The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Our view of hackers has been warped by movie portrayals of hoodie-wearing computer whizzes. But what are they really like? These keyboard bashers have uncovered some of the world's darkest secrets – and even come close to destroying the internet. But why do they do it? Scott Shapiro searches for answers in his new book Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extr...

Cars are making us unhappy and unhealthy. From poor air quality, to mind numbing commutes and gridlocked city centres. Can anything be done to change car culture – or are we already on a highway to hell? Ros Taylor sits down with journalist and author of Carmageddon , Daniel Knowles, to discuss the rise of automobiles and asks if it’s too late to course correct.  “The problem to the average driver...

The question ‘What does it mean to be European?’ is challenging for many Brits, post-Brexit. Author Ben Judah says politics is pushing an ever-changing Europe apart. Ben attempts to remind people what Europe is away from politics in his new book, This is Europe. He joins Hannah Fearn in the Bunker. “Europe’s a lot of things. It can be an idea or a whole theatre for political action but I wanted to...

Theresa May is often ranked alongside the worst Prime Ministers ever. But, does she still get off lightly? And have we forgotten just how bad she was because of the chaos that’s come since? Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University London, joins Seth Thevoz in The Bunker to refresh our memories. “I don’t think she was ever destined to be a great Prime Minister.” – Tim Bale “Circumst...

The Johnson rebellion promised a bang but delivered a whimper over the weekend. What now? Can Starmer capitalise on the Conservative Party chaos? Across the pond, Donald Trump is set for a day in a Miami courtroom – what should we expect? Plus we’ve got more on Nicola Sturgeon’s arrest and the latest from Ukraine’s counter offensive. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead. “Orga...

The sky is no longer the limit for entrepreneurs as they set their sights on space. SpaceX has made science fiction ideas a reality but who could be next in line to be the biggest name in space? Dr. Casey Handmer, the founder of Terraform Industries, takes Dr. Kate Devlin on a voyage through the world of space based start-ups looking to make their millions in space.  “SpaceX is one or two competit...

Biden proudly told the world his debt ceiling deal averted “economic collapse”. He’s not wrong – but is he in the clear yet? Professor Larry J White has taught Economics at New York University for over 40 years. He joins Jacob Jarvis in the Bunker to discuss what the deal entails, how it will impact the nation and what concerns Biden still has economically.  “This was truly uncharted territory tha...

The assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme remains an unsolved mystery. How did a lone gunman manage to murder him during the height of the Cold War, and why? Ros Taylor welcomes Jan Stocklassa to the Bunker to discuss his documentary, The Man Who Played With Fire , which attempts to answer once and for all: who killed Olof Palme? “There is a 37 year long cover up at the root of this i...

Andy Street took a risk in leaving his role as managing director of John Lewis to become West Midlands mayor. He’s one of two Tory combined authority mayors, a role he describes as “trailblazing”. But despite his party loyalty, he hasn’t shied away from criticising Westminster – especially when it comes to Levelling-up. He sat down with Hannah Fearn in The Bunker to discuss his priorities and time...

Sugar became a modern-day bogeyman during austerity. Why? And how did it come to represent personal responsibility? And who has been most instrumental in the fight against it? Hannah Fearn is joined by Karen Throsby , author of new book Sugar rush: Science, politics and the demonisation of fatness , to explore the disastrous consequences of the fight on sugar.  “Sugar became the perfect scapegoat...

George Soros is a holocaust survivor, one of the world’s richest people and the creator of the Open Society. He’s also given away $32 billion in his lifetime. So why is it that he incurs so much hate, not just from the American right but his own country, Hungary, too? Daniel Bessner is associate professor of international studies at Washington University and co-host of American Prestige podcast. H...

This week Johnson and Sunak play the blame game over the Covid inquiry. Will a trip to the USA help Rishi escape the shadow of the former PM? Plus, Labour is embroiled in infighting this week as the Jamie Driscoll drama plays out – can Starmer ignore it? Plus we’ve got the latest on the tragic train crash in India, updates from Ukraine and we ask the question, why is China drilling a hole to hell?...

The death penalty is supported by a large number of Brits. Why are so many people obsessed with it? And how does politics change how we see the role of the law? Seth Thévoz is joined by Lizzie Seal, professor of criminology at the University of Sussex to explore the fascination with this ultimate punishment.  “Popular support for the death penalty goes up following well-publicised social disorder....

The US isn’t delivering on its pledges to reverse climate change. The Willow Project in Alaska, labelled by some as a “carbon bomb”, is a key example of that. But with global energy supply chains so massively disrupted by the war in Ukraine, are these kinds of projects justified? Michael Gerrard is the founder of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. He joined Arthur Snel...

The ministerial code is a set of rules members of Government are expected to abide by. But they don’t all manage it. Is it fit for purpose? And have ministers become more unscrupulous – or do we just have higher expectations than we used to? Tim Durrant of the Institute for Government tells Ros Taylor that the system, tested to its limits during Boris Johnson’s premiership, works better than you m...

How secure do you feel in your job? From manufacturing plants to corporate boardrooms, the rise of artificial intelligence has sent shockwaves through the working population. Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz sits down with Dr. Kate Devlin to talk about how our lives will change in an AI-driven economy. “If essays can be answered with AI, we’re not asking students the right questions.” “Who are we to say the...

Tens of thousands of people are demanding an end to leasehold laws in England and Wales. They say they’re trapped by an avalanche of bills, whilst freeholders rake in the cash. Both Labour and the Tories (after A LOT hesitation) have vowed to reform leasehold laws. But how could they do it? It’s an issue that could turn many at the ballot box in next year’s general election. Harry Scoffin is a cam...

The Tories are in-fighting over supermarket price caps – can they agree on anything? And Boris Johnson is back sulking over Covid, will he stop acting like a teenager? Plus we’ve got the latest from Ukraine, the Turkish election results, and Biden’s proposed debt ceiling deal. Hannah Fearn joins Jacob Jarvis to give you the stories to look out for in the week ahead. “Boris Johnson is acting like a...

Emmett De Monterey was born with cerebral palsy, and as he grew up he realised that he was gay. He joins Alex Andreou to discuss his new book Go The Way Your Blood Beats about the challenges of facing two forms of prejudice, one against his disability and the other his sexuality. How do you fight to be seen in a world that refuses to see you? “As a teenager I would have liked to have read a book a...

It’s 60 years this month since National Service was abolished – but the idea remains popular. Could it ever work again, or is it just a pipe dream sustained by right-wing cranks? Jude Rogers is joined by Professor of History Richard Viven, author of National Service: Conscription in Britain 1945-1963, to explore the boredom, terror, and nostalgia of life under compulsory conscription.  “Military s...

The Proud Boys may not be proud no more after four of its members have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy. The neo-fascist group is accused of leading the Jan 6th assault on the capitol and has heavy links to Trump and other influential, right-wing figures. But just how deep does their power lie? And is that power flailing? And talking of the right wing, why is America still so captivated b...

Around 12,000 people in England and Wales volunteer as magistrates. That means they can sentence people to up to a year in prison. Yet they have barely any training and no legal qualifications. Penelope Gibbs , the director of Transform Justice, tells Ros Taylor about the problems with relying on a self-selecting, middle-class magistracy who may never have seen inside a jail. They talk about the d...

Can Sadiq Khan really clean up London? From the Met to the air, the Mayor of London has a tough road ahead of him. He speaks to Andrew Harrison to discuss his new book: Breathe and plans to tackle the climate crisis, the controversial ULEZ expansion and how a boy from Tooting ends up a fan of Liverpool FC.  “We don’t want money from the ULEZ. We want people walking, cycling or using public transpo...

Sherine Tadros reported from war zones across the world. She joins Alex Andreou to discuss her new book Taking Sides: a memoir about love, war, and changing the world . How has she managed to stay hopeful after so much tragedy? And how can her story of personal strength inspire us to keep going against the odds?  “It is our instinct to survive that makes our story less believable.” “When you show...

Following politics is tough, especially if you want to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. So how can you keep a cool head? Ros Taylor speaks to The Guardian ’s Rafael Behr about his new book: Politics: A Survivor’s Guide: How to Stay Engaged without Getting Enraged. Raf opens up about his own journey and shares how we can find hope amidst the chaos.  “Remain rallies were very twee, maybe...