The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Political leaders have been targeted by assassins for thousands of years – Donald Trump being the latest example, after the attempt on his life in Pennsylvania. Historically, what impact have these actions had on societies the world over? What similarities are there between these acts and the people who carry them out? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Arie Perliger, professor in security studies at Unive...

Labour’s landslide has brought in a new wave of political optimism to the UK. But a  near record poll attendance has been a cause for concern in the weeks following the election. Hannah Fearn is joined by Professor of behavioural science at Kingston University Gaëlle Vallée Tourangeau to find out why people just aren’t turning out to vote and what can be done to engage with the electorate.     • W...

Keir Starmer has plenty to get on with at home – but amid global turmoil, Labour’s foreign policy is increasingly important too. In response to multiple wars, regional conflicts, an increasingly far-right Europe and a turbulent U.S. Presidential race, how might Starmer interact with the rest of the world? Zoë Grünewald asks Dr Victoria Honeyman , associate professor of British politics at the Univ...

After the Trump shooting we ask what it means for America and the election. Could the failed assassination win the race for the former president? Meanwhile, the new Labour Government is in full swing. From the new Growth Agenda to the launch of Great British Energy what can we expect from Starmer this week? Recorded in the aftermath of England’s defeat, best not to say too much about that, Andrew...

Joe Biden is the US’ oldest ever President – and it’s showing. From his catastrophic performance during the recent debate against Donald Trump, to celebrity calls for him to step down, the question on everyone’s lips is: Will he quit? Gavin Esler asks Democratic insider Sidney Blumenthal in today’s Bunker.     • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Inco...

In an increasingly unstable international climate, we need our internal laws more than ever – but they don’t seem to be working. Which states are ignoring them, what are the consequences, and who will enforce them? Alex Andreou asks Professor Kevin Heller, the ICC Prosecutor’s special advisor on war crimes, in today’s Bunker.       • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 spo...

We think of the US as a universe unto itself, uninterested in the outside world. But according to geopolitics analyst and host of the Disorder podcast Jason Pack , few things influence American elections as much as three diaspora countries – Ireland, Italy and Israel – and “peer nation” the UK. Their role as political test labs for new ideas means that Keir Starmer’s victory could be good news for...

The Conservatives are out of power for the first time in 14 years. So what does the future of the party look like, and should we expect a serious Tory-transformation if they have hopes of regaining control in the future? Ros Taylor asks Queen Mary University professor of politics and The Conservative Party After Brexit author Tim Bale , in The Bunker.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.co...

France ’s shock election result: what does it mean and what comes next? Plus, week one of the new Labour government : Starmer heads the NATO summit and tours the Nations, Streeting aims to solve the junior doctor’s strike, and Lammy aims to reset relations with the EU. And all eyes are on Joe Biden amid calls for him to step down as presidential nominee. The week ahead with Ros Taylor and Gavin Es...

Immigration is a divisive issue in America, much as it is here in the UK. How did the debate become so toxic – and is there a way to fix it and remove the heat from the arguments? Jonathan Blitzer, author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the situation, how politicians have failed – and how the public could...

General elections are pretty unusual events – and they can bring out the weirdest in both politicians and voters. But what are the strangest moments from votes of the past? Ros Taylor asks King’s College London Professor of Politics and Contemporary History Andrew Blick in today’s Bunker.  • We are sponsored by Indeed . Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. •  Incogni keeps your priva...

Newspapers aren’t as powerful as they were, but they still behave as if they are – and they remain overwhelmingly biased towards a Tory Party that could well be dying. How will they handle a new Labour government? Are the days of press power over? And where does the new power lie? Gavin Esler asks Goldsmiths Senior Journalism Lecturer Terry Kirby in The Bunker.  Buy The Newsmongers: A History of T...

Tax consistently ranks as one of the most important issues to voters. So why can’t anybody in politics talk about it honestly? Alex Andreou asks Paul Johnson , director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, in today’s Bunker. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. •  Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps you...

In just three days, Brits will head to the polling stations to vote in the General Election . What do the polls show, and is there any chance of a Harry Kane-esque last minute Sunak win – or is it all over already? In other election news, France went to the polls yesterday, intensifying concerns about the country’s move to the far-right. Further afield, Biden has made a rallying comeback after a d...

If Starmer wins, just how will his Labour government be different from those of the past? And is the party’s new identity inextricable from Starmer himself? Andrew Harrison asks Labour Party historian Anthony Broxton , who runs the ‘Tides of History’ project. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. •  Incogni keeps your private information safe, protects yo...

Sunak’s cringe moments have received laser focus throughout the campaign. But what about messaging he’s putting out online? Who are parties targeting, where, and with what information? Jacob Jarvis asks Who Targets Me founder Sam Jeffers about the good, the bad and the ugly in online political ads throughout this campaign cycle. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponso...

From the rising cost of mortgages to a lack of social housing, the housing crisis is one of the most pressing issues in this election. Hannah Fearn is joined by one of the UK’s most high-profile housing campaigners, Kwajo Tweneboa , whose book Our Country in Crisis: Britain's Housing Emergency and How We Rebuild is due out in July, to look at the sorry state of housing in the UK. We are sponsored...

There have been plenty of memorable election stunts lately – with Ed Davey stealing the show so far in this campaign. But how far back does the history of these sorts of actions go? And do they work? Andrew Harrison is joined by Seth Thévoz to look at the history of political stunts and their impact on the polls. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.pa...

The betting scandal just keeps getting worse for Sunak – will it dominate the week, or will another gaffe knock it off the front pages? Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead in the election campaign, plus the latest from the French election, conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and the looming Biden vs. Trump debate.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 spons...

On 28 Jan 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after take-off, watched by a worldwide TV audience of millions. Seven crew members died and images of the tragedy etched themselves on the American mind. Now a new book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space reveals the corner-cutting and corporate culture that made Challenger an accident waiting to happen....

Professor Nick Maynard says the scenes he has witnessed in Gaza are the worst he’s seen in his 36 years as a surgeon. He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to recount his most recent trip to the West Bank. • “We’re not politicians, we’re not lawmakers, we’re humanitarians – we’re just describing the appalling things that we have seen.” Click here to visit the GoFundMe page mentioned in today's episo...

Relations between Western nations and China are worsening. The US fears China’s growing global influence, but how far will it go to halt Xi Jinping’s ambitions? Sir Robin Niblett is a distinguished fellow at the international affairs think tank Chatham House and author of The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the US and China Will Shape Our Century. He joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker. Buy The...

China’s often controversial imprisonments of foreigners has horrified the Western world. But is Beijing doing this as part of its war with the West? Alex Andreou asks Harvard University research affiliate Peter Humphrey, who spent two years in the Chinese prison system, and now campaigns for the release of others. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.p...

Britain’s older generations have historically played a key role in elections. But how pivotal is the ‘grey vote’ ahead of July 4, and who is likely to win it? Gavin Esler talks to the New Statesman’s senior data journalist and Britain Elects co-founder Ben Walker about who this demographic actually describes and what they want.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsore...

As the Tories bang on about tax, despite it not shifting the polls at all, is the prospect of total obliteration for the Conservative Party growing? And what policy areas and set pieces should we look out for this week? Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the campaign trail latest, and look at news from France, Ukraine and the USA.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100...