to me about politics, and it's so boring.” –Tom Peck  • “My dad is France’s last remaining Emmanuel Macron fan.” – Marie Le Conte  • “Communists to the left of me, Nazis to the right, here I am – the only liberal – stuck in the middle with you.” – Seth Thévoz  Presented by Marie Le Conte with Tom Peck and Seth Thévoz. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our political debate stops at Christmas — but this hasn’t always been the case. It was only in the Victorian era that Christmas was reinvented as a time for family and domesticity, with no room for politics. Should politics return to Christmas? Has it been there all along? University of St Andrews Senior Lecturer in Theology Rev Dr Stephen Holmes speaks to Alex Andreou about the politics of Christmas.  • “Christmas is heavily focused around the narrative of the birth of Jesus, a narrative which is inescapably political.” - Rev Dr Stephen Holmes • “We think of Christmas as a time when you want to gather the family, shut the door, put your slippers on and relax together. You really don't want to be faced with the realities of injustice and pain in the world." - Rev Dr Stephen Holmes • “It's very, very hard to separate the idea of charity and altruism, from some sort of political judgement about how the world is and how it should be.” - Rev Dr Stephen Holmes www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On our latest panel edition: It’s been a weird year in the world of politics. From accusations of bunny murder, to saucy broadway interruptions and hemp bar shenanigans. Do you remember the crazy political stories that defined the last 12 months? Jacob Jarvis and an all-star lineup of Podmasters regulars, Marie Le Conte, Jonn Elledge and Andrew Harrison go through the 20 weirdest stories from the year in the last edition of The Bunker Panel for 2023. “The one thing you cannot be cruel to in this country is animals, especially guide dogs.” – Marie Le Conte “Most people want politics to just f*ck off.” – Jonn Elledge Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Andrew Harrison, Marie Le Conte and Jonn Elledge. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio Production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Terrorist activity is surging across Europe since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, and UK police are warning MPs that London is currently facing the “biggest convergence of threats we have seen for a very long time”. Could we be facing a new phase in intensified political terror? Peter Neumann, Professor of Security Studies at King's College London and author of The New World Disorder: How the West is Destroying Itself, explains the current state of play to Alex Andreou.  • “Terror threats are multiplying to such an extent that the counterterrorism resources in this country might not be able to cope.” – Professor Peter Neumann  • “We are seeing a meeting of generations – people who have been reactivated by October 7, and people for whom October 7 is their first radicalisation event – their 9/11.” - Professor Peter Neumann  • “These people do not feel that they are the aggressors. They feel that they are defending their people by committing acts of terrorism.” - Professor Peter Neumann  Buy Peter’s new book, The New World Disorder: How the West is Destroying Itself, through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Covid Inquiry continues to throw out news lines with Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove appearing since our last round-up. If you’ve found it too hard to keep track, we’re here to catch you up. Alex Andreou is joined once again by Prof. Christina Pagel to explain some key moments. • “The attitude of ‘I know better’ is quite damaging to Sunak.” – Christina Pagel • “It’s not just that we’ve been led by donkeys. We’ve been led by donkeys who don’t give a shit.” – Christina Pagel Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michelle Mone has admitted to lying to the media over her links to a PPE firm. What fallout will happen next? Plus – Rishi Sunak continues to pander to backbenchers over immigration, what does the PM have to gain by embracing the right? Plus, calls mount for a prolonged pause in the Israel/Hamas conflict, will Netenyahu be strong-armed into another ceasefire? And finally we have the latest on reports of financial difficulties for Ukraine. “Michelle Mone didn’t just lie to the media, she tried to bury the story with the full force of her legal team.” – Alex Andreou “Far right and centre right politics are bleeding together in a significant way across Europe.” – Alex Andreou "Sunak gets tougher on something new every other week but it never shifts the public opinion on him." – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump’s hold over rural voters is priceless to the Republican party. But how did this real life caricature of a wealthy businessman win them over? And has the divide between rural and urban voters ever been so big in America? Nicholas Jacobs is the co-author of The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America and joins Dorian Lynskey in The Bunker. “No republican candidate has done as well in rural America than Trump.” “The most distinctive feature of the rural voter is that they are distinct.” “Most rural people feel like the impressions of them are not realistic.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by: Chris Jones and Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The internet has become a theatre of war, with lies and disinformation being radically weaponised. The UN has responded with a framework on how to fight such threats – But does it hold any real potential to win the battle for truth? Carl Miller co-founded the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos and joins Marie Le Conte in The Bunker. “There’s no single stakeholder that can possibly make decisions unilaterally about what the internet should be like.” – Carl Miller. “one of the most helpful things is to start talking about standards about how we make the actual mechanics of the platform less gameable.” – Carl Miller. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and Presented by Marie Le Conte. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard and Liam Tait. Audio production: Alex Rees. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We know the human cost of Russia’s war in Ukraine – with estimated fatalities reaching half a million. But what is the financial cost? Can Russia afford to continue this conflict – and for how long? Oxford Analytica senior Russia analyst and Eastern Advisory Group director Dr Richard Connelly speaks to Chris Jones in The Bunker.  • “Before the war, the Russian economy had been through a decade of stagnation… it was not in great shape.” – Dr Richard Connelly • “A lot of Western sanctions have been designed to restrict the inflow of oil and gas revenues… But the Russian government has been resilient.” – Dr Richard Connelly • “If you look at the Budget, it’s a record amount of expenditure. They’ve never spent this much… What they’re saying politically, is that they are going up a gear with the war.” – Dr Richard Connelly www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most extreme movements seem to have one thing in common: angry men. Do misogyny and radicalisation go hand-in-hand? Extreme Britain: Gender, Masculinity and Radicalisation author Dr Elizabeth Pearson discusses the mobilisation of masculinity with Marie Le Conte, drawing upon personal experiences with British extremist group leaders such as Anjem Choudary and Tommy Robinson.  • “Men realise particular aspects of masculinity that get themselves esteem within their extremist groups.” - Dr Elizabeth Pearson  • “The far right has traditionally not had women in publicly visible roles… the cultural norms of the radical right are not conducive to women’s participation.” – Dr Elizabeth Pearson www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Rishi Sunak’s nightmare week as he faces the COVID Inquiry and his own restive MPs over Rwanda. How will the testy PM deal with a real grilling? And it will only take 28 Tory rebels to sink the Rwanda legislation. How will he handle that? Plus, Farage paints coming last in I’m A Celebrity as a win, the cruelty of the family income rules on migration, and flawed leasehold legislation. Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou set out the week ahead.  • “Eat Out To Help Out is the most glaring example of the Government not following the science when claiming it did… They didn’t even ASK the science.” • “Sunak is good at prep but he gets tetchy and petulant when he’s questioned.” • “Labour doesn’t want to fight an election in migration. The Tory press want to move the debate there, and Labour is not taking the bait.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump commands extreme support from evangelicals in America – despite seemingly lacking Christian values. How has this support developed and endured? Dr Seth Thévoz is joined by Tim Alberta, journalist and author of the book The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, to discuss.  “There is a caricature of the evangelical, flag waving Trump republican which isn’t always accurate.” – Tim Alberta “Evangelicals view Trump as the ultimate brawler. He can fight for them in ways that are not beholden to Christian virtues and heritage. It is a great irony.” – Tim Alberta https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Seth Thévoz. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio Production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Artwork: James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite governments pushing to make people healthier, the junk food industry continues to thrive. How do the corporations in charge continue to thrive – and hold power the world over? Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Eduardo J. Gómez, author of Junk Food Politics: How Beverage and Fast Food Industries Are Reshaping Emerging Economies, to find out.  • “Junk food is an image of wealth which is very appealing to the upper-middle income class; having access to something that is popular in the global West is seen as a social status symbol.” - Eduardo J. Gómez  • “These multinational corporations fear declining markets and sales in a lot of Western industrialised nations where more people are knowledgeable about how unhealthy these food products are.” – Eduardo J. Gómez  www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices