The Bunker – News without the nonsense

What do veganism, Donald Trump and Brussels sprouts have in common? They’re all points of contention at Christmas time. But how do you deal with the terrible opinions of family and friends? Marie Le Conte is joined by Christmas elves Tom Peck and Seth Thévoz to discuss navigating conversations with Brexit-y uncles and Corbynista cousins. “Everyone talks to me about politics, and it's so boring.” –...

When Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, thousands signed up to support Ukrainian refugees and put them up in their own homes. Nearly a year on, is our government still doing enough to support those fleeing the war? Stan Beneš , a trustee of Opora, a charity which helps Ukrainians to settle in the UK, joins Ros Taylor to explore what we can do to help those displaced by the conflict in Ukraine...

The strikes are biting with more workforces walking out across the economy. Will the Government blink? Meanwhile, the worst Brexit goes the louder the Brexit Party AKA Reform UK rattles its cage. Do we need to steel ourselves for another year of Brexity self-sabotage? Plus, the Qatar aftermath, Sunak orders an audit of Britain’s support for Ukraine, and a mini-crystal ball look at 2023. Gavin Esle...

Treasury “orthodoxy” is the Tory punchbag – but it only acts the way it does because it’s already been colonised by free marketeers, says Aeron Davis , author of Bankruptcy, Bubbles and Bailouts: The Inside History of the Treasury since 1976 . He tells Ahir Shah why Britain now has two Chancellors and no real Prime Minister; why our economic fate is determined by people who’ve never worked in a re...

In an age of social media soundbites, the art of public speaking is changing – especially for women. Viv Groskop , journalist and author of How To Own The Room , joins Ros Taylor to explore the speaking superpowers of women from Michelle Obama to Greta Thunberg, how to feel more confident when making speeches, why some women make their voices sound lower, and how new technologies are changing the...

The interviews behind Nelson Mandela’s epic memoir The Long Walk To Freedom are out now as the podcast Mandela: The Lost Tapes . Here, South Africa’s first Black president explains himself in his own words – always inspiring, often funny too.  Co-writer Richard Stengel, former Time editor and Obama Undersecretary of State, tells Alex Andreou of his affection for Mandela, how they came to collabora...

Boris Johnson’s endgame was a gripping spectacle of hubris, betrayal, power struggles and bare-faced self-interest. But what went down behind the scenes? Sebastian Payne lays out the drama in his new book The Fall of Boris Johnson: The Full Story. The former Financial Times’s Whitehall Editor tells Ros Taylor about the contradictions that drove Johnson’s career, the truth about his relationship wi...

Amazon’s cheap products and one-click purchasing has changed how we shop forever. But just how did the shopping behemoth alter shopper’s minds? From Black Friday to Cyber Monday and Christmas the opportunities to spend money on the internet are never ending. Consumer psychologist Dr Gareth Harvey joins Ahir Shah in the Bunker to tell us the ways Amazon influences our decision making. “You may not...

The Iron Curtain marked the Cold War divide in Europe. What is its legacy and how does this split remain today? Timothy Philips discusses his book The Curtain and the Wall: A Modern Journey Along Europe's Cold War Border with Ros Taylor. After travelling along the border, he explains what it represented and how it is remembered by those who lived along it.  “It was a border developed to stop peopl...

Rail, nursing and Border Force workers strike during sudden extreme cold weather, but their public support seems solid. Will the Government’s “Union Barons” attacks stick? Plus, James Cleverly ditches human rights priorities in a desperate search for any post-Brexit upside. Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its deep winter phase. And the last legislation to get squeezed through Parliament before Chri...

We’ve got a Star Wars fan in No.10 – Sunak collects lightsabers – but is there real political meaning to the tale of empires and rebels? Chris Kempshall , historian and author of The History and Politics of Star Wars : Death Stars and Democracy , talks to Andrew Harrison about Star Wars’ roots as a Vietnam allegory; what the Empire can tell us about fascism; why the Republic is a bad advert for de...

The tech explosion has transformed the spy game. Are intelligence agencies fit to face new threats from terror groups, disinformation gangs, and even teenagers in bedrooms? In a fascinating conversation intelligence expert Amy B. Zegart – author of Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence – tells Andrew Harrison how too much “spytainment” has warped US intellige...

Putin’s war has triggered a food supply crisis in Africa. Arthur Snell travels to Ghana and Nigeria with Ukrainian campaigners who are forging alliances with Africans against Russia’s criminality. In a special crossover edition with Doomsday Watch, Arthur discovers how Africa is suffering for Putin’s war, why some African countries are still siding with the Russian tyrant, and how it feels to defe...

The horrors of austerity make for grim statistics. But what are the stories behind those numbers? The Mirror ’s Real Britain columnist Ros Wynne-Jones joins Ros Taylor to discuss the exhaustion, pain and spirit of those feeling the brunt of Tory cuts.  “There are always new levels and layers of cuts.”  “There’s just an assumption now that the system is brutalised and cruel.”  “Disabled people have...

The House of Lords is constantly embattled – but what value does it have and what really goes on there? Various governments have wanted to reform the chamber – with limited success. Can it be done? Marie Le Conte speaks to Politico ’s senior UK correspondent Esther Webber about the good, the bad and the… unusual.  “It was where a deeper scrutiny happened, which you wouldn’t always see in the Commo...

Statistics dictate policy – but what if our data sets are wrong? How are numbers manipulated for political gain? These are questions that House of Commons Library statistician Georgina Sturge answers in her new book Bad Data: How Governments, Politicians and the Rest of Us Get Misled by Numbers. She tells Alex Andreou about how data is used to make policy, how it is being manipulated, and how to t...

A Tory MP exodus rolls on as the Government looks to turn public opinion against striking workers as more walkouts loom. Is there any chance of deals ahead of Christmas action? And the Online Safety Bill returns to the Commons, while Labour has its say on the Lords. Plus, we look at the latest from protests in Iran and China, as well as US political rumblings. Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to disc...

Climate change remains a key political issue. But with multiple crises mounting, are the Greens a one policy party? Ros Taylor is joined by Zack Polanski , deputy leader of the Green Party, to talk about what they want and what's missing from mainstream political discourse. “Only two countries used FPTP – Belarus and the UK.” “Too often politics operates in silos – and we are interested in systems...

Joe Biden is set for a tough couple of years with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives. How will the GOP look to hurt the president? Dr Thomas Gift, director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics, joins Jacob Jarvis in to tell us about how Biden’s enemies will enact their revenge.  •“Anything Joe biden wants to get done between now and the next 2 years is just not going to happen” •“Repu...

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.  “Ironically I was sacked from a children's charity for wanting a baby....

From postal workers to nurses, we face a winter of strikes. What do they want and why should we all be invested in their cause? Frances O’Grady , general secretary of the British Trades Union Congress, joins Jude Rogers to discuss the problems faced by Britain’s workforce – and whether those taking action can pull together for a better future.  “With real wages falling and living standards stagnat...

It’s hard to remember a time when the NHS wasn’t at ‘breaking point’. But with more than 7 million people in England on the NHS waiting list, real-term wage decreases, over-stretched ambulance services, and impending strike action from nurses – can it make it through the winter? Anita Charlesworth , Director of Research at the Health Foundation, joins Siân Pattenden to weigh up if there is any hop...

Our unwritten constitution relies on our politicians acting in good faith. But with recent political crises leaving it creaking at the hinges, do we still benefit from its flexibility? Andrew Blick, co-author of The Bonfire of the Decencies: Repairing and Restoring the British Constitution , talks to Alex Andreou about how to fix the rules that rule us. “Our flexible constitution can adjust in tim...

As Sunak embarks on a mission to “get tough” this week – is this another Tory vanity project avoiding the real issues? With pressure over the situation in Manston, more strikes looming and the economy still in turmoil, where should his focus actually be? Plus, mass unrest is shaking China – how will it play out? Yasmeen Serhan joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead.  “Sunak isn’t being compa...

The UK has a jobs crisis – too many vacancies, and not enough people to fill them. Is migration the fix? The end of free movement of EU workers is partially to blame for the worker shortage – and filling the swathes of roles across the NHS, social care, hospitality and construction is not an easy task. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, tells Ros Taylor what the Government...