The infected blood scandal of the 1970s and 80s saw almost 5,000 people in the UK contract HIV or hepatitis C due to contaminated NHS blood products. Over 2,800 have died and tens of thousands of lives have been affected, yet no organisation or individual has ever been held to account. Ros Taylor is joined by Caroline Wheeler , the political editor of the Sunday Times and author of the new book Death in the Blood: The inside story of the NHS infected blood scandal. Death in the Blood: https://ww...
Oct 03, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1100
Rishi Sunak is having a grim time up north as the Tories gather in Manchester for their annual conference. As the PM attempts to put crowd pleasing policies forward (and not mention HS2), the race to replace him has already started. In world news, we look at the U.S. after it narrowly avoided a government shutdown, the latest on Ukraine — and finally, a slow burning financial crisis in China. Jacob Jarvis is joined in The Bunker by Alex Andreou to get you prepped for the week ahead. “Sunak was c...
Oct 02, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1099
This week on the Bunker Gold: Let us take you back to the crazy days of 2022, when Liz Truss was Prime Minister and Boris Johnson was still an MP… How would an alien fix Britain? We hear from Count Binface , who resisted the urge to vapourise Alex Andreou despite some tough questions. The Count discusses standing against Tories like Theresa May (as Lord Buckethead) and Boris Johnson, why he’d junk First Past the Post for PR, plus his book, WHAT ON EARTH? . “I was passing Earth and it seemed to b...
Oct 01, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1098
On our latest panel edition: What does centrism in politics even mean? And why is the government still so worried about newspapers? Then finally, why do politicians have such weird taste in music? We’ve assembled a supergroup of Podmasters all stars, Rock & Roll Politics hall of famer Steve Richards, the chanteuse of Paper Cuts , Miranda Sawyer and Podmasters virtuoso Jacob Jarvis join frontman Andrew Harrison in the latest edition of The Bunker Panel. “Centrism is deeply subjective, that’s ...
Oct 01, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 1097
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is leading calls to impeach President Joe Biden. Irrespective of whether that’s realistic or not (spoiler alert: it isn’t) what does it really mean to impeach a president? Professor of history and classical studies at McGill University, Jason Opal , takes us back to the origins of impeachment to understand how it’s become a common tactic of American political warfare. He joins Seth Thévoz in The Bunker. “Since the 80s impeachment has gone from nearly unthinkable to a...
Sep 30, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1096
In Afghanistan, women and girls have been banned from schools and universities – but underground networks have sprung up to maintain their education. This week on Bunker Global , Chris Jones is joined by Pashtana Durrani , educator and founder of LEARN Afghan and winner of a 2023 Global Citizen Award, to discuss the schools that defy Taliban rule and educate girls across the country. "Our future was stolen. Our present is stolen. We are the victims of a political agenda.” "Despite everything, I ...
Sep 29, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1095
AI is disrupting systems across the world – and is beginning to completely change global manufacturing. What are the pros and cons of this new era of technological advancement? Industrialisation led to a period of growth never before seen but could the next industrial revolution do more harm than good? Dr. Kate Devlin is joined by Dr. Jostein Hauge , author of The Future of the Factory: How Megatrends are Changing Industrialization to discuss global trends and the future of industry. "Corporatio...
Sep 28, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 1094
For a few years now the Tory party has been drifting further and further right and it’s not gone well… at all. David Gauke is the former Justice Secretary under Theresa May and has edited a book titled The Case for the Centre Right which highlights the desperate need to reverse the direction of his party back to the centre. But is there a real case for the centre right anymore? Marie Le Conte sits down with him in The Bunker to listen to his argument. The case for the centre right: https://www.w...
Sep 27, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1093
The war on drugs has been going on for decades, yet the use of cocaine has continued to rise – especially in the UK. Why is that? Who are the international paramilitary groups playing a role in keeping supplies going? And is the problem being tackled by our government correctly? Genevieve Kotarska is a research fellow in the Organised Crime and Policing Team at the Royal United Services Institute . She joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker. “I don’t think legalisation is the magic solution it’s sometim...
Sep 26, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1092
Rishi Sunak is set to ditch HS2 plans – how will he handle enraging a huge chunk of the country and a load of fellow Tories? This comes amid a raft of Government uncertainty over policies – with pensions and inheritance tax debates rolling on. Plus, there is more Met police controversy with a number of officers turning in their firearms. Ros Taylor and Hannah Fearn discuss the news you need to look out for in the week ahead. “It’s obvious to me when you’ve made such a commitment, you don’t back ...
Sep 25, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1091
Animal Farm is one of the 20th century’s most iconic books. So why make a sequel? Dorian Lynskey is joined by Adam Biles , literary director at Shakespeare and Company and author of the new book Beast of England , to explore how Manor Farm provides the perfect imaginary landscape for assessing our fraught and fractured politics. “Watching UK politics from afar gave the impression of a frog slowly being boiled.” “My feeling became: a plague on all of your houses.” “When you romanticise a group of...
Sep 24, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1090
Bellwether and swing states are often the battlegrounds upon which the US presidential race is won. Historically, Ohio has been one of the most important - but that is changing. So which states matter the most for the upcoming 2024 election? And how will Trump or Biden (or anyone else) win them over? Kyle Kondik is the Author of ‘The Bellwether: Why Ohio Picks the president”. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker. “We’re seeing a shift in the key states in the electoral college, partially due to T...
Sep 23, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1089
Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau has claimed agents of the government of India orchestrated an assassination on Canadian soil. The killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar has led to a terse back and forth between the two nations. Plus, we take a look at the latest chapter in the Azerbaijan and Armenia conflict. And, why are so many former French colonies revolting across Africa? Chris Jones is joined by Dipo Faloyin, senior editor at Vice and author of ‘ Africa is not a country’ and Laurence Bro...
Sep 22, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1088
By now most of us have had hands-on experience with an AI interface. Beyond the sleek exterior of ChatGTP there is a world of AI that threatens the privacy of each and every one of us. Kate Devlin is joined in The Bunker by tech journalist and co-founder of 404 Media, Samantha Cole, to find out if AI can produce anything, what is protecting our likeness from being exploited in disturbing, and even explicit, ways? "People can use AI to make any fantasy image a reality." “If you're a normal person...
Sep 21, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1087
With two million active soldiers, China has the largest military in the world. But does it know what it’s doing? Even with some of the most advanced military tech in the world their ability to use it is unclear. Laura Makin-Isherwood speaks to Timothy Heath , senior international defence researcher at the RAND Corporation , to find out if Xi’s army is something we should be worried about – or if they have all the gear and no idea. "Xi’s army has no experience operating large combat forces on ano...
Sep 20, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 1086
The BBC World Service is under attack. The global broadcaster reaches an audience of over 500 million listeners across the globe. But budget cuts and the exit of some territories have left the BBC service a shell of its former self. Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Simon Potter , professor of modern history at Bristol University and author of This is the BBC: Entertaining the Nation, Speaking for Britain, 1922-2022 , to find out who benefits from the downfall of the BBC World Service? “I ...
Sep 19, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1085
Accusations of sexual assault and rape against Russell Brand will dominate the news this week. Will this open a new front in #MeToo and lead to lasting change? Plus, after Starmer makes claims about how to manage illegal migration – what are the latest proposals? We also have an update on ongoing Conservative psychodramas including Liz Truss’s failed premiership, Tom Tugenhadt’s plea to appeal to the young, and the parliamentary debut from new Energy & Net Zero Minister Claire Coutinho. Andr...
Sep 18, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1084
Brits seem to be more mean-spirited than ever. This is clear on social media, but also in attitudes towards poorer sections of society. How did we become so mean, and what can we do about it? Hannah Fearn is joined by professor of human geography Danny Dorling , author of new book Shattered Nation: Inequality and the Geography of A Failing State , to find out how social issues change attitudes towards those who need the most help in society – and how we can fight to be kinder. “The UK is one of ...
Sep 17, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1083
Rudy Giuliani was once credited for lowering crime in New York and a swift response to 9/11. So how has he fallen so sharply from grace? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Andrew Kirtzman, author of Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America's Mayor to find out how since becoming an integral part of the Donald Trump leadership, Rudy Giuliani is a figure beset with scandals. “Rudy Giuliani was a different person in the past, an authoritarian but largely effective and smart.” “The Rudy Giuliani of today...
Sep 16, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1082
This week on Bunker Global: After Vladimir Putin meets with Kim Jong Un – should we be worried? Plus, a series of catastrophes hit North Africa, including the earthquake in Morocco and devastating flooding in Libya. And finally, Britain is frozen out of an EU-world trade agreement. Laura Makin-Isherwood , formerly London bureau chief of Feature Story News , and Abdulkader Assad , senior political editor for The Libya Observer , join Chris Jones this week. Listen in for your need-to-know on news ...
Sep 15, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1081
We’ve built machines to help us make decisions in all sectors of our lives – especially in government. But we don’t understand exactly what they’re capable of and how they may evolve. David Runciman is author of The Handover: How We Gave Control of Our Lives to Corporations, States and AIs. He joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss “the machinery of states” and whether AI could learn to outgrow humanity. “We’re still unsure whether these machines are going to be good for us, or kill us all.” ...
Sep 14, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1080
Being mistaken for Naomi Wolf was once a joke for acclaimed author Naomi Klein . But following the global pandemic, her doppelgänger embraced conspiracy theories and was welcomed into alt-right spheres. In an effort to understand the woman she was often mistaken for — Naomi Klein journeyed down the rabbit hole into a world of misinformation, emotional manipulation and a mirror world not quite like our own. Jude Rogers speaks to Naomi Klein , the author of No Logo, The Shock Doctrine and her late...
Sep 13, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 1079
Covid-19 caused chaos for a lot of us. For children and young people it completely disrupted their personal growth, in education and social settings too. Dr. Lauren Andres is a professor of planning and urban transformatio n at UCL . She’s studying the impact that pandemic policies put in place by governments around the world have had on young people. She joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss whether we’re dealing with a lost generation. PANEX-Youth is a two-year project, led by Prof. Andres...
Sep 12, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 1078
Britain’s prisons are under the spotlight following Daniel Khalife’s escape from HMP Wandsworth. Alex Chalk did the damage control rounds over the weekend – but does the justice secretary have more problems than this high profile debacle? Meanwhile, a parliamentary researcher was arrested under suspicion of sharing official secrets with China. What does this mean for the UK’s relationship with Beijing? Plus we look back at the key developments from the G20 conference, the latest on Ukraine — and...
Sep 11, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1077
Following Brexit, performers are consistently losing out on opportunities to perform. How has it gotten so bad – and can the situation be resolved? Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Deborah Annetts , the CEO of the Independent Society of Musicians to find out how the government could save the music industry and why they have no desire to do so. “Various select committees have begged the government to sort this mess out.” “We won't see the results immediately but in five years time, are we ...
Sep 10, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 1076
One of Tucker Carlson’s recent interviews is with Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán. In the interview Orbán called for Trump to return to the U.S. presidency, among numerous other inflammatory statements. Why is Tucker so obsessed with Hungarian politics – and how does Orbán use the media to bolster his narrative? Chris Jones is joined by journalist for 24.HU , Zsolt Kerner . “It’s ironic to see Orbán, who often says other nations shouldn’t comment on domestic politics, calling for a change ...
Sep 09, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 1075
Joe Biden is 80 and his main Republican rival Donald Trump is 77. Opponents of each are ready to use their ages against them – but will this debate matter come 2024? Writer for Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast, Molly Jong-Fast says the age argument is a classic GOP tactic, but questions how well it will work. She joins Gavin Esler in the Bunker. “One of the things we’re not talking about enough is the power of incumbency.” – Molly Jong-Fast. “I don’t think Biden would’ve run aga...
Sep 09, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1074
This week on Bunker Global: The G20 is assembling in India this weekend, what can we expect from this year’s summit? Plus, we take a look at Victor Orbán’s interview with Tucker Carlson and the UAE is looking to loosen ‘gaming’ laws in their country. Could Dubai become the Las Vegas of the middle east? Chris Jones is joined by associate professor of politics and international relations at UCL, Julie Norman, and Hungary-based journalist Zsolt Kerner, to get you up to speed on the biggest stories ...
Sep 08, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1073
Inflation is one of the hot political topics at the moment. Jeremy Hunt says that keeping inflation at five per cent is putting money in the pocket of the average Brit... So we figured it was time to provide a cheat-sheet on inflation knowledge, just in case the Chancellor of the Exchequer needs a judgement-free refresher. Alex Andreou sits down with Giles Wilkes , senior fellow at the Institute for Government, to explain everything you need to know about inflation. “High inflation is the cleare...
Sep 07, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 1072
Being the leader of the opposition is a thankless task, often described as the worst job in politics. Those that don’t go on to be PM are often completely forgotten, rarely to be spoken of again. So what makes a good leader of the opposition? And how has the role changed through history? Dr. Nigel Fletcher is the Author of The Not Quite Prime Ministers: Leaders of the Opposition 1783–2020 . He joins Marie Le Conte in The Bunker. https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/the-not-quite-prime-minist...
Sep 06, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 1071
