The Bunker – News without the nonsense

The BBC is in turmoil again, over allegations a presenter paid a teenager for sexual photos. How will the broadcaster navigate this scandal? Plus, Sunak is getting a visit from Biden, what will they discuss? Plus we discuss the latest from Ukraine and the continuing Johnson-adjacent political fallout. Arthur Snell joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead.  “The BBC is subject to an intense lev...

Politicians are… weird. While it baffles us relentlessly – could it be a good thing? Sunak forgetting how to use a card machine, Rees-Mogg lounging in the commons and Truss, Truss-ing. The list goes on and on and on. So why are politicians the way they are? Dr. James Weinberg is a political academic at the University of Sheffield and author of Who Enters Politics And Why . He joins Marie Le Conte...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the leading Democratic challenger to Biden for 2024. But is he actually a threat to the current President – or just a gift to Trump? And how much of a danger does he pose to US politics and society? Molly Jong-Fast is a columnist for Vanity Fair and the host of Fast Politics Pod . She shares her thoughts on the conspiracy peddling political hopeful with Gavin Esler in The...

On the first edition of Bunker Global: A closer look at Israel’s assault on Jenin, the fallout of the violent protests across France and the bounties placed on Hong Kong dissidents. Laura Makin-Isherwood , formerly London bureau chief of Feature Story News , and Anshel Pfeffer , a Jerusalem-based writer for Haaretz and the Economist , join Jacob Jarvis this week. Listen in to get you up to speed o...

Productivity in Britain is down – is an army of middlemen partly to blame? Ros Taylor sits down with Giles Wilkes , senior fellow at the Institute for Government, to find out why we need to cut back on what he labels ‘crud’ to revitalise our economy.  “Crud is artificial capitalism.” “The Conservatives did a lot of damage in the 80s and are now returning to the scene of the crime and asking who di...

The NHS was formed 75 years ago. As it celebrates its diamond anniversary, the service seems to be under more pressure than ever. Andrew Harrison is joined by Roy Lilley to celebrate the 75th birthday of the NHS and to ask, will it make it to 80?  “The NHS is knackered isn’t it? Nobody can blame staff for wanting to leave.” “If we leave the NHS to get on with the job, it will roll up its sleeves a...

The Wagner Group made headlines with its 24-hour revolt against Vladimir Putin. Their leader, Yevgeny Prighozhin, is a shady character. Once a seller of hotdogs, he’s now made a career as a warlord, commanding thousands of troops in Ukraine and Africa. The mystery of Wagner is now clearing, says Ben Dalton , program manager for New America's Future Frontlines program. He joins Laura Makin-Isherwoo...

Sunak has a brand new immigration policy which looks just like the old one. Does anyone support it? With train strikes looming and an NHS staffing crisis, looks like we’re in for another summer of discontent. In international news, following a weekend of riots across France, we ask if President Macron has lost control. Plus updates on attacks on the Westbank and the latest on Ukraine. Arthur Snell...

Psychedelic drugs are regularly in the news as a fresh generation of scientists researches them. Who knows how they might be used in future – but, historically, how have they shaped the world already? The negatives of substance use are obvious – but what other impacts are there? From ceremonial plant medicines to the war on drugs; their cultural significance cannot be understated.  Dr Kasia Tomasi...

Washington, DC is home to the American political elite. Hordes of staff looking to make their names. Lobbyists and think tanks, all chasing a shot at success. The Trump years only intensified the culture - but has that changed the city for good or for worse? Ben Terris is a journalist for the Washington Post and the author of The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to...

The Bunker panel show returns to mark our ONE THOUSANDTH edition. Can voters wean themselves off the dark thrills of our political Age of Chaos? And what’s the long view on Trump’s legal troubles? The Guardian’s Raf Behr and US politics expert Julie Norman join Jacob Jarvis and Andrew Harrison for a special celebration edition. Exciting changes are coming in The Bunker: a new look plus new strands...

The news media is driven by clicks more than ever before. Who is winning the war for online attention? Brands like Vice and Gawker initially won the race – but are old-school papers dominating the online space again now? Ben Smith is the former editor-in-chief for Buzzfeed News , runs the news outlet Semafor , and is author of Traffic: Genius, rivalry, and delusion in the billion-dollar race to go...

The NHS has been squeezed by successive Governments. The Covid-19 pandemic only worsened the crisis, highlighting the need for Parliament to focus on fixing our health service. Dr. Julia Grace Patterson is the author of Critical: Why the NHS is Being Betrayed and How We Can Fight for it – and says that politicians are doing nowhere near enough to fix the issue. She joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker...

Patriotism could be the antidote to the divisions created by Brexit. Can you be a proud patriot even when you don’t agree with your country? Will patriotism ever cast off it’s sinister connotations of nationalism? Ros Taylor is joined in The Bunker by Sunder Katwala, author of How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war , to explore what British patriotism means i...

The Russian revolution ended as quickly as it started, where does this leave Putin and the war in Ukraine? Rishi Sunak’s failure to deliver his 5 key pledges could prove to be his downfall as byelections loom. Plus we’ve got the results from the Greek election, an update on Britain’s cat pupil hysteria and a review of Boris Johnson’s latest rant for the Daily Mail. Hannah Fearn joins Alex Andreou...

Edmund Burke’s principles have influenced generations of conservative thinkers and politicians. But who was this architect of modern day conservatism? Joining Seth Thévoz in The Bunker to reflect on Burke’s legacy is Richard Bourke, Professor of the History of Political Thought and author of Empire and Revolution: The Political Life of Edmund Burke .  “Burke was a defender of the right to rebel ag...

There are more guns than people in America. How does this obsession shape US society? Gavin Esler is joined by Jennifer Carlson, author of new book Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy , to explore the US fascination with guns, the people who are selling them, and how they shape a right -wing ideology. “There’s a feeling that you can’t rely on collective securit...

How alarming is China's tech ambition – and is there any limit to their quest for industrial dominance? From contentious recruitment policies, corporate espionage and not to mention the ten thousand meter hole they’re drilling into the centre of the earth, the nation seems desperate to bolster its position. Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Dr Rogier Creemers to understand Xi’s quest for sci...

Two years ago, Saudi Arabia announced it was creating a city of the future: known as The Line. Is it actually going to happen? The proposed 110-mile-long smart city of skyscrapers would be fueled by green energy and controlled by Artificial Intelligence. While the urban experiment is currently under development, many believe that the city is just a sci-fi dream that will never see the light of day...

From earthquakes to terrorism – we live in a world of constant crisis. But are we prepared for it? Drawing on a wealth of experience as a former public servant and Director of GCHQ, Sir David Omand’s new book How to Survive a Crisis: Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster addresses responses to some of the greatest crises in recent memory. He joins Doomsday Watch podcast host Arthur Snell In...

“Essex man” is a notorious caricature of Thatcherite Brits. How did the Conservatives win over the county? And where – if any – were pockets of resistance? Marie Le Conte is joined by Tim Burrows, author of new book The Invention of Essex: The Making of an English County , to explore the class dynamics and unexpected cultural politics of this much maligned county.  “There’s a feeling that people f...

How do you solve a problem like Boris Johnson? Sunak needs to escape the shadow of his predecessor but reciting his 5 goals doesn’t seem to be cutting it. Could a potential mortgage bailout be enough to get the general public back onside? Plus we’ve got the reaction to that Party Gate video, the latest on Ukraine's counter offensive, and Labour's resurgence in Scotland. Gavin Esler joins Alex Andr...

As the Lords come under scrutiny, we’re joined by one of the good ones – Lord Alf Dubs joins Dorian Lynskey in the Bunker to discuss how his own experience as a holocaust survivor impacts his politics, the failure of consecutive home secretaries and how the Lords should be modernised under Starmer’s Labour party.  “Right wing parties across Europe exploit the asylum issue for their own shabby poli...

Xylazine, also known as Tranq, is causing a horrific wave of drug deaths across America. It’s mixed with the opioid named fentanyl to cause a cheaper, longer-lasting, yet more dangerous high. Perhaps the most shocking effect is its ability to rot the flesh around the injection site. Megan Cohen is the founder of The Grace Project in Philadelphia. She runs an outreach scheme on Kensington Avenue, h...

If you haven’t tried our new press review show PAPER CUTS yet, here’s a taster of today’s episode. This time it’s the Mail and Telegraph’s Johnson-related meltdown, the majesty of Glenda Jackson and much more as comedian Fin Taylor and writer-historian Alex von Tunzelmann join Andrew Harrison under a huge pile of newsprint. Hear the full episode here . We’re out mid-morning every Monday, Wednesday...