The Bunker

A Chinese ‘super embassy' could be built in the heart of London – and intelligence experts say it would open the door to cyber interference at the heart of Britain's financial system. Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler sits down with security expert Nigel Inkster, former director of operations and intelligence MI6 and senior advisor at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, to ask if Britain is turning a blind eye to the growing threat from Beijing? With fears of espionage, tech theft and power plays rising fast, how worried should we really be about China? • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A special crossover edition from our partner podcast, This is Not a Drill. Ukraine's daring drone attack Operation Spiderweb has stunned Russia with its stealth, precision planning and the damage it unleashed on warplanes based deep within Russian territory.     The Bunker regular Gavin Esler is joined from Kyiv by This Is Not A Drill co-host Oz Katerji, to discuss the impact of an operation planned meticulously over the past 18 months – and what it means both for the war and the nature of asymmetric conflict.     • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni, the service that keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There's a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – go to Incogni.com/notadrill to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.    www.patreon.com/bunkercast      Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production.    www.podmasters.co.uk     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From memes demanding we “eat the rich” to real-world insurrections, the language of revolution is everywhere. But what does it really mean to call for one today? Zing Tsjeng is joined by Dan Edelstein, professor of political science and history at Stanford University and author of The Revolution to Come, to explore our relationship with revolutionary thought, from Ancient Greece, to the French revolution, through to the January 6th riots – and ask whether we need a revolution today. Buy The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wes Streeting? Angela Rayner? Andy Burnham? Or someone you've never heard of? Starmer won't be stepping down any time soon – but what happens when he does? Who's most likely to win the leadership? Do they have the right combination of personality and vision to get Labour out of its rut? And will it be yet another bloke? Ava Santina of PoliticsJoe joins Andrew Harrison around the crystal ball to see who's most likely to lead Labour when Keir disappears.  • Listen to Why? with Emma Kennedy: How could we talk to space aliens? now.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The defence review is the big talking point of the moment – what's new and how will Starmer frame it? Plus, Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss other pressures on Labour, the state of conflicts across the globe and Trump's latest conspiracy theory thinking.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast         Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump isn't an emperor, yet – but who knows how he might change the US in the next few years. As he gets more dictatorial by the day, what lessons could we learn from Rome – and which Roman emperor is he most like? Peter Edwell is associate professor in ancient history at Macquarie University and joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.         Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast           Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elon Musk seems to be limping off the political stage with a whimper. So was he ever the power behind the throne or just a useful idiot with a fat wallet and a massive platform for Trump to exploit? Today in The Bunker, Alex Von Tunzelmann is joined by Andrew Boujean, editor of The Washingtonian, to find out just how the richest man on earth m became the latest high profile figure to be chewed up and spat out by the Maga machine. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why did getting pillaged by Vikings ultimately help the economies of the Middle Ages? How did a flood of silver from conquered South America end up making Spain poorer? Was Genghis Khan the father of globalisation? And why was it a terrible idea to garland Luftwaffe fighter aces with medals and fame? In an absorbing new book Blood and Treasure: The Economics of Conflict from the Vikings to Ukraine, economist and historian Duncan Weldon explains how war shapes economies and economies shape wars… and why the consequences are usually what nobody expects.  • Pre-order Blood and Treasure 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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Dom Delargy. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk [[ LINK https://www.podmasters.co.uk/ ]] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are reports of chaos in Downing Street – but just how bad are things really? Ros Taylor talks Jacob Jarvis through the latest from Number 10 and how Farage is upping the pressure on Starmer. Plus, we look at world news to look out for in the coming days.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast         Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forget the storybook version of British history. Churchill without Hitler would be a forgotten windbag with a record of failure. Elizabeth I and Francis Drake didn't defeat the Spanish – bad luck and bad weather sank the Armada. And Boudicca would be remembered as a sadistic tyrant if not for the Romans. Creator of the multi-million-selling kids' series Horrible Histories Terry Deary brings his irreverent, fact-packed style to adult readers with A History of Britain in Ten Enemies. He tells Andrew Harrison why history isn't what it used to be.  • Buy A History of Britain in Ten Enemies  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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump is obsessed with sport – and increasingly, sports stars are obsessed with him. From his ties to wrestling through to his connection to the UFC, fight sports in particular have shaped the way he approaches politics. To discuss this journey, Jacob Jarvis is joined by Tom Kludt, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, who recently wrote a piece headlined A Guide to Donald Trump's Jockocracy: 100 Days of Sports and Politics. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Sara Farolfi. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whatever happened to the promise of social media? What started as a buzzing digital town square now feels like a ghost town overrun with fake news, A.I. slop and disinformation. LBC tech correspondent Will Guyatt joins Natasha Devon to ask: Is social media dying – and what could possibly take its place? • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Natasha Devon. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From ancient Mayan prophecies to the QAnon faithful awaiting the next biblical storm, humanity has never been able to resist a good apocalypse. Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Tom Phillips, author of A Brief History of the End of the F**king World, to talk about asteroid anxiety, finding community in chaos, and why dreaming about doomsday might just be the ultimate form of escapism. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Buy A Brief History of the End of the F**king World through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Gavin Esler Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, two of the world's most powerful autocrats, are cosying up to each other in a bromance that could have seismic consequences. Today in The Bunker, Dr. Elizabeth Wishnick, expert on Sino-Russian relations and senior research scientist in the China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division at CNA, joins Chris Jones to look at the motivations behind the pair's partnership, the cracks beneath the surface, and what their relationship could mean for the rest of the world.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Chris Jones. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer is hoping for positive news from an EU summit this week. What can we expect to see and what could block any sort of “deal”? Plus, we look at the latest from elections in Europe and news from the US, as Trump makes more horrible plans for the world.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast   www.patreon.com/bunkercast         Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's plan for Hollywood isn't really a plan, yet. He claims to want to boost the film industry – but will he revive it or wreck it even more? As he talks about tariffs on movies coming into the US, we try to pick apart what he actually means. Daniel Bessner, historian, journalist and co-host of the American Prestige podcast, joins Alex von Tunzelmann to discuss. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. • Listen to Crime Scene – the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe. New from Podmasters. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nigel Farage's Reform UK seems to be going from strength to strength – and running in politics isn't cheap. So where are they getting their money from? Seth Thévoz speaks to Peter Geoghegan, author of the Democracy for Sale substack, to discuss where the cash is coming from and how it's being raised.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast         Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Audio production: Dom Delargy. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer's migration speech has sparked a backlash – from across the political spectrum and for various reasons. Do we have a “problem” with migration – and what does the PM actually think he's solving? Gavin Esler speaks with migration policy expert and campaigner Zoe Gardner to unpack what's really going on, what circumstances are impacting the numbers, how we can be more honest about the situation – and what you really need to know about it.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast         Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keir Starmer presented the US/UK trade deal as a jobs-saving triumph. Badenoch claims we were “shafted”. What's the real picture? Will car, beef and ethanol (?) exports to the US make a difference to our economy? Why are the people who demanded Brexit so furious that we've signed exactly the sort of deal Brexit was supposed to facilitate? And while we're here, what's the truth about the Indian trade deal and the National Insurance exemptions that so enrage the the Take Back Controllers? Import/export expert Dmitry Grozoubinski, author of Why Politicians Lie About Trade, walks Andrew Harrison through the intricacies of the deal and explains what's coming next. • Buy Why Politicians Lie About Trade 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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour is announcing a raft of new immigration rules to “toughen up” in what is being branded a “crackdown”. What are they announcing and what will it mean? Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler discuss the latest proposals. Plus, they look at the latest from Ukraine peace talks and ask what Trump is getting up to this week.     We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.       Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast       www.patreon.com/bunkercast         Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Try the latest edition of our new podcast where ex-Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips bring you the truth about true crime.  On this episode: When police shoot dead a suspect the consequences are huge. But how is the decision to shoot to kill made? Is firearms policy fit for purpose? And is it right that the officer cleared of murdering Londoner Chris Kaba in a police roadblock now faces gross misconduct charges? Bernard and Alison share unprecedented insider knowledge on real cases including Kaba, Mark Duggan and Jean Charles de Menezes.  • Get Crime Scene every Thursday.  Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The SDP blasted through politics in the early 80s, hoovering up blockbuster by-election wins and a quarter of the national vote. They were a gift to the Thatcher Government – splitting the opposition vote and ensuring Tory power. So how come today's insurgents, Reform UK, aren't seen as a boon to Starmer but a mortal threat to Labour *and* the Conservatives? Steve Richards of the Rock & Roll Politics podcast takes Andrew Harrison back to the heady days of the Gang Of Four to see what the SDP can tell us about the power and the possible fate of Farage's bandwagon.  Listen to the Rock & Roll Politics podcast with Steve Richards.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.    Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Neville is on the ground in Ukraine, not just taking pictures but also delivering aid and exposing the realities of the conflict through his work. He joins Dorian Lynskey in The Bunker to discuss his new project Diary of a Volunteer, the ethics of conflict photography, the toll of PTSD, and the role photographers play in shaping how wars are remembered. Links to Mark's work:  https://www.instagram.com/marknevillestudio  https://www.postcodeukraine.com/ • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Sara Farolfi. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of Pope Francis has raised questions over the future of the Catholic Church – and what type of successor we might see. Could they follow the progressive path he set, or are they likely to be more conservative? To discuss what might happen next, Ros Taylor is joined by David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fallout of the local elections have left Labour and the Tories in a tizz, with neither party entirely sure how to react to Farage's gloating. So what way will Starmer end up leaning? Ros Taylor talks Jacob Jarvis through the latest domestic politics, plus we look at elections around the world, and lessons which can be learned.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast    www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bunker listeners, try a bite-sized sample of our brand new podcast CRIME SCENE. Every week ex-Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips lift the lid on how criminal investigations really work. In our debut episode: The horrific shooting of an innocent nine-year-old girl in Dalston in 2024 laid bare bitter rivalries between London's armed gangs. Are police they fighting a losing battle against guns in the Capital? Want to know more? Search CRIME SCENE for the full episode and subscribe for new episodes every Thursday. Presented by Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Simon Williams. Produced by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Executive Producer: Martin Bojtos. Thanks to Helen Purvis at Knight Ayton Management. CRIME SCENE is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What explains the world better? The unattainable relics and archaeological finds that fill museums – or the simple snowglobes, plushies and other knick-knacks in their gift shops? Ahead of a new exhibition Cursed Objects in Museum Shops, curator and Podmasters veteran Kasia Tomasiewicz unearths the true meanings of the souvenirs and objets de tat we often ignore but shouldn't. Includes discussion of the rubber Charles Duckens, a cuddly Black Death Plague Flea and the Hello Kitty Pearl Harbor collection.  • Visit the exhibition Cursed Objects in Museum Shops from 2 May-26 June.  Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

O Canada! Liberal PM Mark Carney sweeps to victory (well, minority government) in the Canadian General Election. Did Trump's unhinged plans for annexation and his tariff moodswings make him the worst ally Canadian Tories could wish for? And what happens now that Canadians are broadly agreed that yes, Canada should continue to exist as a country? John Michael McGrath of our friends in Ontario, the onpoli podcast gives Andrew Harrison the rink-side view of history.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump's first 100 days have been some of the most consequential ever. But, is that a good thing for him? Or could it come back to bite him? Doug Sosnik, former advisor to President Bill Clinton as well as several Governors and Senators, joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss what to look out for in the coming months in terms of what could hurt Trump.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wall Street is erratic, global trade is unravelling and world leaders are more divided than ever. The similarities to 2008 are growing more apparent – but the crisis this time looks very different. Archie Hall, Britain economics reporter for The Economist, joins Alex von Tunzelmann to explore the global fallout, the risks to Britain's fragile recovery, and whether there is still time to avert another financial crisis of the magnitude of 2008. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who will be the big winner at the local elections – and will Farage make it sound like it was Reform UK no matter what happens? Plus, Trump marks 100 days in office – how does this stand up to previous presidents? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to talk through the news to look out for for the week ahead.  Subscribe to Crime Scene, the truth about true crime with Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips, out on Thursday We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler.. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Political allegories and woke wars, Patrick Troughton's louche sex life, the madness of Tom Baker, Doctor Who's strange grip on Britain's psychic landscape… Fascinating new book Exterminate! Regenerate! The Story of Doctor Who is a bigger-on-the-inside popular history of Who for the general reader. Author John Higgs talks to confirmed Who addict Andrew Harrison live onstage at the Rock'n'Roll Book Club https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/ in London's cosmic Walthamstow.  • Buy Exterminate! Regenerate! The Story of Doctor Who 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. Picture courtesy Joel Morris.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Live audio: Jim Dobson. Audio edit by Sara Farolfi. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do we really mean by free speech? How has the definition changed over time? And why is it always so contentious? As the issue remains the cause of political arguments across the world, Seth Thévoz speaks to Fara Dabhoiwala, historian and the author of What is free speech? The history of a dangerous idea to ask who decides what we can and can't say? • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Buy What is free speech? The history of a dangerous idea through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump spent his last campaign distancing himself from Project 2025. But since returning to office, he's followed its blueprint with surprising precision. It's already reshaped American life and the workings of government – but could the most dramatic changes still be ahead? Today on The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis sits down with David A. Graham, author of The Project, to explore Project 2025 and how its authors' growing influence could shape the future of the Trump administration. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Buy The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America and the World through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Labour's election guru, a modern-day Macchiavelli, the power behind the PM, a “permanent insurgent”… Starmer's Chief Of Staff Morgan McSweeney is perhaps the most powerful unelected person in politics. Who is he? What does he want? Is he behind the party's lurch right – and can he win Labour a second term? Steve Richards of the unmissable Rock and Roll Politics podcast tells Andrew Harrison what makes McSweeney tick.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Charlie Duffield. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Reeves heads to Washington this week – what should we be looking out for? Plus, we unpack what happens now after the death of Pope Francis and look to the latest news from America. Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the week ahead in news.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From ‘cleanfluencers' to home gurus, the ideal of a spotless home has never been so aspirational. But why are women still being told that inner peace is only a bottle of disinfectant away? Today on The Bunker, Coco Khan is joined by Emma Casey, author of The Return of the Housewife, to find out why we are still selling the idea that cleaning is the new path to feminist empowerment. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Buy The Return of the Housewife: Why Women are Still Cleaning Up through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Coco Khan. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Charlie Duffield. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if your neighbour was a Russian spy? In 2010, the FBI arrested ten deep-cover agents living quiet suburban lives across North America, their true identities hidden even from their own children. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Shaun Walker, author of The Illegals, to take a closer look at one of the most shocking espionage operations in modern history and what it reveals about Putin's spy games. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Buy The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's trade war has intensified the rivalry between America and China – while Beijing's retaliation has exacerbated worldwide market meltdowns. Has the US president actually had a plan, and what does China make of his actions? Journalist and China commentator Cindy Yu joins Gavin Esler to discuss the trade war and which side might be more confident of ending up on top.  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At first the social media ‘Like' button was just an easy way to get users to interact. Now people click a Like button some seven billion times a day, creating a colossal dataset that companies can use to sell to us, mislead us and predict what we want. And liking itself gets user addicted to a dopamine loop of gratification. Where did the Like button come from and what is it doing to us? Silicon Valley veteran Bob Goodson, co-author of Like: The Button That Changed The World, tells Andrew Harrison about the cloudy history and the destiny of the ubiquitous thumbs-up.  • Buy Like: The Button That Changed The World 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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Charlie Duffiled & Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump tariff mayhem rolls on and back at home steel is grabbing the headlines. What's going on now and how will these stories develop? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss all this and more in Start Your Week.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would you do if the world as we know it came to some sort of catastrophic end? Well, you'd be forgiven for not being prepared for it – but doomsday preppers across the globe think they are. To discuss the phenomenon of people bracing for armageddon, and the theories around why they do this, Jacob Jarvis is joined by the co-authors of Be Prepared: Doomsday Prepping in the United States, Robert E. Kirsch and Emily Ray.  Buy Be Prepared: Doomsday Prepping in the United States 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 https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis.. Audio editor: Simon Williams and Sara Farolfi. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The climate crisis is spiraling, Trump's back in the White House, and the headlines keep getting worse. It's easy to feel powerless. But what if the first step toward saving the planet is something you learned in primary school? In this episode of The Bunker, Zing Tsjeng sits down with Mike Berners-Lee, author of A Climate of Truth, who argues that radical honesty about what's happening, who's responsible, and what must change might just be our most powerful tool against the looming polycrisis.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Buy A Climate of Truth: Why We Need It and How To Get It through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is Donald Trump dismantling America's national security apparatus? And how dangerous will this be for the US and the world? The commander-in-chief recently dismissed six National Security Council staffers, reportedly at the request of right-wing influencer and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer.  Today in The Bunker, national security journalist Ben Makuch joins Jacob Jarvis to ask: Who is Laura Loomer, and why does she have the ear of the president? Plus, they unpack the global consequences of Trump's ongoing efforts to hollow out the United States' security infrastructure. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   https://www.patreon.com/c/bunkercast  Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen has been convicted of embezzlement and handed a five-year ban from running for office – a verdict she has promised to overturn. Could this be the end of the Le Pen political dynasty? Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Emile Chabal, professor of contemporary history at Edinburgh University, to explore the tale of money, ambition, and political survival. Could this be Le Pen's coup de grâce or lead to a political renaissance?  • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   https://www.patreon.com/c/bunkercast  Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio editors: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's tariffs have created turmoil and Starmer has declared “the world as we know it has gone”. So, if it truly is the end of “globalisation” – what does that mean for us now? Gavin Esler joins Ros Taylor to discuss the news to look out for in the week ahead.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liberation Day? More like Liquidation Day. Trump's malicious and ignorant tariff package has horrified the worlds of business and economics. What does it all mean? Did Britain really get off “lightly” as the Trump fanboys claim? Dmitry Grozoubinski – director of ExplainTrade and author of Why Politicians Lie About Trade – talks Andrew Harrison through the wrongheaded tactics, fantasy maths and tatty showmanship of what The Economist calls “the most profound, harmful and unnecessary economic error in the modern era.”  • Buy Why Politicians Lie About Trade 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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly 40 per cent of the world's dirty money flows through London, but what role have British institutions played in helping wealthy elites launder cash? Today on The Bunker, Tom Mayne, journalist and co-author of Indulging Kleptocracy: British Service Providers, Postcommunist Elites, and the Enabling of Corruption, joins Seth Thévoz to discuss how deregulation, weak enforcement, and the UK's libel laws have enabled corruption to thrive in the capital. Buy Indulging Kleptocracy: British Service Providers, Postcommunist Elites, and the Enabling of Corruption through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. https://bookshop.org/'s fees help support independent bookshops too. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Charlie Duffield and Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The generation born after the War? They hoarded all the wealth and now they're hoarding the political power. Millennials? Lazy, self-absorbed, could afford a house if they cancelled Netflix. Generation X? Nobody cares. These are the clichés – but are they really true? Bobby Duffy, KCL Professor of Public Policy and author of The Generation Divide: Why We Can't Agree and Why We Should, tells Alex von Tunzelmann why both the avocado/Netflix Millennial AND the selfish Boomer caricatures are wrong… what really shapes the identities of generations… why we must fix the huge problem that we're separating the generations more than ever… and the truth about the impending “Great Wealth Transfer”.  • Buy The Generation Divide 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. • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production by Simon Williams and Charlie Duffiield. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thought that Trump's bizarre threat to annex Canada as the “cherished 51st state” was just another spur-of-the-moment brainfart? In Canada they're taking it deadly seriously – and America's global bully act is reshaping Canadian politics. John Michael McGrath of Ontario politics podcast On Poli joins us to explain how Trump has made Canadians more patriotic, the challenge facing new premier Mark Carney, whether an actual shooting war could erupt… and the true meaning of “Elbows up”.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump's trade war continues with Starmer desperately seeking to keep Britain out of it as much as possible. What's going to happen next? Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss this and more as they look at the week ahead in news.    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices