The Bunker – News without the nonsense

China’s relationship with Europe is…difficult. But some leaders, like Emmanuel Macron, see China as a conduit for peace in Ukraine. But can Europe really trust China to negotiate with Russia? Philippe Le Corre , a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, sat down with Alex Andreou to discuss just that.  “The current situation, which is close to a cold war you...

Public trust in the Met Police is at a nadir – with a raft of scandals and crimes involving serving officers having shook faith in the force. What’s gone wrong and can it ever win back the confidence of those it is meant to serve? Ros Taylor spoke to Kathryn Farrow , a doctoral student at Oxford University, who has studied the way British police forces work, to find out. “Officers do need to have...

The NHS reels from crisis to crisis, with a waiting list of seven million and chronic workforce shortages. Why is it so hard to change a service that clearly isn’t working? David Haslam , a former GP who has chaired NICE and the BMA and is the author of Side Effects , tells Ros Taylor that a focus on hospital treatment means that public health and end-of-life care are shamefully neglected.  “It’s...

The Kremlin has convinced many of Russia’s young people that its invasion of Ukraine is just. In fact, about 62 percent of Russians between the ages of 18 and 24 have shown approval, according to the Levada Center. But how has Putin curated this young generation of fascists? Dr Ian Garner, author of Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia's Fascist Youth , speaks to Arthur Snell to dig into exactly...

Dominic Raab finally resigned (definitely all his own choice) – what does it mean next for Sunak’s clown car Government? In Labour, Diane Abbott has had the whip removed – will she stand as an independent? Plus we bring international news from Sudan and Ukraine. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Arthur Snell to give you the stories to look out for this week. “Johnson didn’t believe in any standards, where...

Memories of the Second World War are often oversimplified through the lens of politicians. A common thread missed is that of love and sexuality – particularly the experiences of queer men. Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined by Luke Turner , author of the book Men at War: Loving, Lusting, Fighting, Remembering 1939-1945 , to discuss the sexual revolution that happened during that period.  “It’s true the B...

Lobbying is a key way in which politicians and pieces of legislation are influenced in the United States. But who exactly are these mysterious figures trying to manipulate people in power? How do they work – and what do they want? Jacob Jarvis joined by Amy McKay, associate professor of political science at the University of Exeter, whose work focuses on the influence of outside interests on publi...

BONUS EPISODE KLAXON: Fox News paid out almost $1 billion dollars to Dominion – but despite that, did Murdoch dodge a bullet? Or is the financial blow, sparked by the networks voting machine misinformation, a catastrophe? Jacob Jarvis was joined by Dan Cassino, political scientist and author of Fox News and American Politics How One Channel Shapes American Politics and Society, to unpack what this...

Saudi Arabia is experiencing a once in a lifetime moment of transformation, funded by their control over the world's oil supply. The nation is taking risks on a global scale like never before – and the ‘maverick’ prince Mohammed bin Salman, stands at the forefront of this change of strategy. Arthur Snell sits down with Bradley Hope , co-author of Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest...

The Net Zero Scrutiny Group shares ties with the likes of the late Nigel Lawson and his network of “climate deniers”. They like fracking and have tried to link the cost-of-living crisis to the government’s net zero goals. But exactly who are they? What do they stand for? And who funds them? Andrew Harrison is joined by Sam Alvis , head of economy at The Green Alliance, to unpack exactly that. “The...

Investment zones have been hailed by some politicians as the solution to our economic woes. But what are the risks of economic gated communities? By existing outside of the usual rules of the state, do they undermine democracy? Alex Andreou is joined by historian Quinn Slobodian, author of Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World Without Democracy , to unpack why these zones a...

Andy Burnham has thrived after switching Westminster for Manchester as a mayor. And he has high hopes for the North harnessing its voice more in the future. The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester spoke with Andrew Harrison about boosting regions outside of London, and dealing with names and not numbers in his role.  “You look at things through different eyes. You can deal with names not numbers.” ...

Strikes are going to go on and on as the Government continues not to strike deals with unions. Will this situation ever be resolved? And further afield, fatal clashes continue to break out in Sudan – what’s unfolding? Hannah Fearn joins Ros Taylor to lay out the news for the week ahead.  “The way people feel about the strikes is not following the usual pattern at this point.” – Hannah Fearn “For a...

Space – the final frontier, and the next political battleground? As nations compete for dominance and resources, Andrew Harrison is joined by Tim Marshall, author of The Future of Geography : How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World , to discuss how this might go beyond the confines of earth. “I was going to say the world is our oyster, but the universe is.” “If one country controls l...

The Federal Reserve has a huge sway over the US economy – and therefore the world’s. But as well as financial clout, it also has a massive political impact. How does it run – and how do its actions impact us all? Alex Andreou is joined by Larry Jacobs, co-author of Fed Power: How Finance Wins and professor at the University of Minnesota, to discuss for The Bunker USA.  “It’s serving the interests...

When did we all start wanting to invest in stock and shares? And who were the winners and losers of the investment boom? Dr Amy Edwards, senior lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Bristol and author of Are We Rich Yet?: The Rise of Mass Investment Culture in Contemporary Britain , tells Ahir Shah about how our lives changed forever in the 1980s as investment became a way of lif...

The KGB is one of the most notorious intelligence agencies of all time. Though long defunct, how did this Soviet network warp the world we live in today? Seth Thévoz is joined by Mark Hollingsworth, author of Agents of Influence: How the KGB Subverted Western Democracies. “The myth of the KGB being brilliant intelligence gatherers is largely exaggerated.”  “There was a game between the KGB and MI5...

Birmingham plays a key role in the Tory imagination – something that might shock some of its 1.1 million inhabitants. So what is the relationship between the Conservatives and Britain’s Second City? Marie Le Conte is joined by Richard Vinen, professor of history at King’s College London and author of Second City: Birmingham and the Forging of Modern Britain , to unpack the myth and memory behind t...

Keir Starmer is staying on the attack while Sunak faces more strike conundrums with junior doctors staging a mass walkout. Is the Government going to resolve these issues – or just try to distract? Plus, we discuss the latest from Ukraine, protests in Georgia and Xi’s posturing over Taiwan. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Alex Andreou to tee up the week ahead.  “If [the right] can character assassinate...

This Bank Holiday, enjoy a Bunker from the archives… We all want control over our lives. But as we make more decisions digitally, the impact of algorithms on our choices grows. They help to sort the information presented to us and limit the options we see – shaping the products we buy, films we watch and even the partners we end up with. Andrew Harrison discusses the future of such technology with...

Britain has hundreds of abandoned villages. How did they fall victim to history? And how are the communities that once called these places home remembered? With more than 4000 villages at risk of flooding over the coming decades, these question feels more pertinent than ever. Hannah Fearn is joined by historian Matthew Green, author of Shadowlands: A journey through lost Britain , to dig up the ru...

Manchester’s music scene is famous the world over – but did Joy Division, the Haçienda and Factory Records really lead to a real estate boom that transformed the city? Journalist and adopted Mancunian Andy Spinoza tells Andrew Harrison how Tony Wilson’s empire triggered a boom that transformed the city’s skyline and more – as charted in his book Manchester Unspun: Pop, Property And Power In The Or...

In Sweden most people have a great deal of trust in the state, but in recent years vaccine scepticism has gained ground. Ethnographer Mia-Marie Hammarlin spent time in the Swedish countryside sharing saunas and kitchen tables with women who refused the COVID vaccine. She explains how a belief in the power of nature and spirituality, bolstered by conspiracy theories found online, has convinced some...

In the autumn of 1984, the Provisional IRA almost wiped out the British Cabinet. Five people were killed in the Grand Hotel bombing. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, The Guardian ’s Ireland correspondent Rory Carroll joins Gavin Esler to revisit the event that – had it been successful – would have changed British politics forever, and the way it did change history....

Next to births and deaths, taxes are one of life's only certainties. But with a tax system made up of a bewildering mish-mash of rates and loopholes, who are the winners and losers? And how can the system be hacked? Siân Pattenden is joined by the top-secret Rebel Accountant, author of Taxtopia , to explore how the tax system is scamming us all.  “The poorest in society pay the most amount of tax...