After years of direct action and controversial tactics by Palestine Action, the Home Secretary is moving to proscribe the campaign group under anti-terror laws. But is that a crackdown on extremism or political theatre? Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Professor Lee Jarvis, expert in international politics and terrorism at Loughborough University, to unpack what it really means to be proscribed - and what’s it means for protest in Britain. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https:/...
Jul 03, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1596
Mark Zuckerberg’s pivot to the right has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley. From calls for more “masculine energy” in the workplace to his rebrand as an amateur MMA aficionado. Zuck’s Trump-loving transformation has raised eyebrows across the tech world. But what does it mean for the future of Meta and the world of social media? Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann sits down with Bloomberg’s social media correspondent Kurt Wagner to unpack the rebellion brewing inside Meta and why Zucke...
Jul 02, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1595
Is Vladimir Putin still the unshakable strongman, or is his grip on power beginning to falter? Today in The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by Mark Galeotti, an internationally recognised expert on the inner workings of Putin’s Russia and author of the book Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine amongst many others, to explore the Kremlin’s next moves, the cracks in Putin’s armour, and what the West keeps getting wrong about the invasion of Ukraine. • Buy Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine thr...
Jul 01, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 1594
Keir Starmer seems downbeat as he marks a year in office with international crises and backbench backlash overshadowing the anniversary. Ros Taylor talks Jacob Jarvis through the benefits bill fallout. Plus, they look to latest news from the Middle East and the ever present Donald Trump. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Support us on Patreon for ad free and early episodes: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros ...
Jun 30, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 1593
On July 11, Superman flies back into cinemas in his third reboot – but this time, he’s different. Director James Gunn promises a beacon of hope, kindness, and decency, a sharp contrast to the grim hero we last saw. How will a reborn idealistic Man of Steel land in the most cynical American moment of the modern era? How has Superman changed in his 87 years in comics, movies and radio? And can he save the American Way from a real-life supervillain in the White House? Ian Gordon, author of Superman...
Jun 27, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 1592
Mass fatalities in the Air India crash and the collision of a passenger flight and a US Army helicopter over the Potomac have triggered fears that serious aviation accidents are becoming more frequent. But are they really? John Walton, editor of independent aviation journalism site TheUpFront, talks to Andrew Harrison about why panics like this start, how safe air travel really is, and how this high-emissions industry is facing up to a low-emissions future. • Read John Walton on air travel for g...
Jun 26, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 1591
Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but the questions around his life, his crimes, and his powerful friends remain. In 2024, new court documents were unsealed, revealing more about Epstein’s abuse yet much of the content remains redacted, leading to conspiracy theories, speculation – and social media battles between Elon Musk and President Trump. Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by investigative reporter Adam Klasfeld, editor-in-chief of All Rise News, to unpack what we know and what remains obsc...
Jun 25, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1590
Donald Trump once promised to keep America out of endless wars. But less than 200 days into his second term, the US military has carried out airstrikes on Iran. Following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, the president gave orders to target Iranian nuclear facilities. His cabinet denies any ambition for regime change – but Trump’s own words suggest otherwise. So what’s really going on? Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dr Sanam Vakil, Director of the MENA Programme at Chatham H...
Jun 24, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1589
America’s strikes on Iran have left the world wondering what Trump’s next move will be. What do we know so far – and what could happen next? Plus, what comes now after the assisted dying bill vote? And with Reform surging in polls, Farage has another weird plan – will it work? And because the answer’s no, why not? Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis discuss all that and more in Start Your Week. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. [NOT FOR PATREON] Support us on...
Jun 23, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1588
Is the BBC shifting right to please Reform voters? Leaked minutes from a top-level BBC editorial meeting reveal plans to reshape story selection and tone – not just in news, but even in drama – to improve the Corporation’s image among Reform UK supporters. But instead of chasing Farage’s fans, should the BBC hold Reform to account more rigorously? Don of media commentators Raymond Snoddy explains the danger of letting populism set the news agenda to Andrew Harrison. • Raymond Snoddy writes on me...
Jun 20, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1587
The Bunker - news without the nonsense. Published every week day, we promise to deliver the insight that smart, modern listeners crave, beyond the headlines. Boost your knowledge, cut away the spin and get news without the nonsense on The Bunker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 19, 2025•45 sec•Season 1Ep. 1
For the first time in MI6’s history, a female chief is taking the helm. Blaise Metreweli, a veteran of both old-school espionage and cutting-edge tech warfare, steps into the role as digital battlegrounds, rogue states, and AI-fuelled threats reshape global intelligence. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dan Lomas, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, to explore the role of Britain's top spymaster and what challenges she will face on...
Jun 19, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1586
Glastonbury has been the hot zone for radical ideas since its hippy infancy. But the first Labour government in 15 years is not exactly the hitting the mark for the festival’s audience of utopians and out-of-the-box thinkers. Can Labour get back to its radical roots? The Guardian’s John Harris, who comperes the Left Field at Glastonbury, and campaigner Gracie Mae Bradley who’s guesting at the Left Field this year, come together for a pre-festival summit. • Support us on Patreon for early episode...
Jun 18, 2025•33 min
Britain needs be ready to fight a war in Europe or the Atlantic in as little as two years – and we look badly underprepared. That’s the message of Labour’s sobering new Strategic Defence Review. So where are we weak, how fast could we rearm and what will it cost? And do the British people have the disposition to fight the sort of war we thought was in the past? Peter Ricketts, UK National Security Adviser from 2010 to 2012 and Britain’s former representative to NATO, explains the challenge of re...
Jun 17, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1584
Trump’s birthday parade bored the few people who bothered watching – and offended those who actually care about the military, unlike the president himself. As protests rage across the US – can Trump keep ignoring them? Plus, the situation in the Middle East becomes increasingly terrifying – how might tensions between Iran and Israel escalate? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss this and more as we look to the week ahead. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsore...
Jun 16, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1583
Rome conjures up strong images and ideas for many of us – but what if everything we think we know about the era is totally wrong? Alex von Tunzelmann speaks with Edward J. Watts, author of The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea and the upcoming The Romans: A 2,000-Year History, to discuss the falsehoods that need clearing up. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky. Wri...
Jun 13, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1582
Legendarily hot, dry and hedonistic, the Summer of ’76 burnt itself into our cultural memory as a kind of Ultimate Summer. But the record temperatures, the soul and disco classics and the sense of youth breaking free took place against a backdrop of economic collapse, political failure and barely suppressed rage. These were the Dark 70s of the Southall Riots, the Ripper and the Black Panther, police queerbashing and simmering hatreds. John L. Williams, author of Heatwave: The Summer of 1976 – Br...
Jun 12, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1581
A special crossover edition from our partner podcast American Friction… The news has focused heavily on sensational images from LA, but what is the real feeling among protestors – and how did this all escalate? Ben Camacho is a journalist covering the situation – who was shot by two rubber bullets himself doing so. He joins Jacob Jarvis to give an on the ground perspective of what’s happening. Hear more from American Friction: linktr.ee/americanfriction See more of Ben’s reporting on LA at The S...
Jun 11, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1580
As Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum ramps up high-tech crackdowns on the nation’s cartels, Trump’s chaotic second term is throwing a spanner in the works. Alex von Tunzelmann speaks to David Shirk, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of San Diego, to find out whether the MAGA movement is helping Mexico’s fight against organised crime or making things worse. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.pa...
Jun 11, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1579
From antiwar, Biden-backing Democrat to apologist for Assad and Putin and finally strident Trump loyalist, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s political journey has been astonishing. Her taste for strongmen and conspiracy thought makes her perfect tool for Trump’s revenge on the intelligence community. The Guardian’s global affairs correspondent Andrew Roth explains why Gabbard’s appointment amounted to a middle finger to the security establishment, how she’s embedding paranoid soc...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1578
Elon Musk and Trump’s epic fallout continues – who will win this war of words? And how will the squabbling pair try to hurt each other next? Plus, there’s chaos on the streets of LA – how far will Trump take this? And back at home, there’s the spending review – who will be the winners and losers? Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss all that and more on Start Your Week. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written ...
Jun 09, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 1577
Listen in to our sibling podcast American Friction as they pick apart the Trump-Musk breakup. Musk and Trump’s messy falling-out hit new heights this week. We recorded a whole episode, then it went nuts — so Nikki McCann Ramiréz of Rolling Stone magazine and Jarv jumped on for a late night call and unpacked the madness. Listen in then we have a big old chat for the main show, with Chris too! Yay! Listen to the full episode of American Friction on all platforms. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go t...
Jun 07, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 1576
A Chinese ‘super embassy’ could be built in the heart of London – and intelligence experts say it would open the door to cyber interference at the heart of Britain’s financial system. Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler sits down with security expert Nigel Inkster, former director of operations and intelligence MI6 and senior advisor at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, to ask if Britain is turning a blind eye to the growing threat from Beijing? With fears of espionage, tech theft ...
Jun 06, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1575
A special crossover edition from our partner podcast, This is Not a Drill. Ukraine’s daring drone attack Operation Spiderweb has stunned Russia with its stealth, precision planning and the damage it unleashed on warplanes based deep within Russian territory. The Bunker regular Gavin Esler is joined from Kyiv by This Is Not A Drill co-host Oz Katerji, to discuss the impact of an operation planned meticulously over the past 18 months – and what it means both for the war and the nature of asymmetri...
Jun 05, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1574
From memes demanding we “eat the rich” to real-world insurrections, the language of revolution is everywhere. But what does it really mean to call for one today? Zing Tsjeng is joined by Dan Edelstein, professor of political science and history at Stanford University and author of The Revolution to Come, to explore our relationship with revolutionary thought, from Ancient Greece, to the French revolution, through to the January 6th riots – and ask whether we need a revolution today. Buy The Revo...
Jun 04, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 1573
Wes Streeting? Angela Rayner? Andy Burnham? Or someone you’ve never heard of? Starmer won’t be stepping down any time soon – but what happens when he does? Who’s most likely to win the leadership? Do they have the right combination of personality and vision to get Labour out of its rut? And will it be yet another bloke? Ava Santina of PoliticsJoe joins Andrew Harrison around the crystal ball to see who’s most likely to lead Labour when Keir disappears. • Listen to Why? with Emma Kennedy: How cou...
Jun 03, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1572
The defence review is the big talking point of the moment – what’s new and how will Starmer frame it? Plus, Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss other pressures on Labour, the state of conflicts across the globe and Trump’s latest conspiracy theory thinking. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crim...
Jun 02, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 1571
Donald Trump isn’t an emperor, yet – but who knows how he might change the US in the next few years. As he gets more dictatorial by the day, what lessons could we learn from Rome – and which Roman emperor is he most like? Peter Edwell is associate professor in ancient history at Macquarie University and joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind t...
May 30, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1570
Elon Musk seems to be limping off the political stage with a whimper. So was he ever the power behind the throne or just a useful idiot with a fat wallet and a massive platform for Trump to exploit? Today in The Bunker, Alex Von Tunzelmann is joined by Andrew Boujean, editor of The Washingtonian, to find out just how the richest man on earth m became the latest high profile figure to be chewed up and spat out by the Maga machine. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for ...
May 29, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1569
Why did getting pillaged by Vikings ultimately help the economies of the Middle Ages? How did a flood of silver from conquered South America end up making Spain poorer? Was Genghis Khan the father of globalisation? And why was it a terrible idea to garland Luftwaffe fighter aces with medals and fame? In an absorbing new book Blood and Treasure: The Economics of Conflict from the Vikings to Ukraine, economist and historian Duncan Weldon explains how war shapes economies and economies shape wars… ...
May 28, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 1568
