The Bunker – News without the nonsense

What are young people talking about these days? And what do the unusual words they say mean? In a bid to understand Gen Z, Jacob Jarvis speaks with Olive Pometsey and Jade Wickes of The Face magazine to decipher the latest slang, and to ask how it comes about and why it’s so popular. “What sets us apart is that we’re the first generation to grow up with smartphones.” – Jade Wickes “Nothing is that...

Paper Cuts : How I Destroyed the British Music Press and Nige Tassell ’s surprisingly warmhearted indie odyssey Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids? Plus we bathe in the glow of euphoric 90s comedown music with ‘ Fell From The Sun : Downtempo And After Hours 1990-91’.   Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify : https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal : https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7...

Listen back to an edition from our archives with The Bunker Gold . This week, after Britain recorded its highest temperatures on record, we’ve chosen Will We Be OK? Facing the Climate Emergency , first released in September 2020… Could there be cause for optimism on climate change? Do individuals have power over our planet’s future? Paul Behrens , author of The Best Of Times The Worst Of Times , t...

As Nicola Sturgeon’s fight for indyref2 continues, will she get the vote she wants or is she running out of road? What will Boris Johnson’s departure mean for Scotland’s First Minister? Gavin Esler unpacks these issues with journalist Iain Macwhirter, author of Disunited Kingdom: How Westminster Won a Referendum But Lost Scotland.   “Nicola Sturgeon has real problems in the party.” “Sturgeon is go...

Uber has transformed how we travel around cities – what do newly leaked documents tell us about its meteoric rise? The explosive ‘Uber Files’ give an insight into the tactics the taxi giant used to become a household name. Justin Quirk unpacks what these reveal with lecturer Dr. Jimena Valdez , who is working on the project Über-State: The Political Economy of Platform Capitalism.  “The three most...

In a heat-defying lo-fi edition, we discuss the latest blue-on-blue clashes as the race to replace Johnson comes to a head. Did a least-worst candidate emerge? We talk to guest Jamie Susskind , author of The Digital Republic: On Freedom and Democracy in the 21st Century about how to regulate the internet. And did those cosmic images from the Webb Telescope make us feel tiny and insignificant… or p...

The heat is on in the Tory leadership contest. Two finalists are expected this week but could we even have a new PM by Friday? Plus, we look at what will happen in Parliament in the last days before recess. And, we brace for what could be the hottest day on record in Britain. Alex Andreou joins Andrew Harrison to chart the days ahead.  "The more I see the more depressing it gets.” – Alex Andreou ...

As Tory leadership hopefuls pledge tax cuts galore, we ask if this would make any sense. What impact would these moves have? What else could they do instead? Andrew Harrison speaks to Giles Wilkes , a senior fellow from the Institute for Government and former special adviser to Theresa May on industrial and economic policy.  “I suspect they’re hoping the Tory membership don’t have a memory of the...

This week we listen to the force of nature that is Lizzo and her brand new album Special . Will it top 2019’s storming Cuz I Love You? Plus OFFICE POLITICA  - film critic Linda Marric joins us to watch workplace drama The Good Boss movie with Javier Bardem directed by Fernando León de Aranoa. And BOO! We listen to Working Men’s Club ’s second album Fear Fear. Plus we see Unstuck in Time , Curb You...

Why have we been told there isn’t a magic money tree? And could such a thing actually exist? Alex Andreou discusses this question and unpacks modern monetary theory with L. Randall Wray, a senior scholar at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College who has authored several books on the subject.  “For a very long time we've had a view that finance is a scarce resource.” “What we have is this bel...

BMW, Volkswagen, Allianz and Dr. Oetker are all household names – but how did these German businesses get to be so wealthy? The reality of collaboration, collusion, and the active championing of Hitler and the Nazi regime – during World War II, and beyond – by corporations remains “happily ignored”. So how have global powers let them get away with it? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to financial journal...

As Tory leadership hopefuls try to outdo each other on culture war clout and tax cuts, we assess the would-be PMs. Plus, with Big Dog turning lame duck, the panel looks at what Johnson might do in Downing Street until he is ejected from the building. And as Conservatives set out their stalls, who’s won the battle of the launch video? “He wanted to be Churchillian and his tenure is one of the most...

As the nation heats up, so too does the Conservative leadership race. There are 11 people in the running so far, what can we expect from them? Plus, the nation’s economic woes continue – we look at what more turmoil is to come. And, could we see record-breaking temperatures this week? Ros Taylor is joined by Naomi Smith to lay out the days ahead.  "If I’m not maniacally laughing at the farce of it...

Johnson’s going and his emphatic collapse in office was no less shameful than expected. But historically, just how abnormal was it? Jacob Jarvis speaks with Rock & Roll Politics host Steve Richards to discuss endgames of the past and where the latest Prime Minister’s ranks in the grand scheme of things – all recorded immediately in the aftermath of Johnson’s Thursday speech.   “Johnson wants t...

THOR BLIMEY! We talk about Taika Waititi’s latest Marvel creation Thor: Love and Thunder , starring Chris Hemsworth. Techno titans Paul and Phil Hartnoll of Orbital join us to discuss their retro-future-spective album 30 Something, plus the latest from London indie trillsters Superorganism , World Wide Pop. And we watch Sky’s new parenthood horror series The Baby. W here’s the kid come from, what’...

Hearings on the Jan 6th attacks have produced some of the most explosive testimony ever heard in Washington – and put Donald Trump in the frame for criminal activity. But what do they actually mean? And what will the fallout be? Dorian Lynskey talks to Julie Norman , co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics, about the latest revelations and their potential ramifications.  “We are seeing a person...

As the world looks to alternative sources of energy, are we ready for the growth of nuclear power? Do we understand the risk that comes with atomic technology? Historian and author Serhii Plokhy joins Arthur Snell to discuss his new book Atoms and Ashes: From Bikini Atoll to Fukushima, which looks at six nuclear disasters that shook the world, and the lessons we can learn from them. “ The history...

Tory sleaze rumbles on as opera becomes a new frontier in the Culture War and Chris Pincher MP lives down to his name. We unpack the current political turmoil and the latest class row between Raab and Rayner. Plus, the reversal of Roe v. Wade prompts women in the US to delete period tracker apps. What does it tell us about Big Health Data? And as the Fred Perry polo turns 70, we talk about the pol...

Tory sleaze is in focus yet again – how will Boris Johnson handle the backlash this week? Amid the Chris Pincher scandal, can Number 10’s line on the matter stand? Plus, on July 4, we look across to the United States and the latest political fallout there. And what action is needed to tackle the rise in COVID cases? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to lay out the week ahead.  "There are a...

MPs are increasingly held in contempt by the public. How can Parliament improve its standing? Dr Hannah White , deputy director of the Institute for Government and author of Held in Contempt , joins Ros Taylor to discuss what’s wrong with the House of Commons, and how Westminster can repair its reputation in the wake of recent scandals. “It only dawned on me over the decade I worked there how Parl...

Your pop-culture update: Russia hacks the UK in C4’s The Undeclared War . Does the drama bring the software to life? My Life As A Rolling Stone : new takes on Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie? And where’s Bill? Plus we talk to Lord Chancellor of chillout William Orbit , and V**gra Boys ’ “brilliantly stupid” new album stands proud against cave-dwelling conspiracists.  Hear all the music on our roll...

Is Britain entering a new era of crisis? And what can we learn from the previous ones? Phil Tinline , author of The Death of Consensus: 100 Years of British Political Nightmares , talks to Dorian Lynskey about the previous occasions when Britain’s ruling consensus broke down, and if current turmoil will force us to change course once again. “When it comes to political futures, we always think of t...

The rise of online clothes shopping has also led to the rise of the return. What actually happens to the items we send back? In the last year, 51% of British shoppers sent back items they purchased online - but these goods don’t always end up back on the shelves. Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Dana Thomas , European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, host of The Green Dream with Dana Thomas, an...

Does the fallout from last week’s by-elections show that Boris Johnson is losing touch with reality? Plus, the panel explore what the G7 Summit means for the conflict in Ukraine, how the Supreme Court ruling on abortion will affect American women, and why RMT leader Mick Lynch is the left’s latest pin-up. “The world's two oldest parliaments are in Iceland and the Isle of Man. Neither have anything...

As the US Supreme Court strikes down abortion rights, what does the ruling mean for women in America? The fallout from last week’s by-elections and rail strikes continue, where next for the Tories? And G7 leaders meet in Germany this week, with Ukraine, climate change and food security on the agenda. Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to set up the week ahead. “Abortion access being limited doe...