The Bunker

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News without the nonsense, every weekday morning. In episodes that fit your commute*, The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on in news, current affairs, politics, economics and culture. We bring you smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to as a refreshing alternative to repetitive 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: Gavin Esler • Ros Taylor • Alex von Tunzelmann • Andrew Harrison • Zing Tsjeng • Jacob Jarvis • Emma Kennedy • Rafael Behr • Seth Thévoz.• Sign up to support the podcast and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast• Apple users: Get all of our core shows ad-free and early with the Podmasters Originals super-subscription.(* Even if it’s just from the kitchen to the front room. )The Bunker is a Podmasters production.

Recent Episodes
  • Defence of the realm — Start Your Week with Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis
    Jun 2, 2025 – 41:03
  • MAGA wasn't built in a day – Which Roman emperor is Trump most like?
    May 30, 2025 – 37:05
  • Is politics too tough for Elon Musk?
    May 29, 2025 – 30:58
  • Does money really decide wars? Strange tales from the Vikings to the Luftwaffe to Ukraine
    May 28, 2025 – 42:49
  • Downing Street fighter – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis
    May 27, 2025 – 38:25
  • How Britain got lucky with its choice of enemies – with Horrible Histories creator Terry Deary
    May 26, 2025 – 35:09
  • From UFC to MAGA – How fight sports shaped Trump’s macho politics
    May 23, 2025 – 34:12
  • Is social media dying?
    May 22, 2025 – 31:56
  • Why are we so obsessed with the end of the world?
    May 21, 2025 – 33:32
  • No limits? – Can China and Russia's friendship last?
    May 20, 2025 – 30:17
  • Here’s looking at EU, Keir – Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann
    May 19, 2025 – 43:34
  • Burn Hollywood Burn – Will Trump save or kill the movie business?
    May 16, 2025 – 31:47
  • Where is Reform UK getting its money from?
    May 15, 2025 – 35:39
  • Why Keir Starmer is wrong about immigration
    May 14, 2025 – 33:53
  • Inside the US trade deal – “Britain got extorted… but in the least worst way,” with Dmitry Grozoubinski
    May 13, 2025 – 32:57
  • Unwelcome to the UK? — Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor
    May 12, 2025 – 28:52
  • Our new show CRIME SCENE – Armed Response – What happens when police shoot a suspect?
    May 10, 2025 – 55:15
  • Mutiny in the UK – How the SDP explains Reform UK – with Steve Richards
    May 9, 2025 – 36:21
  • Capturing the reality of war in Ukraine – Kyiv-based artist Mark Neville with Dorian Lynskey
    May 8, 2025 – 40:40
  • The real Conclave – Inside the contest to be the next Pope
    May 7, 2025 – 31:51
  • Acrimony in the UK — Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis
    May 6, 2025 – 40:35
  • A taster of CRIME SCENE, our new podcast – Episode 1: Guns of London
    May 2, 2025 – 12:46
  • Tat’s Life – The secrets behind “Cursed Objects” in gift shops
    May 2, 2025 – 38:16
  • Blame Canada! How Carney triumphed over Trumpism – and what it means
    May 1, 2025 – 30:01
  • How Trump's first 100 days will come back to bite him
    Apr 30, 2025 – 42:30
  • A New Financial Crisis – Could 2025 get as bad as 2008?
    Apr 29, 2025 – 37:07
  • Reform over function? – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis
    Apr 28, 2025 – 33:37
  • The weird world of Doctor Who explained at last – Live bonus with author John Higgs
    Apr 27, 2025 – 01:04:46
  • Trash talking – The real history of free speech
    Apr 25, 2025 – 33:24
  • Trump and Project 2025 – What's coming next from the new 'deep state'?
    Apr 24, 2025 – 37:38
  • Is Morgan McSweeney Labour’s enforcer or Starmer’s controller? – with Steve Richards
    Apr 23, 2025 – 33:27
  • Tricks of the trade — Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis
    Apr 22, 2025 – 37:40
  • Inside the online 'cleanfluencer' cult pushing housewife propaganda
    Apr 18, 2025 – 34:00
  • Notorious KGB – What Moscow's spies teach us about Russia
    Apr 17, 2025 – 37:41
  • Trump vs. China – Who will win the trade war? – with Cindy Yu
    Apr 16, 2025 – 27:53
  • Under my thumb – How the LIKE button hacked our brains
    Apr 15, 2025 – 42:12
  • I’m steel standing! — Start Your Week with Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis
    Apr 14, 2025 – 43:34
  • Should you be prepping for the end of the world?
    Apr 11, 2025 – 48:02
  • Can radical honesty fix the climate “polycrisis”? – with Mike Berners-Lee
    Apr 10, 2025 – 41:11
  • How dangerous is Trump's national security purge?
    Apr 9, 2025 – 38:10
  • French Toast – Is this the end of Marine Le Pen?
    Apr 8, 2025 – 32:19
  • The end of the globe as we know it? — Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor
    Apr 7, 2025 – 29:46
  • Trump’s tariff tantrum – “Monumentally bruising to the global economy”
    Apr 4, 2025 – 31:48
  • How did London become the world’s dirty money capital?
    Apr 3, 2025 – 32:03
  • Did Boomers really destroy the future?
    Apr 2, 2025 – 39:41
  • Northern uproar – How Canada is standing up to Trump
    Apr 1, 2025 – 40:30
  • Tariffs, don’t like it — Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis
    Mar 31, 2025 – 39:20
  • YIMBY vs. NIMBY – Can Labour’s new building plans work?
    Mar 28, 2025 – 49:18
  • 'Hipster eugenics' – Why the US far-right is obsessed with babies
    Mar 27, 2025 – 28:02
  • Is British TV dying?
    Mar 26, 2025 – 35:05
Recent Reviews
  • Mukkuroni
    Not so much
    Used to love this pod, now tired of the endless snark. And the attacks on Sunak veer uncomfortably close to racism.
  • Gaspargo
    Read Starmer in The Guardian
    If you truly believe that Kindness is the correct choice, then follow the approach of the lead Prosecutor above.
  • enriart
    Twitter episode
    It’s too much of a bias, it brings down the all project.
  • Original Sharkey
    Stretching Too Thin
    The bunker is a really good podcast, generally speaking. But there are times when the format is stretched too thin. A good example is this week’s Gen Z show, hosted by Jacob Jarvis. Does anyone really need to be told that people in their 20s have grown up in a world where cell phones, social media and personal branding are facts of life? Does anyone really not know what it means to STAN someone? Some of the questions were as banal as the answers. “Why do people use slang?” “ I think it’s an attempt to create a community.” Please.
  • AlemarSF
    Must I be an atheist to be fully included?
    It’s great to hear the diverse view of opinions on the podcast and I enjoy the conversations immensely. Once and a while, it does feel isolating. Alex Andreou, whom I very much like, recently interviewed Dr. Steven Pinker. It was an excellent interview, but I did feel at certain points that they were just kind of bashing religion as illogical nonsense and it would just be nice to hear a diversity of views on religion as well in other episodes. It’s clear this is predominantly a podcast for people who aren’t religious, but it would mean a lot to those of us out there if y’all could bring I, people with other viewpoints about God and the spiritual aspects of humanity and have equally engaging conversations.
  • Domic57
    Astute and articulate...
    ...and interesting, uninhibited guests.
  • PegOfIL
    Excellent resource
    Found these folks a couple years ago when researching alternatives to BBC Brexit coverage. Sometimes they paint with too broad a brush on US politics, government but they can be counted on for “deep dive” on UK politics, instant reactions to events there. Nice EU takes from time to time. (Stop inviting US “conservatives” as guests. The get too much air time in US as it is).
  • Nw2ipad
    Luke O’Neill Needs To Do His Research Better
    O’Neill made some good points, but also unfairly disparaged various fields of research. Psychology relies on many methods, or just surveys. And given that he criticised people for not have a broad, well-informed view of the data, this is very hypocritical. But I enjoy this podcast.
  • Gorman the Librarian
    Do not miss
    A perfect panoply of political punditry (with swearing!).
  • J and P Alden
    Amy Pope:Joe Biden did speak at a black church recently!
    First of all, I like listening to the Bunker for a realistic view of what’s going on in the UK with the 2 challenges of Covid-19 and a BoJo committed to ramming the Brexit iceberg also this year. My son has a cafe in Hove, so I’m a very interested Yank. But your recent guest Amy Pope’s hand-ringing over how poor Joe Biden can address taking down pro-slavery statues was typical of “centrist” Democrats trying to walk a line rather than take a stand. A losing strategy! And Biden did speak in a black church-after the murder of George Floyd. Google “Joe Biden shoot em in the leg.” There, he made a mockery of BLM by advising cops to “shoot an unarmed attacker who maybe has a knife in the leg instead of the heart.” The incoherence of this aside, it’s awful on every level- legal, moral, and anatomical-and with the Atlanta cop shooting murder of Rayshard Brooks, it just further aligns Biden with killer cops ( which is where he’s been his whole career).No more cop shootings is the stance he should take! Black people here live in a deadly police state, now joined by all the peaceful protesters being attacked and tear-gassed for exercising their First Amendment rights.
  • ben plumley
    Bunker’s post Brexit Britain
    Brilliant, inspiring and much needed interview by Ayesha Hazarika with the TUC’s Frances O’Grady about the revitalization of unions in this time of crisis. And it’s a great show to boot!
  • JSjourno
    Keep on keeping on
    From across the pond: What would life be without the maniacal laughter, swearing, and insights from this crew? Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that.
  • Fleur1066
    Familiar voices, new topics
    Great to hear familiar voices from Remainiacs talking beyond Brexit, though the B word did crop up a bit! Insightful comments on immigration, the Labour party and also a US perspective on all things Brit from guest Amy Pope. Welcome addition to my podcast library.
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