The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Prisons across England and Wales are at breaking point. If the system does not change, experts say the number of people living in squalor in overcrowded facilities will only increase. What are the government’s plans to change the system? And can it be fixed? Danny Shaw is a crime, justice and policing commentator and ex-BBC Home Affairs Correspondent. He joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker. “What’s rea...

The far-right could seize power in the next French presidential election. Marine Le Pen has been flying the flag for the anti-immigration Nation Rally Party ever since her father Jean-Marie Le Pen stepped down in 2011. Despite multiple failed attempts at election, her popularity has been increasing in the polls - and it looks like 2027 could be her year. So what’s behind her success and what would...

After a weekend of communication blackouts, circumstances grow more dire for Palestinians. With little hope of a ceasefire, how will the Israel Hamas conflict develop this week? Meanwhile, the UK is hosting a summit on the danger of A.I. but is it too little too late? Plus the latest on the US presidential race — and Dominic Cummings faces a grilling from the Covid Inquiry.  Ros Taylor is joined i...

On this week's Bunker Gold, a classic interview from 2022... Lisa Nandy talks to Dorian Lynskey about the people and places left behind in modern Britain – and how to empower them. The shadow secretary of state for communities and local government discusses the communities that give her hope, the missteps of recent Governments and what shifts she’d like to see – as outlined in her new book All In:...

Despite all odds, Goths have continued to thrive and evolve from Siouxsie and the Banshees to Wednesday Adams. But what political and social conditions created the Goth movement? And how has the extravagant subculture survived all this time? Frontman of The Membranes and author of The Art of Darkness , John Robb , joins Alex Andreou in our extra spooky early Halloween edition of The Bunker.  “You...

Chinese President Xi Jinping says the future destiny of mankind relies on how well the US and China get along. But with growing tensions rising around Taiwan and military exercises becoming more frequent in the Indo-Pacific, is war just on the horizon? Oriana Skylar Mastro is a Center Fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University And the author of “ Upstart:...

Since its conception in 1993, the European Union has faced multiple political attacks and crises. But it has prevailed through it all… so far. With a convergence to right-wing populism happening around the world, can its fight to uphold democracy continue? Dermot Hodson is the author of Circle of Stars: A History of the EU and the People Who Made It and a Professor of Political Economy and Digital...

Russian Oligarchs routinely use a process in English courts to silence their critics. It’s called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation or SLAPPs for short. David Hooper is a veteran lawyer and author of Buying Silence How oligarchs, corporations and plutocrats use the law to gag their critics. He’s no stranger to this expensive process and says it makes it too easy for billionaires to l...

Amazon is so dominant that the US government wants to break it up. Jeff Bezos’s empire has been described as an e-commerce monopoly – that harms consumers, sellers and the retail landscape. Senior lecturer at Lancaster University, Dr. Renaud Foucart , joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to find out how a US court decision could impact online shopping around the world.  “You cannot open a small business...

The UK’s housing crisis will be a pivotal issue at the next election. Labour Party politicians have laid out their plans to solve it – but can they be trusted to deliver? And what makes their policies different to the current government? Harry Scoffin is a prominent campaigner on housing and the co-founder of Commonhold Now . He joins Hannah Fearn in the Bunker. “Housebuilders are not necessarily...

Rishi Sunak has had prank calls and wake-up calls in recent days. How will he try to turn things around in the coming days? And just how badly are the Tories reacting to the by-election results? It’s a year into the PM’s tenure, could it be much worse? Plus, we look at the latest from Israel and Gaza, and concerns of wider conflict in the Middle East.  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunker...

In this week’s Bunker Gold, let us take you back to August 2022… With workers on strike and services cancelled, why are Britain’s railways such a mess? And how can they be fixed? Tom Haines-Doran, research fellow at Leeds University and author of Derailed: How to Fix Britain’s Broken Railways, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the problems with the UK’s train system, and what needs to happen for our rai...

From the Romans to 9/11, fear has been used to influence our political landscape. But, what makes fear so potent and how does it continue to shape the world? Alex Andreou speaks to Robert Peckham, author of Fear: An Alternative History of the World , to find out if we can ever move beyond horror politics.  “Fear has been weaponized throughout history since records began.” – Robert Peckham “Fear ca...

President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel was a clear indication of US support for Netanyahu's war with Hamas – but he also signalled a need for caution in the region. With the possibility of a second Trump presidency on the horizon, is the US’s hands-on approach to the Middle East sustainable? Associate professor of politics and international relations at UCL, Dr. Julie Norman , joins Chris Jones in...

Russian propaganda has evolved since the invasion of Ukraine. Dr. Ian Garner, historian and author of Z Generation: Into the heart of Russia's fascist youth , joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker to discuss Putin’s propaganda, how it has changed and why it works so well.  “They are the pioneers of multiplatform large scale disinformation.” – Ian Garner “That metaphor of ‘firehose of falsehoods’ doe...

Money talks – and that’s particularly true in politics. Will we ever know where the cash that influences our politicians comes from? Seth Thévoz speaks to Peter Geoghegan, writer of the popular substack Democracy for Sale , about the shadowy organisations and flows of cash that influence our political institutions in The Bunker .  “The Tufton Street crowd is very influenced by what’s happening in...

How important is your identity to your political beliefs? Yascha Mounk , the author of The Identity Trap argues that over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture has transformed into an obsession. He joins Ros Taylor in the Bunker to explain why he thinks we need to move beyond individuality for the collective good.  “I don’t think woke is a useful term.” - Yascha Mounk “There's a...

David Cameron pushed his “big society” plan during his time as prime minister – but it didn’t work very well. Was it always doomed to fail? Seth Thevoz speaks to Peter John, head of the School of Politics and Economics at King’s College London, about the history and legacy of this policy position – as well as the lessons we can learn from it.  “The big society didn’t seem to stack up with wider po...

An Israeli ground invasion of Gaza appears imminent – what will this look like? Half a million Palestinians have already evacuated southern Gaza but their routes of escape remain unclear. How has the British government responded to the escalating conflict? Plus, what do the results of Poland’s election mean for the war in Ukraine? And finally, the Conservatives face a fight over Narine Dorries’s o...

In this week’s Bunker Gold, let us take you back to December 2022… Is the cost of having children making parenthood feel impossible? With childcare through the roof, insecure housing and the cost of living crisis starting to bite, it’s an anxious time for parents. Joeli Brearley , founder of Pregnant Then Screwed , joins Ros Taylor to highlight how the poor provision for parents harms us all. “Iro...

How has drinking shaped the history of the UK? From temperance to licensing Britain’s relationship with hooch has defined our public debates. Senior lecturer in public health from the University of Stirling, Dr. James Nicholls joins Seth Thévoz in The Bunker to discuss our complex history with the hard stuff.  “Social climbing happens in places where people drink.” – Dr. James Nicholls "Throughout...

On the very far-right of the GOP is a small but very disruptive group called the House Freedom Caucus. What does it stand for and how much power does it actually wield? Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan are all high profile members – what do they want? Thomas Gift is founding director of the Centre on US Politics at University College London . He joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker...

Germany’s far-right is on the rise. Alternative for Germany outperformed all expectations in this week's state elections, increasing their share of the vote across the country. To understand the AfD’s spike in popularity, Ros Taylor speaks to FT 's chief Germany correspondent Guy Chazan .  “AfD was considered a regional party. This election changed that perception.” – Guy Chazan “It might already...

Have central banks ever recovered from the global financial crisis? Alex Andreou sits down with Uuriintuya Batsaikhan, economist for Positive Money Europe , to find out if banks really are to blame for all of our financial woes.   “Financial forecasting has become a wish for central banks rather than a goal.” – Uuriintuya Batsaikhan “High interest rates are a threat to green transition.” – Uuriint...

Straight after Keir Starmer’s keynote speech, Stella Creasy MP joined Jacob Jarvis to give her take on the Labour conference and what the leader of the opposition had to say. She gave her thoughts on policies, outlined her discussions at conference – with a key focus on Europe – and explained how she thinks voters can be persuaded to back Labour.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented...