The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Tucker Carlson is the most-watched cable news host in America. Who is he, why is he so popular and what makes him tick? He’s praised Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban, perpetuated the “stop the steal” nonsense, and regularly fills the airwaves with rhetoric to enrage the Republican right. Dan Cassino, author of Fox News and American Politics , joins Jacob Jarvis to discover what Carlson’s influence...

As one of the world’s biggest economies, trouble in China means trouble for us all. China’s stringent Covid policy has seen businesses lock down, having a huge prolonged impact on trade and international relations. From global development to the war in Ukraine, George Magnus, author of Red Flags: Why Xi’s China is in Jeopardy joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker to tell us how the ripples of Chinese i...

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: How We Build a Country That Works.  “Everywhere you go there...

Musk’s Twitter takeover is leading to a mass exodus from the site. But is this just the Elon effect, or was that bound to happen anyway? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Marcus Gilroy-Ware , Lecturer in Creative Digital Media at SOAS and author of Filling the Void: Emotion, Capitalism and Social Media , about what the decline of the Twittersphere means for how we participate in politics – and to discuss...

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the world forever, but what was it like to be in Kyiv as the first bombs fell? Luke Harding , foreign correspondent at The Guardian , joins Arthur Snell to reveal all about the grim reality of Putin’s war, and the unheard human stories behind the headlines, covered in his new book Invasion: Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival. “A mum and two...

Hunt’s cuts bonanza faces dissection from angry MPs this week. How will he handle the pushback? Plus, there are rumours of a Swiss-style EU deal – could this possibly happen? Then we cast an eye to the US, with ripples still coming from the midterms and Trump’s presidential announcement. And with the Qatar World Cup underway, what has reaction been to the tournament so far? Yasmeen Serhan joins Al...

Hunt’s cuts upon cuts have left the nation worried, depressed and frightened. Is there any hope beyond austerity 2.0? Marc Stears , director of the UCL Policy Lab, author of Out of the Ordinary and former Ed Miliband speechwriter, speaks to Ros Taylor about the state of Britain and its future prospects. “The reality of the economy is an extraordinary living standards squeeze that people confront i...

It’s official, Trump is running for President in 2024. Does anyone really want him to – or is it foolish to underestimate him? Julie Norman, Co-Director of the UCL Centre on US Politics, joins Jacob to tell us why calling Trump the underdog could play straight into his hands.  “As much as Trump gets leverage in promoting himself, bashing Biden also plays well with his base.” “I think Trump knows t...

Dirty air filing homes across the UK is leading to an increase in asthma and lower life expectancy. But just how filthy is it? And are we doing anything meaningful about it? Ros Taylor talks to David Green , senior research fellow in the aerosol science team at Imperial College London.    “Scientists have found particles from polluted air in unborn babies.” “Some of the highest levels of pollution...

Gina Miller, described as an “establishment wrecking ball,” speaks to Alex Andreou about battling Brexit and her desire to “reboot” the system. After rising to prominence taking on the Government’s authority to trigger Article 50 without a vote in Parliament, her fight has been taken to the stage in the play Bloody Difficult Women. She’s gone on to launch the True & Fair political party, and i...

Suella Braverman has called the asylum system broken – but she’s probably focused on the wrong parts. What needs fixing? Home Office incompetence has led to a backlog in processing claims – while the Government is focussing on a new deal with France to reduce people crossing the Channel in small boats. Colin Yeo , a barrister specialising in migration issues sits down with Arthur Snell, to tell us...

As climate activists ramp up provocative protests, the Government is cracking down by bolstering police powers. How far will this go? Ros Taylor is joined by David Mead , professor of UK human rights law, to discuss the incoming public order bill – and how it could impact groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.  “There’s certainly been a step up of climate activists over the last co...

Britain braces itself for “eyewatering” cuts to cover the £60bn bill for Trussonomics. And Jeremy Hunt braces himself for the howls of the Tory Right. Plus: Braverman turns bagwoman to sign a migrants deal with France. And good news! The Democrats take the Senate and Trump gets the blame! Alex Andreou gives Jacob Jarvis the run-down on the coming week. “We’re now trying to fill a much bigger hole...

The BBC is constantly under siege – how can it survive the 360 degree onslaught it faces? Does it make a rod for its own back? Or is stuck in a perennial catch-22? Siân Pattenden is joined by Patrick Barwise author of The War Against the BBC, to discuss the embattled broadcaster.  “People pay for far more services that they don’t use than paying for the BBC.” “What is contested is impartiality.” “...

What tips could Biden take from left-wing star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to help bridge America’s political divide? How do activists and politicians convince opposing groups of the same message? Writer and political commentator Anand Giridharadas talks to Ros Taylor about his new book The Persuaders: Winning Hearts and Minds in a Divided Age .  “The left needs to be better at creating an inclusive...

What would Alan Johnson do differently if he was in Suella Braverman’s shoes? The former Home Secretary, who held the post from 2009 to 2010, gives his take on the current crises – and sets the record straight on which party really handles crime better out of Labour and the Tories. “Suella is taking on the Priti Patel mantle… talking about the problems but doing nothing to resolve them.” “It’s the...

Jeremy Hunt’s key task is fixing the damage of Truss and Kwarteng’s mini-budget – can he get us out of this mess? From freezing the wages of nurses and teachers, to adding VAT to Jaffa Cakes – what options does the Chancellor have? Paul Johnson , director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies joins Ros Taylor to look at what taxes might increase, how the Government can tempt the over 55s back into t...

When there is finally a general election, what will the next batch of MPs look like? With parties deep into selection processes, who is going to be thrust upon us – and who’s being blocked? Journalist, author and Channel 4 legend Michael Crick , who runs Tomorrow’s MPs on Twitter, talks to Andrew Harrison about our future parliamentarians.  “The left is doing appallingly within the Labour selectio...

Is the Bank of England working in our best interests – and what could it do differently that might serve us better? While the last recession was met with a response of ‘quantitative easing’, the next is due to be met with ‘quantitative tightening’. Richard Murphy, professor of accounting practice at Sheffield University, author of the book Money For Nothing and king of the Twitter macroeconomic me...

The US midterms could see Biden hamstrung by his political enemies – as the prospect of a 2024 Trump run looms. Is America headed for another period of turmoil and deadlock, with the Republicans controlling the Senate and the House? And in the UK, the political sack race is on between Gavin Williamson and Suella Braverman. Will Sunak ditch either of them – or wait until a more convenient time? Plu...

World leaders are jetting into Sharm El-Sheik in Egypt this week for COP27. But as wild weather continues and predictions are that we have already passed the point of no return – what will we learn from COP27? Andrew Harrison is joined by Madeleine Cuff, environment reporter at the New Scientist to give you the heads up on what the big issues will be, who might derail discussions and what we can d...

Over the past fifty years, America’s politicians have grown increasingly allergic to knowledge. Why is this? Writer, comedian and satirist Andy Borowitz joins Dorian Lynskey to discuss his new book Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber, which looks at why ignoramuses make it to the top of US politics, from Dan Quayle to George Bush, Sarah Palin to Donald Trump.  “Pol...

We’re not on a great run of political leaders at the moment – is the problem how we pick them? And what if we simply… didn’t? Rather than choosing between a bunch of self-serving, pound-crashing Westminster drones – could democratic lotteries be the answer? Brett Hennig, author of The End of Politicians: Time for a Real Democracy and director of the Sortition Foundation discusses how we pick our r...

How do we put women back in the history books? Author, playwright, co-founder of The Women’s Prize for Fiction and member of the executive committee of Women of the World, Kate Mosse joins Siân Pattenden to talk about balancing out Margaret Thatcher and Barbara Castle, and her new book, Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries - How Women (Also) Built the World . “Women were often incredibly well-...

The worse Russia’s invasion of Ukraine goes, the more Putin doubles down. Is he truly unhinged? And could his citizens turn on him? Marc Berenson , senior lecturer at the Russia Institute at King’s College London and the author of  Taxes and Trust: From Coercion to Compliance in Poland, Russia and Ukraine , talks to Justin Quirk about Putin’s changing worldview, why the President sees Eastern Euro...