The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Pubs are a cornerstone of British culture. But with increasing numbers closing, and a long winter ahead, what can we do to save them? Ros Taylor is joined by Michelin star chef and hospitality champion Tom Kerridge to discuss how pubs are under threat and ways they may change in the future.    "Even if pubs look busy, they are working to incredibly tight profit margins." "As people have become mor...

Queen Elizabeth II’s reign coincided with huge cultural and social shifts, so how did she respond to these changes? Following the Queen’s death, Ros Taylor is joined by Stephen Bates , former royal correspondent for The Guardian and author of Royalty Inc. Britain's Best-Known Brand to discuss changes seen in the Elizabethen era.    “The Queen had to be persuaded to do things, and then she went alo...

Pageantry, pomp and poignancy have flowed in abundance since the Queen's death, while mourning has put democracy on ice. The panel unpacks the nation’s reaction – and tries to decipher what it all really means. Plus, the latest from the Ukraine counter-offensive, as it firmly appears the tide is turning against Russia.  “ We rarely knew The Queen’s feelings on anything, a tough act for Charles to...

With the nation in mourning following the death of the Queen, what can we expect to happen in the next few days? A state funeral will be held next week, and hundreds of thousands are due to visit London. Elsewhere, we discuss the situation in Ukraine, and the counter offensive there. Plus, the Met faces scrutiny after the shooting of Chris Kaba by a firearms officer. Alex Andreou and Yasmeen Serha...

As Kwasi Kwarteng becomes Britain’s latest Chancellor, how much power really lies behind the door of No.11? Howard Davies , chairman of the NatWest Group and author of The Chancellors: Steering the British Economy in Crisis Times , joins Alex Andreou to discuss the influence of previous Chancellors, and the challenges facing Kwarteng as he takes his place at the Treasury. “ The treasury is unique...

American society is in crisis, but can the iconic story Gone with the Wind explain the divisions ripping the US apart today? Professor Sarah Churchwell talks to Arthur Snell about her new book The Wrath to Come , which re-examines the controversial legacy of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, and what it tells us about American history and culture today. “Gone with the Wind does reject the idea that...

Stop pinching yourself, this isn’t a bad dream – Liz Truss will be Prime Minister. She’s sworn she’ll deliver – but how? And will she stick to her campaign stances or, unlike her icon Thatcher, will she be for turning? Plus, we look across the pond and assess Biden’s new combative stance. From being set for a midterm wipeout, has the tide turned?   -  “Truss has a litany of things she has to deal...

The Groundhog Day of the Tory leadership race is over and Liz Truss is due to become Prime Minister. Does she truly gasp the size of the task at hand? And is there any hope for competence in her Cabinet? Plus, more strikes and protests are due this week. And we take a look at the latest from the conflict in Ukraine. Arthur Snell lays out the week ahead with Ros Taylor . “If you could think of the...

Finally, it’s time to say it… Good riddance, Boris Johnson. With the egomaniac-in-chief due to leave Number 10, Ros Taylor is joined by LBC’s James O’Brien to pick through the wreckage. What will be his legacy? Could things have ever gone differently? Join us for a cathartic farewell to the man who wanted to be king – but failed resoundingly as Prime Minister.  “In terms of personal political perf...

Your pop culture update: We are joined by Brett Anderson and Mat Osman of resurgent rock’n’roll noir institution Suede to discuss their upcoming new album Autofiction, how it feels to return to the delinquent racket of their teenage years, and life as music’s most literate band. Plus we armour up for Amazon’s new adaptation of Lord of the Rings , and the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon...

In this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to an episode from December 2020. BBC Radio producer and author of The Ex-Men: How Our Former Presidents and Prime Ministers are Still Changing the World , Giles Edwards talked to Ros Taylor about what ex-leaders get up to when they leave office. They discussed what happens behind the closed doors of members-only clubs – and how these ex-men (and women) stil...

The 1970s is frequently referenced as a period of turmoil – and one we must avoid Britain returning to. But is our memory of the decade accurate? And why is it continually referenced by politicians and newspapers? Historian Lawrence Black , co-editor of Reassessing 1970s Britain , joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss why the era is so maligned. “For better or worse, it was much easier to go on strike in...

With Liz Truss set to be crowned Prime Minister – who will be in the backbench Tory cabal keeping her on her toes? What will they pressure her on? Plus, we assess how Boris Johnson and his fellow journalists-turned-politicians have warped the media during his time in office. And ahead of the return to school, we discuss what education changes we’d make. This week’s guest is actress, screenwriter a...

Energy saving tips roll in ahead of a coming bill tsunami – what cost of living omens await this week? Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has warned middle earners will struggle with payments, and broke with colleagues by suggesting that people limit their usage. Plus, the latest from Ukraine, amid a counter-offensive in the Kherson region. And, back home, further strikes are due to be held. Justin Quirk an...

Is failure always bad – or should we look at it as an essential on the path to innovation? Samuel West is the director of the Museum of Failure, which exhibits unsuccessful products and services from across the world. He speaks to Ahir Shah about how accepting when things don’t work out, being brave enough to fail and going through the dustbin of history. “Most charities are terrified of failing a...

This episode was recorded prior to the Mar-a-Lago search affidavit being released on Friday... The FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort made headlines worldwide. What will the fallout be – legally and politically? Julia Azari , professor of Political Science at Marquette University, joins Justin Quirk to discuss what the raid means for Trump and US politics more widely, and why it has taken so lo...

Our always-on digital world is changing how we read, which means it’s altering how our minds work. Literary critic Sven Birkerts , author of Changing the Subject: Art and Attention in the Internet Age , tells Andrew Harrison how the act of reading is fundamentally different when the printed word is just part of an ever-changing multiplex – and why the state reading puts you in is more important th...

Listen back to an edition from our archives with The Bunker Gold . This week we’ve chosen an episode from April, 2020.  It’s the end of the world as we know it and… some people are quite into that, it seems. Why are so many people so keen on the end of everything? What do doomsday preppers, alt.right catastrophists and billionaire plutocrat antidemocrats like Peter Thiel have in common? And is the...

Electric cars have been sold as an answer to green, clean travel. But is the reality that clear-cut? Henry Sanderson , author of Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green , joins Ahir Shah to discuss whether they’re really a climate-friendly solution, resource mining and de-coupling energy reliance from China. “A lot of green products mask dirty supply chains.” – Henry Sanderson “C...

After replacing Angela Merkel at the end of last year, how is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s tenure going? Alex Andreou discusses the problems he faces with German author and journalist Annette Dittert .  “Scholz has come to power by imitating Merkel, by promising no surprises.”  “Scholz doesn’t seem to be able to make decisions when they need to be done.”  “He is coming from this old school, app...

All work and no play makes… the basis of Truss’s Thatcherite utopia. We unpack the likely PM-to-be’s “graft” remarks. Plus, six months since the invasion of Ukraine, how is the conflict shaping up? And, with the end of the £10 flight inbound, award-winning transport journalist John Walton joins us to discuss the future of the aviation industry. “On Brexit, Truss will always be the great political...

How will Russia react after the car bomb killing of a key Putin ally’s daughter? Is Ukraine set for intensified attacks, despite denying involvement? Plus, sewage spewed across beaches dirties the Government’s record further as the Tory leadership contest dribbles on. Is it too late for them to clean up their act and the country – even slightly? Gavin Esler lays out the week ahead with Andrew Harr...

Apparently, all you need is love – but why? What makes it fundamental to our survival, and why doesn’t heartbreak put us off it? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Dr. Anna Machin, an evolutionary anthropologist and author of Why We Love: The New Science Behind Our Closest Relationships .  “The reason we crave love is that it fulfils a fundamental survival need which is to meet other people.”  “Humans are the...

Your pop culture update: We are joined by the rhyme-nocerous himself, one half of Flight of the Conchords , Bret McKenzie ! New Zealand’s finest joins us to talk about making music with the Muppets and the Simpsons, and his debut solo album 'Songs Without Jokes'. Justin Quirk joins to chew on Hot Chip ’s new album, FREAKOUT/RELEASE and Bolton’s answer to Black Mirror, Red Rose , out now on BBC Thr...

In this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to Arthur Snell’s discussion with one of his contacts in Afghanistan in the aftermath of Kabul’s fall in August 2021. Originally released a year ago today, the pair discussed what the situation was like after the Taliban’s astonishingly swift takeover–while the person, who we chose not to identify, was in hiding.   https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast  “Kabul...