Finland is the happiest country on earth. What can we learn from this Nordic nation? How is its education, health care and housing systems different to ours? Ros Taylor speaks to Danny Dorling , professor of human geography at the University of Oxford and author of Finntopia: What We Can Learn from the World's Happiest Country , to work out what makes it such a well-functioning state. “Finland has ended up doing remarkably well, if you’re trying to show people what is possible and what is differ...
Jan 15, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 830
The QAnon conspiracy theory has run rampant throughout America’s far-right. Why won’t it die? Could it ever disappear? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Mike Rothschild, author of The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything , to discuss the state of the cult-like belief structure, how it has evolved over time and what might replace it should it ever go away. “Q is very good at taking the events of the day and reinterpreting them through the lens of the consp...
Jan 14, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 829
The NHS is in a worse position than during the height of the Covid pandemic. What can the Government do to remedy its woes? From bed capacity to oxygen supply, to staff shortages, where does the solution begin? As NHS staff strike en masse, Roy Lilley, writer of the NHS Managers Network newsletter, and former vice-chair of West Surrey and North East Hampshire Health Authority joins Alex Andreou to find out. “This was eminently settleable when it started. Now of course everyone has dug a great bi...
Jan 13, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 828
Benjamin Netanyahu is back in power at the head of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. By allying himself with religious extremists including the Jewish Power Party, has the great escape artist of Israeli politics put his country’s democracy in the hands of theocrats? What do the new far-right ministers want? And will Netanyahu protect the rights of Arab Israelis, women and LGBTQ+ citizens the way he claims he will? Anshel Pfeffer , writer for Haaretz and Israel correspondent for...
Jan 12, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 827
The Life in the UK Test is the ultimate barrier to becoming a British citizen. But is it working – and how could we change it? Since its launch in 2001 the test has been criticised for failing to achieve its goal of integration, and making it harder for people to become citizens. Thom Brooks , author of Reforming the UK’s Citizenship Test: Building Bridges, Not Barriers , joins Yasmeen Serhan in the Bunker to ask: is it time for a new approach? “It’s not so much about building bridges, it’s abou...
Jan 11, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 826
Levelling Up was a key policy after the Conservatives swept the Red Wall in 2019. Three years later and Tory chaos has the policy to bring greater equity between the North and the South floundering by the roadside. Rob Parsons , editor of The Northern Agenda joins Jacob Jarvis to find out if there’s still reason to be optimistic. “Restoring pride to people’s places is definitely a good thing to do. Whether it will address these massive inequalities in skills and jobs and transport, is a differen...
Jan 10, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 825
As Sunak squirms under questioning, will anti-union legislation save his bacon? Plus, Brazil’s far-right storms the country’s congress – what can we expect next? And we discuss the latest from the US, plus as the family feud of the century as Prince Harry causes a royal furore. Hannah Fearn , columnist and reporter for The I and Independent, joins Andrew Harrison to discuss the week ahead. “ If Sunak continues a hardline stance on these strikes, he creates an atmosphere where a general strike is...
Jan 09, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 824
Comparisons to the Winter of Discontent are everywhere. But are these accurate, or even helpful? With an autumn and winter of strikes, high levels of inflation and maxed out energy prices it’s an easy reference to make, but is it lazy? Colin Hay , professor of political sciences at Sciences Po in Paris, joins Andrew Harrison to discuss. “It’s not really the story of a coordinated campaign by union leaders. It was the rank and file rejecting the advice of the union leaders and withdrawing their l...
Jan 08, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 823
The Republican Party is in a state of turmoil with Kevin McCarthy’s Speaker stalemate having sparked scenes not witnessed for a century. What is going on, where can it go next, and what does this mean for the GOP? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Julie Normal, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics to discuss the chaos in the Capitol and what 2023 holds for American politics. Oh, and Donald Trump, unfortunately… “For some it’s key policy differences, for some it’s personal differences - not liking Kev...
Jan 07, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 822
With all signs pointing to a recession, how will this one be different to those of the past? From strikes to sky high heating bills, we’ve begun 2023, much as we ended 2022. How long can this last, and is there any hope of our fortunes improving? Resolution Foundation’s research director James Smith joins Ahir Shah to tell us how this situation might play out. “If we are pessimistic about the future and that feeds back into how [the Government] set their policies, it can become self fulfilling.”...
Jan 06, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 821
Unprecedented problems like climate change require innovative responses. Activist Natasha Walter , author of upcoming book Before the Light Fades: A Memoir of Grief and Resistance, joins Ros Taylor to explore what the histories of protest can tell us about current struggles. “People forget just how radical the 1960s movements were.” “To look back and remember how people stayed politically active is incredibly encouraging.” “Civil disobedience is a vital part of society.” Support us on Patreon: w...
Jan 05, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 820
There seem to be more authoritarian figures than ever before. But is this true? And if so, what do these leaders have in common? Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present joins Alex Andreou to explore how authoritarianism has changed over time, and why the greatest strengths of ‘strongmen’ could also be their biggest downfall. “Leader personality cults often present them as omnipotent.” “The same instincts of these leaders to win followers domestically can cause their downfal...
Jan 04, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 819
With the NHS in crisis and strikes ongoing – will the Government’s New Year’s Resolution be to get a grip? Then further afield, we look to the alarming covid situation in China and a new Congress being sworn in in the United States. Plus, a few dates for your diary – there might even be some bits to look forward to… In our first show of 2023, Alex Andreou talks to Andrew Harrison to outline the year ahead. “Everyone is incredibly scared, it’s not nice to live in a country and feel like if someth...
Jan 03, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 818
Ahead of NYE nights out, listen back to our ode to nightclubs … No one looks back and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep. But beyond a mere boogie, nightclubs play a vital role in shaping our collective and individual identity. Alex Andreou assembles an all-star spinning a-roundtable to chew on how COVID closures have impacted nighttime industries, why the pandemic has deprived us from more than a good party, and how culture goes beyond theatres and museums… Mairi Mackenzie is a cultu...
Dec 31, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 817
Here’s another throwback Bunker Gold to tide you over to next year… How do you know the world is real? How do I know I’m real? As virtual worlds expand, our concepts of reality warp. NYU philosopher David Chalmers – author of Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy – talks to Ros Taylor about the etiquette of virtual living, why video game characters deserve moral rights, and how we can know what we think we know. “Simulated beings could end up outnumbering non-simulated beings. ...
Dec 30, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 816
Here’s another hit for the Christmas period… DANGER, SPOILERS! James Bond finally returned to cinemas in a world where questions about sexism, racism and Britishness have seldom been more pointed. Is there a place for a suave, womanising emissary of British power in the modern world? Is it time to reassess the role of Bond in British culture? Regulars and Bond fiends Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell talk to Ian Kinane , editor of the International Journal of James Bond Studies and a senior lecturer i...
Dec 29, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 815
Another from our back catalogue… How did a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the century, become the fastest growing religion today? Pentecostal Christianity has 600 million followers, with 35,000 new adherents a day. So what’s behind the remarkable rise of this religious movement? Elle Hardy, author of Beyond Belief, tells Arthur Snell about her mission to report its rise across twelve different countries, from South America to Africa and Australia, how Pentecostalism provides communit...
Dec 28, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 814
In the first of our Christmas cracker throwbacks, listen to James O’Brien’s righteous evisceration of Boris Johnson , recorded in the aftermath of the Greased Piglet’s resignation announcement. The LBC host joined Ros Taylor to pick through the wreckage. What will be Johnson’s legacy? Could things have ever gone differently? The pair bid farewell to the man who wanted to be king – but failed resoundingly as Prime Minister. “In terms of personal political performance Johnsonism is very similar to...
Dec 27, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 813
Charles Dickens wrote that Christmas is a time when Want is keenly felt, with that in mind we focus on three organisations helping people in need. Arthur Snell explains why he’s supporting the Ukrainian charity Smart Medical Aid and its CEO Iryna Rybinkina tells us about her work on the frontline. Ros Taylor hears from Honeypot’s Anthony Cummings and two of the young carers it’s helped. And Joe Bookbinder tells us how Christmas can be the loneliest time — and that the Samaritans are there to lis...
Dec 22, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 812
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...
Dec 21, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 811
When Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, thousands signed up to support Ukrainian refugees and put them up in their own homes. Nearly a year on, is our government still doing enough to support those fleeing the war? Stan Beneš , a trustee of Opora, a charity which helps Ukrainians to settle in the UK, joins Ros Taylor to explore what we can do to help those displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. https://opora.uk/ “Instead of government support, it became the job of charities to match people.”...
Dec 20, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 810
The strikes are biting with more workforces walking out across the economy. Will the Government blink? Meanwhile, the worst Brexit goes the louder the Brexit Party AKA Reform UK rattles its cage. Do we need to steel ourselves for another year of Brexity self-sabotage? Plus, the Qatar aftermath, Sunak orders an audit of Britain’s support for Ukraine, and a mini-crystal ball look at 2023. Gavin Esler takes Alex Andreou through the week ahead. “We just don’t spend enough on healthcare… You don’t se...
Dec 19, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 809
Treasury “orthodoxy” is the Tory punchbag – but it only acts the way it does because it’s already been colonised by free marketeers, says Aeron Davis , author of Bankruptcy, Bubbles and Bailouts: The Inside History of the Treasury since 1976 . He tells Ahir Shah why Britain now has two Chancellors and no real Prime Minister; why our economic fate is determined by people who’ve never worked in a real business… and how deregulation ended up outsourcing the entire British economy to the City. “Rish...
Dec 18, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 808
In an age of social media soundbites, the art of public speaking is changing – especially for women. Viv Groskop , journalist and author of How To Own The Room , joins Ros Taylor to explore the speaking superpowers of women from Michelle Obama to Greta Thunberg, how to feel more confident when making speeches, why some women make their voices sound lower, and how new technologies are changing the way we speak. “Margaret Thatcher’s speeches were trapped in a gendered stereotype.” “We have a cacop...
Dec 17, 2022•24 min•Ep. 807
The interviews behind Nelson Mandela’s epic memoir The Long Walk To Freedom are out now as the podcast Mandela: The Lost Tapes . Here, South Africa’s first Black president explains himself in his own words – always inspiring, often funny too. Co-writer Richard Stengel, former Time editor and Obama Undersecretary of State, tells Alex Andreou of his affection for Mandela, how they came to collaborate on books and more, the charm of Mandela’s secretly oversized ego, and what it’s like to work with ...
Dec 16, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 806
Boris Johnson’s endgame was a gripping spectacle of hubris, betrayal, power struggles and bare-faced self-interest. But what went down behind the scenes? Sebastian Payne lays out the drama in his new book The Fall of Boris Johnson: The Full Story. The former Financial Times’s Whitehall Editor tells Ros Taylor about the contradictions that drove Johnson’s career, the truth about his relationship with Zelenskyy… and how parties at No.10 helped bring down a man who doesn’t even like parties. “Johns...
Dec 15, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 805
Amazon’s cheap products and one-click purchasing has changed how we shop forever. But just how did the shopping behemoth alter shopper’s minds? From Black Friday to Cyber Monday and Christmas the opportunities to spend money on the internet are never ending. Consumer psychologist Dr Gareth Harvey joins Ahir Shah in the Bunker to tell us the ways Amazon influences our decision making. “You may not buy through Amazon, but their algorithms influence what’s ‘hot or not’. All of those things will inf...
Dec 14, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 804
The Iron Curtain marked the Cold War divide in Europe. What is its legacy and how does this split remain today? Timothy Philips discusses his book The Curtain and the Wall: A Modern Journey Along Europe's Cold War Border with Ros Taylor. After travelling along the border, he explains what it represented and how it is remembered by those who lived along it. “It was a border developed to stop people in the east from leaving. It got stronger because regimes in the east were frightened young people ...
Dec 13, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 803
Rail, nursing and Border Force workers strike during sudden extreme cold weather, but their public support seems solid. Will the Government’s “Union Barons” attacks stick? Plus, James Cleverly ditches human rights priorities in a desperate search for any post-Brexit upside. Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its deep winter phase. And the last legislation to get squeezed through Parliament before Christmas. Alex Andreou takes Andrew Harrison through the week ahead. “The Tories are fudging the econom...
Dec 12, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 802
We’ve got a Star Wars fan in No.10 – Sunak collects lightsabers – but is there real political meaning to the tale of empires and rebels? Chris Kempshall , historian and author of The History and Politics of Star Wars : Death Stars and Democracy , talks to Andrew Harrison about Star Wars’ roots as a Vietnam allegory; what the Empire can tell us about fascism; why the Republic is a bad advert for democracy; and why Andor is the best political drama on TV right now. For 25% off the book, use the co...
Dec 11, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 801
