The Bunker Podmasters
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- News
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Your daily Need To Know on news and politics. Every morning The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on, with smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to rescue you from everyday Punch and Judy news coverage. It’s the only way to start the day. From the producers of Oh God, What Now?
Our regulars include: Alex Andreou • Gavin Esler • Hannah Fearn • Andrew Harrison • Jacob Jarvis • Marie le Conte • Jude Rogers • Yasmeen Serhan • Ahir Shah • Siân Pattenden • Ros Taylor.
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The Bunker is a Podmasters production.
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How did the Tories become the chaos party?
The Conservative Party was once a unified force, able to steadily maintain power. But today’s Tories are in constant turmoil. How did they become the party of chaos? Since Brexit there’s been a revolving door of leaders, the rise of tribalism within the party and a series of humiliating byelection losses. Alex Andreou is joined by professor of politics at Queen Mary University Tim Bale to try and understand this shift in conservative politics.
• “Everything that top Tories say needs to be considered as part of their future leadership contest.” – Tim Bale
• “Without Brexit, we wouldn't have seen the turmoil that we've seen over the last decade.” – Tim Bale
Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. -
Here's how America's next civil war could happen
The prospect of a new Civil War in the United States is increasingly discussed as political turmoil rips through America. How could such a conflict actually break out? Rob Hutton is joined by The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future author Stephen Marche to discuss the terrifying new film Civil War – and how the reality could be even worse.
• “Civil wars when they come are the very worst things that can happen to a country. In England, the civil war demonstrated a level of brutality that is now unthinkable to us.” – Stephen Marche
• “It’s so dangerous right now, not because the people are inherently violent, but because for those people to get power, they need hatred to get them there.” – Stephen Marche
Buy The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.
Support us on Patreon.
Written and presented by Rob Hutton. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Red, white and boo – Can Labour reclaim the flag?
The Union Jack represents many things for many people, linked to historical pride – but also shame. And, unfortunately, it’s become somewhat synonymous with the political Right. So what is Labour’s relationship with the flag? Andrew Harrison asks The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party co-author Gerry Hassan if Labour can reclaim Britishness.
• “I don’t think anyone in the UK can be completely objective about the Union Jack. Flags are things we have emotional connections with. The Union Jack’s meaning has evolved over centuries.” – Gerry Hassan
• “Lots of people say we have to either identify and feel pride in it, or loathe it – but it’s important we allow for a polarity of meanings.” – Gerry Hassan
• “In our current age of culture wars, symbols really matter. And symbols like national flags are highly contested.” – Gerry Hassan
• “Flags are part of who we are as human beings.” – Gerry Hassan
Buy The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.
Support us on Patreon
Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Menzies Behaving Badly – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou
Sunak has lost another MP after Mark Menzies announced he’s leaving the Tories and won’t stand at the next election. What issues does this raise for the PM? Meanwhile, the Tory leader is set to head to Poland to discuss the Ukraine war with Donald Tusk. What will they talk about? Plus, will Israel go ahead with further strikes on Rafah? And can Donald Trump manage to stay awake during his hush money trial this week? Alex Andreou joins Ros Taylor to discuss the week ahead.
• “They were happy to comment on an ongoing investigation last week, life comes at you fast.” – Alex Andreou
• “The lack of any kind of compromise is part of the reason why the Lords have dug their heels in. The government has made absolutely no moves to meet them even 2% of the way, they’ve just flatly turned everything down.” – Alex Andreou
• “The legislative process shouldn’t be one of trying to ram things through a House that dislikes them.” – Alex Andreou
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit
Support us on Patreon
Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Inside Biden's plan to stop Trump stealing the election
We know what happened the last time Donald Trump lost – and Joe Biden wants to make sure he’s prepared for more shenanigans this time out. If Trump doesn’t win “he is willing to cheat and steal it,'' writes today’s guest Adam Rawnsley, reporter for Rolling Stone magazine. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss how President Biden is preparing for an electoral tussle with the GOP.
• “The one message we keep seeing from the polls is that no one is excited for this race.” – Adam Rawnsley
• “We have a uniquely dim system … the electoral college.” – Adam Rawnsley
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit
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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Putin Vision – How does Russia see the rest of the world?
Vladimir Putin has a tight grip on information in Russia. How does he shape how his nation sees the rest of the world? And how does he actually perceive other countries? Chris Jones asks Dr. Ivan Grigoriev, lecturer in Russian politics at the King’s Russia Institute.
• “Propaganda in Russia is like a steamroller that keeps rolling over and over the population.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev
• “Russia’s election went just how we thought it would: It was an 87% landslide election for Vladimir Putin. And the primary goal of this election was to show that if Putin wants 87%, he will get 87%.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit
Support us on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Customer Reviews
Astute and articulate...
...and interesting, uninhibited guests.
Not so much
Used to love this pod, now tired of the endless snark. And the attacks on Sunak veer uncomfortably close to racism.
Read Starmer in The Guardian
If you truly believe that Kindness is the correct choice, then follow the approach of the lead Prosecutor above.