The West’s naivete towards Putin in the 2000s cost us dearly. Now Russia’s tyrant – a creature of the KGB/FSB who has returned his country to its roots as a repressive intelligence state – is attacking us with unprecedented ferocity and deviousness. Sean Wiswesser, ex-CIA station chief in the former Soviet Union, says the “reckless” activity of FSB and GRU agents has reached new heights. But can they be stopped – and can we win the intelligence war? He tells Andrew Harrison how intelligence and dirty tricks are inextricable from Putin’s power; how the old skills of “tradecraft” persist alongside new digital tactics; and what really makes Russian intelligence tick.  

• Buy Sean’s book Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin’s Secret War from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. 

• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

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Setting out the stories of the next seven days… Labour announce far more draconian restrictions on social media for teens than anyone expected. Why are they being so hardcore now? And will the measures work? Plus: it’s Makerfield by-election week, at last. What will help Labour more: Restore splitting the far-right vote or an England victory against Croatia in the World Cup? And what does Trump’s Iran deal actually mean? Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison look into the stories of the week ahead.  

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

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Democratic rights and freedoms have expanded for a century or more, yet the super-rich have never been richer and wealth has never been shared less fairly. And we keep on voting to prop up systems that make a bad situation worse. Why? Political scientist and author Jeffrey Winters has a theory – that oligarchic power isn’t an unforeseen product of democracies, it’s designed into the system. So how do we fix it? He talks to Andrew Harrison about how to make democracies more… democratic. 

• Buy Jeffrey’s book The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracies from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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Trump’s foreign policy has been described as “the Donroe Doctrine”, harking back to the Monroe Doctrine. How does the current president’s expansionist mindset compare with this historical outlook? History Seth Thévoz and borders expert Jonn Elledge discuss what the Monroe Doctrine was, how it was formed and how it measures up to the present day. 

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Written and presented by Seth Thévoz with Jonn Elledge. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Warren. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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As sea levels rise, flooding will become more likely across the globe. But is Britain prepared for the inevitable rising waters? Ros Taylor is joined by Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, to assess when floods might hit and how to prepare for them. 

• “We are going to see many more floods in the summer.”
• “Our great pressure for housing is making flooding inevitable.”

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Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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The abrupt end of China's Zero Covid policy shocked the world. What do we know about the consequences of this change in tack? Accurate figures from Xi Jinping’s Government are hard to come by and the Chinese people are torn in two directions: with excitement about opening up and fear as Covid rips through the population. Cindy Yu, assistant editor at The Spectator, joins Alex Andreou to find out what the mood is like, and what opening up means for the rest of the world.

• “Twenty years ago we were talking about ‘The Chinese Century’. I don’t think China is going to take over the USA at this rate.”
• “In terms of Taiwan or Russia, China is going to want to do the stable thing for now.
• “All of this will have a positive impact on the world economy because China is so integrated into the world economy.”

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Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison.THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Austerity is a staple fixture of our political system. How did it become such a dominant economic policy? And is it really a ‘prudent’ and ‘realistic’ way of organising our economics? Philosopher and historian Clara Mattei, author of The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism joins Ahir Shah to explore how austerity came to become the water we swim in and why we can’t imagine a world without it.

• “Austerity has become the water we swim in.” 
• “We use very specific economic models from the 1900s, in which the worker loses agency while the entrepreneur is championed.”
• “The purpose isn’t to ‘trickledown’, it is to incentivise those at the top.”
• “In the US the richest 400 families pay the lowest tax.”
• “Even Lenin had to accept austerity.” 

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Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jet Gerbertson, Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Airbnb has enabled people to earn more by letting second houses as holiday lets than to families. What does this mean for locals in tourist areas? With housing provision at an all time low, the Welsh Government is looking at a system of carrots and sticks to incentivise landlords to prioritise locals. Can this problem be fixed? Dr Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation talks to Hannah Fearn about the communities facing an Airbnb boom. 

• “In every single Welsh local authority bar one a property owner could make as much money in 10 weeks as letting out the house to the housing authority for an entire year.”
• “Properties that were down as holiday homes decided to flip to Airbnbs to get out of having to pay extra council tax.”
• “Don’t think about the maximum amount you can make, maybe yes, get your money back, but think about the community's needs more broadly.”

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Written and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Fasten your seatbelts, because it’s going to be a rocky week in UK politics as sleaze comes back with a vengeance. How will Sunak handle backlash to his car misdemeanour, Johnson’s loan scandal and Zahawi’s ongoing tax quagmire. Plus, we look at the latest news on strikes. Alex Andreou talks to Jacob Jarvis to outline the week ahead.

• “Part of the government is so incestuous, it doesn’t even realise it has a problem.”
• “Sunak’s made an idiot of himself by getting a fine and messing up gaining ground.” 
• “The public perception is that the government always has money for their mates, so the strikes will soon succeed.”

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Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Emmanuel Macron feels firmly like an elder statesman of Europe – but while his global prowess grows, how is he doing at home? With his power held together by coalition, can he be the reformer he wants to be? Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for The Economist, speaks to Ros Taylor to discuss the French president’s changes in tack and the future of his nation’s politics. 

• “It has been forced on him to govern differently and that's no bad thing.” 
• “Macron has reassessed and changed his judgement of the risks and seen it is important to back Ukraine all the way.”
• “There are a number of ambitious, would-be successors to Macron, but it’s too early to see who might come through.” 
• “Macron is incredibly engaging, he doesn’t try to duck questions – but he has failed to project that in public.”

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Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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As Donald Trump bleeds out politically, a new generation of paranoid and conspiracy-minded MAGA Republicans has captured the party. A nightmare hardcore Freedom Caucus holds House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hostage, and nationally, the GOP just gets crazier. Do we have to steel ourselves for MAGA 2.0 – a deTrumpified extreme right in America? UCL politics professor Brian Klaas tells Andrew Harrison what they stand for and why they’ll be so hard to beat. 

• “This wasn’t about principles. It was a personal vendetta. Kevin McCarthy just isn’t a true believer in the Trump camp.”
• “If enough crazies vote against raising the debt ceiling you will have a self-imposed global recession which will make Liz Truss look like a blip”. 
• “The Democrats need define the Republicans as the crazy party… These are some actual lunatics in charge there.”

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer Jet Gerburtson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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As the right to roam is eroded, Caroline Lucas, MP and former leader of the Green Party, joins Ros Taylor to discuss what we can do about it. In the wake of the high court decision to support landowners over wild campers, are we being excluded from our green and pleasant land? 

• “Landowners are creating an atmosphere of intimidation.” 
• “In the South Downs a quarter of the land is owned privately” 
• “It was found that access to green space could save the NHS £2 billion”
• “People want to step away from the footpath and feel the wildness of nature.”

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Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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It’s hard to plan for the future when the present seems so grim. But is a nihilistic attitude to pensions creating a ticking time bomb for millennials? And have scandals and corporate embezzlement meant we have all lost faith in the safety net of our twilight years? Disillusioned Bunker host Marie Le Conte is joined by Dr. Hayley James, senior research fellow in the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University, to ask what (if anything) can restore trust in the pensions system.

• “ We often hark back to a ‘golden age’ of pensions that hasn’t always existed.”
• “The gender pension gap is huge, bigger than the gender pay gap.”

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Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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A special taster of our new series. Search for Jam Tomorrow in your favourite podcast app or visit https://kite.link/JTS1

How did Britain’s dreams of a new postwar world go unfulfilled? And what does that mean for us today? In the first of a new documentary series from the makers of Oh God, What Now?, Ros Taylor looks at the legacy of the War itself. Ιdeals of the Blitz Spirit and dreams of wartime heroism still shape everything from pop culture and entertainment to the Brexit debate. But the truth of the War is more complex and less comforting. What will it take for us to see the Second World War – and ourselves – clearly?

•  “If you’re going to have a foundation myth it might as well be one where you destroy Nazism.” – Al Murray

•  “If the response to air raid wasn’t stoicism there was a fear that morale would break down.” – Lucy Noakes

•  “The Keep Calm And Carry On poster was designed for a type of war that never arrived.” – Henry Irvine

•  “Britain went into the war not alone but at the head of the world’s biggest empire… When Britain went to war, so did vast part of the world.” – Lucy Noakes

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Imogen Robertson. Original music by Dubstar. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production.

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Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing as an MP sparking a fresh row within Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. What will the fall out look like? Does the PM come out stronger or weaker? Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor discuss this and the other issues to look out for in politics this week. 

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Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   

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Clean, safe power from nuclear fusion is the Holy Grail of energy research – but how close is it to reality? A breakthrough in December, when a fusion reaction produced more energy than went into the experiment, suggests it could be. Dr. Sharon Ann Holgate, author of Nuclear Fusion: The Race to Build a Mini-Sun on Earth, joins Andrew Harrison to unpack the science and ask whether this science fiction staple could become fact. 

• “A Tokamak reactor? Imagine you’ve gone to the bakers, bought yourself a doughnut, and for reasons best known for yourself you’ve decided to have it gold plated.”
• “Some of us call the fusion reaction ‘inherently safe’ because it doesn’t have the ability to run away with itself in the way a fission reactor can.”

Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor Andrew Harrison.

THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Anyone who uses Britain’s railways can see things aren’t running smoothly. How do we solve this mess? From cancelled trains and driver shortages, to the rolling series of strikes, a nation that once prided itself on its railway appears to have let services go off the rails, as it were. Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: A New History, joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to find out what needs fixing. 

• “It’s absolutely ideological…it wouldn’t cost anything to take these franchises back”.
• “The department of transport is demanding productivity increases along with a pay rise. That is a mistake.”
• “It’s a ‘nobody gives a damn' railway. There’s nobody in charge and everybody has given up.” 

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Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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As the Government's handling of strikes gets worse, it tries another tack: make strikes and protests impossible in certain industries. Can the Tories pull it off? Plus, Westminster vs Holyrood on gender recognition, the Brexit beast rears its head again, and has Joe Biden’s cache of documents in his garage offered the Republicans an open goal? Alex Andreou sets out the week ahead with Jacob Jarvis. 

• “The Government’s problem is that they went into the strikes with no exit strategy.” 
• “The Government picked this fight with the unions to show off their economic competence – and it hasn’t worked out for them at all.”
• “Stopping a protest that hasn’t happened yet sounds a bit thought-crimey.”

Written and presented by Alex Andreou and Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Finland is the happiest country on earth. What can we learn from this Nordic nation? How is its education, health care and housing systems different to ours? Ros Taylor speaks to Danny Dorling, professor of human geography at the University of Oxford and author of Finntopia: What We Can Learn from the World's Happiest Country, to work out what makes it such a well-functioning state.

• “Finland has ended up doing remarkably well, if you’re trying to show people what is possible and what is different, let’s look there.”
• “Government ministers in Finland resign upon immediately making the smallest of mistakes, they simply go, no questions asked.”
• “There aren’t good schools and bad schools, there are just good schools. Teachers have a lot of autonomy.”

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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The QAnon conspiracy theory has run rampant throughout America’s far-right. Why won’t it die? Could it ever disappear? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Mike Rothschild, author of The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything, to discuss the state of the cult-like belief structure, how it has evolved over time and what might replace it should it ever go away. 

• “Q is very good at taking the events of the day and reinterpreting them through the lens of the conspiracy.”
• “It’s really turned into a choose your own adventure version of conspiracy theories.”
• “Now that all of this stuff is so mainstream and all of these beliefs have infiltrated every part of politics from the national to the hyper local - it is millions and millions of people who believe in some aspect of QAnon.” 

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Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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The NHS is in a worse position than during the height of the Covid pandemic. What can the Government do to remedy its woes? From bed capacity to oxygen supply, to staff shortages, where does the solution begin? As NHS staff strike en masse, Roy Lilley, writer of the NHS Managers Network newsletter, and former vice-chair of West Surrey and North East Hampshire Health Authority joins Alex Andreou to find out. 

• “This was eminently settleable when it started. Now of course everyone has dug a great big hole for themselves.”
• “At the moment because we can’t get people home they’re on the wards, because we can’t get them off the wards they’re queuing up in A&E, because they’re in A&E ambulances are queuing up outside, and because the ambulances are queuing when you call up you can’t get an ambulance.”

Presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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Benjamin Netanyahu is back in power at the head of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. By allying himself with religious extremists including the Jewish Power Party, has the great escape artist of Israeli politics put his country’s democracy in the hands of theocrats? What do the new far-right ministers want? And will Netanyahu protect the rights of Arab Israelis, women and LGBTQ+ citizens the way he claims he will? Anshel Pfeffer, writer for Haaretz and Israel correspondent for the Economist, tells Andrew Harrison about the meaning of a dark new phase in Israeli politics. 

• “The centrist and centre left parties refused to sit in a government with Netanyahu≥ Now he’s fully reliant on the far right and the ultra orthodox parties”.
• “The ultra orthodox are at most 20% of the population, but they’re the ones shoring up Netanyahu’s administration”.
• “Netayahu says he’s the one who is safeguarding the freedoms of the Israeli public, rather than them being protected by the Government and the law”

Read Anshel Pfeffer in Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-06/ty-article/.highlight/the-end-of-israeli-democracy-its-real-but-can-still-be-prevented/00000185-8265-d4ba-add5-aaf74d660000

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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The Life in the UK Test is the ultimate barrier to becoming a British citizen. But is it working – and how could we change it? Since its launch in 2001 the test has been criticised for failing to achieve its goal of integration, and making it harder for people to become citizens. Thom Brooks, author of Reforming the UK’s Citizenship Test: Building Bridges, Not Barriers, joins Yasmeen Serhan in the Bunker to ask: is it time for a new approach?

• “It’s not so much about building bridges, it’s about creating barriers on the arbitrary basis of a memory test.”
• “Other countries do not require a knowledge test like this to be a resident of a country.”
• “Americans and Australians - mostly native English speakers - have a pass rate of 97%. When it comes to Turkey, Iraq you see pass rates of less than 50%. There’s a big difference in different nationalities.”

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Written and presented by Yasmeen Serhan. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Artwork by James Parrett. Group editor: Andrew Harrison.

 THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Levelling Up was a key policy after the Conservatives swept the Red Wall in 2019. Three years later and Tory chaos has the policy to bring greater equity between the North and the South floundering by the roadside. Rob Parsons, editor of The Northern Agenda joins Jacob Jarvis to find out if there’s still reason to be optimistic. 

• “Restoring pride to people’s places is definitely a good thing to do. Whether it will address these massive inequalities in skills and jobs and transport, is a different thing.”
• “A lot of people spent a lot of time and money bidding for this money, and they didn’t get it. There were places in the North where their bid was unsuccessful but the neighbouring town did. That did create bitterness, and it did create cynicism towards the criteria.”
• “There needs to be more to the conversation not just about giving pots of money, but power to raise their own money.”

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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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As Sunak squirms under questioning, will anti-union legislation save his bacon? Plus, Brazil’s far-right storms the country’s congress – what can we expect next? And we discuss the latest from the US, plus as the family feud of the century as Prince Harry causes a royal furore. Hannah Fearn, columnist and reporter for The I and Independent, joins Andrew Harrison to discuss the week ahead. 

• “If Sunak continues a hardline stance on these strikes, he creates an atmosphere where a general strike is a possibility.” 
• “The length of time everything’s taken has made Sunak’s position more difficult, splintered the party and hurt the country.”
• “Angry supporters of Bolsonaro are seeing a playbook in the US they are wanting to try and emulate.” 

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Presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Catching you up on the big stories of the week… Trump blusters, threatens and rambles his way through the World Economic Forum week in Davos, insulting America’s allies. Where does this shitshow leave the semblance of Western security? Plus: the Chinese mega-embassy, super-intelligent cows, whatever the hell is going on with the Beckhams… and would you fly RyanAir if Elon Musk owned it? The Guardian’s Rafael Behr reads the entrails of another brain-dissolving week with Andrew Harrison. 

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Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait with Kathleen Johnston. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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Comparisons to the Winter of Discontent are everywhere. But are these accurate, or even helpful? With an autumn and winter of strikes, high levels of inflation and maxed out energy prices it’s an easy reference to make, but is it lazy? Colin Hay, professor of political sciences at Sciences Po in Paris, joins Andrew Harrison to discuss. 

• “It’s not really the story of a coordinated campaign by union leaders. It was the rank and file rejecting the advice of the union leaders and withdrawing their labour.”
• I’ve been asked throughout my career if THIS is a return to the Winter of Discontent. This is the first time I haven’t just blanketly said ‘no.’”
• “Labour has had the ghost of the Winter of Discontent dancing over its corpse in the intervening time.”
• “It’s quite impressive how much industrial and public sector disruption is currently in place at the moment when you consider how difficult it is to get a legal strike organised.”

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Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production 

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The Republican Party is in a state of turmoil with Kevin McCarthy’s Speaker stalemate having sparked scenes not witnessed for a century. What is going on, where can it go next, and what does this mean for the GOP? Jacob Jarvis speaks to Julie Normal, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics to discuss the chaos in the Capitol and what 2023 holds for American politics. Oh, and Donald Trump, unfortunately… 

• “For some it’s key policy differences, for some it’s personal differences - not liking Kevin McCarthy. For some it’s just a power play.”
• “Whichever way it goes it’s definitely not the way you want your party starting out their term in office, especially in the run up to an election.
• “The ironic thing with Trump is that a conviction or an indictment… would in some ways galvanise him even more. He loves to portray himself as a victim of the Deep State.”
• “Some Democrats were literally bringing popcorn to the House this week. Biden has basically said. ‘This is embarrassing, but it’s not my problem.’”

Support us on Patreon:

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Presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music and Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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With all signs pointing to a recession, how will this one be different to those of the past? From strikes to sky high heating bills, we’ve begun 2023, much as we ended 2022. How long can this last, and is there any hope of our fortunes improving? Resolution Foundation’s research director James Smith joins Ahir Shah to tell us how this situation might play out. 

• “If we are pessimistic about the future and that feeds back into how [the Government] set their policies, it can become self fulfilling.”
• “The big thing here is that we are getting poorer as a country.”
• “We need to make sure the recovery from the pandemic and cost of living recession isn’t as bad as the financial crisis.”

Presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Unprecedented problems like climate change require innovative responses. Activist Natasha Walter, author of upcoming book Before the Light Fades: A Memoir of Grief and Resistance, joins Ros Taylor to explore what the histories of protest can tell us about current struggles. 

• “People forget just how radical the 1960s movements were.” 
• “To look back and remember how people stayed politically active is incredibly encouraging.” 
• “Civil disobedience is a vital part of society.”

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Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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There seem to be more authoritarian figures than ever before. But is this true? And if so, what do these leaders have in common? Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present joins Alex Andreou to explore how authoritarianism has changed over time, and why the greatest strengths of ‘strongmen’ could also be their biggest downfall. 

• “Leader personality cults often present them as omnipotent.”
• “The same instincts of these leaders to win followers domestically can cause their downfall on the international stage.” 
• “Financial networks are key to controlling people.”

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Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Jet Gerbertson, Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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With the NHS in crisis and strikes ongoing – will the Government’s New Year’s Resolution be to get a grip? Then further afield, we look to the alarming covid situation in China and a new Congress being sworn in in the United States. Plus, a few dates for your diary – there might even be some bits to look forward to… In our first show of 2023, Alex Andreou talks to Andrew Harrison to outline the year ahead. 

• “Everyone is incredibly scared, it’s not nice to live in a country and feel like if something happens to you nobody will turn up.” – Alex Andreou 
• “The government is doing so poorly it thinks a confrontation with the unions will help it.” – Alex Andreou 
• “The public has realised Brexit was a mistake, that is unshakable now.” – Alex Andreou
• “Things could get very messy on day one. There will be a lot of battles in Congress.” – Alex Andreou 

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Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Ahead of NYE nights out, listen back to our ode to nightclubs… No one looks back and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep. But beyond a mere boogie, nightclubs play a vital role in shaping our collective and individual identity. Alex Andreou assembles an all-star spinning a-roundtable to chew on how COVID closures have impacted nighttime industries, why the pandemic has deprived us from more than a good party, and how culture goes beyond theatres and museums… Mairi Mackenzie is a cultural historian and consultant curator for the V&A Dundee exhibition Night Fever: Designing Club Culture. Bay Sisouphanh is Head of Event Sales at London’s Village Underground. Mark Wood is one half of the London Readers Wifes who DJ at Vauxhall institution Duckie.

• “You find your tribe at nightclubs.” – Mark Wood
• “People will always find an outlet for that need for pleasure.” – Mairi Mackenzie
• “Forget about children going back to school. When can we send the gays back to nightclubs?” – Mark Wood
• “There's a lack of perception around the value of nightclubs to the gaiety and the mental health of the nation.” – Mark Wood

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Presented and produced by Alex Andreou. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Here’s another throwback Bunker Gold to tide you over to next year… How do you know the world is real? How do I know I’m real? As virtual worlds expand, our concepts of reality warp. NYU philosopher David Chalmers – author of Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy – talks to Ros Taylor about the etiquette of virtual living, why video game characters deserve moral rights, and how we can know what we think we know.

• “Simulated beings could end up outnumbering non-simulated beings. So the odds that YOU are simulated could be high…”
• “If we’re living in a simulation, all this is still real – and our lives are still full of meaning.”

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Presented by Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Here’s another hit for the Christmas period… DANGER, SPOILERS! James Bond finally returned to cinemas in a world where questions about sexism, racism and Britishness have seldom been more pointed. Is there a place for a suave, womanising emissary of British power in the modern world? Is it time to reassess the role of Bond in British culture? Regulars and Bond fiends Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell talk to Ian Kinane, editor of the International Journal of James Bond Studies and a senior lecturer in English literature, about their first Bonds and where 007 should go next. Do not listen unless you’ve seen the film!

• “Bond offers a parallel universe in which Britain always wins.” - Arthur Snell
• “Bond probably has many fatherless children all over the world.” - Ian Kinane
• “James Bond is so far from the boring reality of intelligence work, like people staring at databases.” - Arthur Snell
• “Shirley Bassey is seen as singing an anthem of Britain's glory days of Empire.” - Ian Kinane
• “Bond seems to embody what is properly British, but more often he’s played by actors who aren't British themselves.” - Ian Kinane

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Presented by Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Another from our back catalogue… How did a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the century, become the fastest growing religion today? Pentecostal Christianity has 600 million followers, with 35,000 new adherents a day. So what’s behind the remarkable rise of this religious movement? Elle Hardy, author of Beyond Belief, tells Arthur Snell about her mission to report its rise across twelve different countries, from South America to Africa and Australia, how Pentecostalism provides community to the rootless and marginalised in a fragmenting world…and its toxic connection to populist authoritarianism.

• “There will be more Pentecostals than Catholics in Brazil in the next ten years.” “Anyone can become a prophet in Pentecostalism.”
• “You can fit six Vaticans in the biggest Pentecostal church in Nigeria.”
• “Pentecostalism is the ideology of the new right in America.”

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and presented by Arthur Snell. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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The government says it’s getting serious about childhood obesity, with a ban on junk food ads before 9pm and online. Today on The Bunker, Zoë Grünewald is joined by Dr Beverley O’Hara  lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University to find out whether this is real reform or a rerun of previous failed plans. 

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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In the first of our Christmas cracker throwbacks, listen to James O’Brien’s righteous evisceration of Boris Johnson, recorded in the aftermath of the Greased Piglet’s resignation announcement. The LBC host joined Ros Taylor to pick through the wreckage. What will be Johnson’s legacy? Could things have ever gone differently? The pair bid farewell to the man who wanted to be king – but failed resoundingly as Prime Minister.

• “In terms of personal political performance Johnsonism is very similar to Trumpism. It’s opportunism devoid of conscience.”
• “It’s an absence of shame that I think defines him.”
• "He pursued monuments to his ego – like the Garden Bridge – but these also acted as distractions from his utter failures."
• "Even on his way out of the door, he's detonating explosives that will be felt for a generation to come."

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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Charles Dickens wrote that Christmas is a time when Want is keenly felt, with that in mind we focus on three organisations helping people in need. Arthur Snell explains why he’s supporting the Ukrainian charity Smart Medical Aid and its CEO Iryna Rybinkina tells us about her work on the frontline. Ros Taylor hears from Honeypot’s Anthony Cummings and two of the young carers it’s helped. And Joe Bookbinder tells us how Christmas can be the loneliest time — and that the Samaritans are there to listen 24/7.

• “Honeypot gives you a chance to be free and stop worrying about things. I worry a lot.” - Holly
• “I left my children who are three and 10. My husband is a single father these days — I cannot bring them to Ukraine as it is not safe… As a mother I struggle with that thought every day. But there are children in Ukraine who do need help.” - Iryna Rybinkina, CEO of Smart Medical Aid
• “Don’t feel ashamed if you are struggling at Christmas.” - Joe Bookbinder, Samaritans

All the advertising revenue from this episode will be donated to the charities featured.

smartmedicalaid.org/

honeypot.org.uk

Samaritans.org

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer and audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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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.” –Tom Peck
• My dad is France’s last remaining Emmanuel Macron fan.” – Marie Le Conte
• “Communists to the left of me, Nazis to the right, here I am – the only liberal – stuck in the middle with you.” – Seth Thévoz

Presented by Marie Le Conte with Tom Peck and Seth Thévoz. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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. 

https://opora.uk/

• “Instead of government support, it became the job of charities to match people.”
• “There is no one cohesive process of matching Ukrainian refugees with sponsors.” 
• “People were finding hosts on Facebook.”

Support us on Patreon

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Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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 Esler takes Alex Andreou through the week ahead. 

• “We just don’t spend enough on healthcare… You don’t see a winter health crisis in Germany.” 
• “It’s just like listening to the old Marxists: ‘If only we tried Brexit properly, it’d all be fine.” 
• “2022 has been a year of self-harm for Britain.” 

Support us on Patreon:

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Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer: Jet Gebertson. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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 real business… and how deregulation ended up outsourcing the entire British economy to the City.

• “Rishi Sunak is our first investment banker PM. We’ve finally reached that peak.”
• “Every review of financial governance was filled with financiers – and what they did was serve the share price.”

Written and presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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 way we speak.

• “Margaret Thatcher’s speeches were trapped in a gendered stereotype.”
• “We have a cacophony of voices now which is changing what power looks like.”
• “The debating culture style is losing out to social media soundbites.”

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerburtson, Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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 collaborate on books and more, the charm of Mandela’s secretly oversized ego, and what it’s like to work with a giant of history. 

Hear Mandela: The Lost Tapes exclusively on Audible: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Mandela-The-Lost-Tapes-Podcast/B0BKMQ8GX8

• “This took me back 30 years. I felt like I was back in the room with Mandela again.” 
• “Mandela was very good at flattery. And people who are good at it are susceptible to it…”
• “He was an incredibly charming, sunny man and the listener can now feel a little of that.”

Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer Jet Gerburtson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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 with Zelenskyy… and how parties at No.10 helped bring down a man who doesn’t even like parties. 

• “Johnson is gone but his domestic policies still shape Westminster.” 
• “In Kyiv they can’t understand why we got rid of Johnson.”
• “Johnson never had the right people around him.”

www.patreon.com/bunkercast 

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

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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 buy through Amazon, but their algorithms influence what’s ‘hot or not’. All of those things will influence your purchasing habits even though you’re never using it.” 
• “When we look at what people buy in a bricks and mortar store, 70% of people buy the leading product. When you’re buying it online, 70% of people go for the own brand. You don’t want to look cheap”
• “Social consciousness, awareness of ethical issues are really on the up, but when we look at sustainable products it doesn’t balance out.” 

Support us on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Pete Hegseth is one of the most powerful people in Trump’s orbit as the self-proclaimed secretary of ‘war’.  He has a huge budget and the weight of the entire American military at his disposal. What will he do with it and why has he caused such chaos so far? Guardian US politics reporter Joseph Gedeon joins us to discuss. 

www.patreon.com/bunkercast    

Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Simon Williams. Producer: Liam Tait. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   

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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 people in the east from leaving. It got stronger because regimes in the east were frightened young people would flee if they could to the west.” 
• “People didn’t expect the societies they lived in to collapse so quickly… people were promised a lot of things that perhaps didn’t come true.”

Support us on Patreon:

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Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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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 Christmas. Alex Andreou takes Andrew Harrison through the week ahead. 

• “The Tories are fudging the economy because they know Labour will win the next election.” – Alex Andreou
• “Thank God It's too cold for drunken England fans to go out and smash up Delice de France.” – Andrew Harrison
• “There’s public support for rail strikes because Mick Lynch is a media superstar.” – Alex Andreou
• “Doing business with autocratic regimes is a high-risk activity.” – Alex Andreou

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.