The Bunker – News without the nonsense - podcast cover

The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Podmasterstwitter.com
News without the nonsense, every weekday morning. In episodes that fit your commute*, The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on in news, current affairs, politics, economics and culture. We bring you smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to as a refreshing alternative to repetitive Punch and Judy news coverage. It’s the only way to start the day. From the producers of Oh God, What Now? Our regulars include: Gavin Esler • Ros Taylor • Alex von Tunzelmann • Andrew Harrison • Zing Tsjeng • Jacob Jarvis • Emma Kennedy • Rafael Behr • Seth Thévoz. • Sign up to support the podcast and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast • Apple users: Get all of our core shows ad-free and early with the Podmasters Originals super-subscription. (* Even if it’s just from the kitchen to the front room. ) The Bunker is a Podmasters production.
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Episodes

How did grifters like Trump take over the GOP?

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 commi...

Sep 25, 202436 minSeason 1Ep. 1389

Can we solve the small boat crisis? – immigration barrister Colin Yeo and Ros Taylor discuss

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 Eliz...

Sep 24, 202430 minSeason 1Ep. 1388

Labour Conference Special! – Start Your Week with Steve Richards

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 J...

Sep 23, 202424 minSeason 1Ep. 1387

NHS crisis report: The key points you need to know

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. P...

Sep 20, 202432 minSeason 1Ep. 1386

“Tough old bird with an iPhone” – Carol Vorderman on Twitter wars and fixing Britain

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 horr...

Sep 19, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 1385

The truth about Britain’s relationship with Germany – Ros Taylor speaks with expert Wolfgang Munchau

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 spon...

Sep 18, 202429 minSeason 1Ep. 1384

What would a Gaza ceasefire actually look like? – Gavin Esler asks Daniel Levy

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 G...

Sep 17, 202436 minSeason 1Ep. 1383

What Trump assassination bid means – Start Your Week with Zöe Grünewald and Andrew Harrison

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...

Sep 16, 202432 minSeason 1Ep. 1382

Grenfell Inquiry: The crucial details and lessons – with Pete Apps and Hannah Fearn

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....

Sep 13, 202433 minSeason 1Ep. 1381

Does the US care about the ‘special relationship’? – The FT’s Gideon Rachman and Gavin Esler discuss

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 ...

Sep 12, 202431 minSeason 1Ep. 1380

How Harris embarrassed Trump in the TV debate – American Friction teaser

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 spons...

Sep 11, 202414 minSeason 1Ep. 1379

Understanding Xi Jinping: How China’s supreme leader rose to power

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 boo...

Sep 11, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 1378

US Presidential debates: The weird history from Kennedy-Nixon to Trump-Harris

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 spons...

Sep 10, 202433 minSeason 1Ep. 1377

In sickness and in health – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Hannah Fearn

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 a...

Sep 09, 202430 minSeason 1Ep. 1376

Understanding the strange death of Hollywood

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 D...

Sep 06, 202435 minSeason 1Ep. 1375

A.I. is burning the planet – What you need to know

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 ...

Sep 05, 202428 minSeason 1Ep. 1374

'Trump's destruction of the GOP haunts me' – former Republican adviser speaks

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...

Sep 04, 202435 minSeason 1Ep. 1373

Is Starmer bringing the Big State back in Britain?

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.p...

Sep 03, 202429 minSeason 1Ep. 1372

Commons People — Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor

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 In...

Sep 02, 202430 minSeason 1Ep. 1371

Is A.I. coming for your job?

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...

Sep 01, 202436 minSeason 1Ep. 1370

How the QAnon conspiracy theory wrecked families and ruined lives

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 b...

Aug 30, 202433 minSeason 1Ep. 1369

How the Tories fell: Inside Sunak’s disastrous gamble

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....

Aug 29, 202440 minSeason 1Ep. 1368

Putin and Starmer: Will the Russia-UK relationship ever be repaired?

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 an...

Aug 28, 202443 minSeason 1Ep. 1367

The 10 Year Plan — Start Your Week with Gavin Esler

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 Jar...

Aug 27, 202425 minSeason 1Ep. 1366

Bunker USA: What will Kamala Harris's foreign policy look like?

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...

Aug 23, 202431 minSeason 1Ep. 1365

Crude Awakening: Why oil still shapes everything

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...

Aug 22, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 1364

How Russian TV is covering the war, with BBC monitoring expert Francis Scarr

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. Aud...

Aug 21, 202429 minSeason 1Ep. 1363

Bunker USA: Why does the DNC matter?

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 Se...

Aug 20, 202432 minSeason 1Ep. 1362

Run DNC – Start Your Week with Hannah Fearn

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...

Aug 19, 202432 minSeason 1Ep. 1361

What the Project 2025 video leak told us – American Friction teaser

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...

Aug 17, 202413 minSeason 1Ep. 1360
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