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 aff...
May 29, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1299
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 Writte...
May 28, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 1298
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 Podma...
May 24, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1297
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 So...
May 23, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1296
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 – tak...
May 22, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1295
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 Ta...
May 21, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1294
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...
May 20, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1293
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 ...
May 19, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1292
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 yo...
May 17, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1291
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 directe...
May 16, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1290
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 tra...
May 15, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1289
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. Books...
May 14, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1288
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 th...
May 13, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 1287
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...
May 10, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1286
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 s...
May 09, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1285
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 se...
May 08, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1284
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 s...
May 07, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1283
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 c...
May 06, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1282
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 J...
May 03, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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, reall...
May 03, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1281
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 ...
May 02, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1280
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 at...
May 01, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1279
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. • “Ope...
Apr 30, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1278
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 Ta...
Apr 29, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1277
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 d...
Apr 26, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1276
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 consid...
Apr 25, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1275
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 brutali...
Apr 24, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1274
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 w...
Apr 23, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1273
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 c...
Apr 22, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1272
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 • ...
Apr 19, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1271
