Podcast appearances and mentions of robin leeburn

Reform UK just pulled off the sequel to the Jackie Weaver Handforth Parish Council Zoom meeting, and it's excellent. The leaked Zoom meeting from Reform's flagship Kent County Council shows things aren't perhaps going as well for Nigel Farage's party/business as he may have hoped. Is Reform having a bit of a wobble? Plus, is social media brainrot ruining British politics? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, things are going from very bad to a lot worse for Prince Andrew. How did we get here, and how much worse can it really get for the British Royal Family?  ESCAPE ROUTES:   • Jason recommends Slow Horses ⁠   • Zöe recommends the podcast On Being • Marie recommends the game HollowKnight: Silksong AND the Eva Helene Pade exhibition at London's Ely House.   • Seth recommends Journey To The Far Side of The Sun If you want to find out more about Energise Africa and register as an investor, visit energiseafrica.com/ogwn Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow    Presented by Seth Thévoz with Zöe Grünewald, Marie Le Conte and Jason Hazeley  Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.    www.podmasters.co.uk     ENDS  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rise of right-wing populism has changed politics across the world.  From the proliferation of CPAC conferences across the globe to attacks on institutions and political rivals, does a populist playbook pose a threat to democracy? And how can we resist the rise to power of authoritarian leaders worldwide? In today's episode, Gavin Esler is joined by Catherine Fieschi, fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University in Florence. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This summer, Britain's streets have boiled with right-wing anger. From flag debates to ‘patriotic' rallies, the far right is trying to turn frustration into a movement. But it's not the first time the far right has tried to muscle its way into British politics. Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Dr. Aaron Edwards, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Leicester, to explore how Britain's far right past is shaping its turbulent present, and why this time things could end very differently.  Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Gavin Esler. 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

Cyber attacks are on the rise and the threats impact us all. Which countries are leading these moves and how can we combat them? Britain's National Cyber Security Centre says that the UK faced four ‘nationally significant' attacks a week on average in the past year. It adds that China poses a "capable" cyber threat, "targeting a wide range of sectors and institutions across the globe', and highlights the activities of Russia, Iran and North Korea. In today's episode Gavin Esler talks to James Sullivan, Director of Cyber and Tech at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute to discuss scale and nature of cyber attacks, and assess how governments can respond. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia once claimed to lead the world in women's equality. But today, it's a nation where traditional gender roles and conservative values define public life. What happened to that revolutionary promise and what does it say about how power really works in modern Russia? Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Julia Ioffe, author of Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy, about what the lives of Russian women can tell us about the country's past and its future under Putin.  Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • 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  Buy Julia's book Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy through our affiliate bookshop and you'll be helping the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. 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

Following the Labour conference, Shabana Mahmood has emerged as one of the party's breakout stars. Some even think the Home Secretary's confident performance has put her in the conversation as a potential future leader. Today in The Bunker, Zoë Grünewald is joined by Rajeev Syal, home affairs editor at The Guardian, to unpack Mahmood's rapid rise and what her ascent tells us about the future of Starmer's government. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. 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 want to bring in digital I.D. and many people do NOT like it. Are they right? Are they wrong? And what is the “Lethal Trifecta” that makes the plan so risky? Hannah Fearn is very opposed to digital I.D. on civil liberties grounds. Jonn Elledge thinks it's not that big a deal. Special guest Alex Hern – The Economist's correspondent on A.I. – has the inside tech perspective. And Matt Green tries to keep order. Intrusion into privacy or a well-managed public version of something we all consented to years ago? “What this is really about nationalising I.D.,” says Alex, “because the Tories privatised it.” ESCAPE ROUTES  • Hannah recommends How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) on BBC iPlayer.  • Jonn is looking forward to Celebrity Traitors. • Alex Hern recommends The Diamond Age by Neil Stephenson (and Andrew Harrison heartily agrees).  • Matt has been watching Hacks Season 4 on Sky. Buy The Diamond Age through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Head to ⁠nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow⁠ to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Matt Green with Jonn Elledge and Hannah Fearn. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China is stepping up to fill the space America is leaving behind. As Washington turns inward and Donald Trump rails against “globalist institutions” like the UN, Beijing is moving fast to shape a new world order: one built around its own power and priorities. Xi Jinping is rallying allies like Putin and Modi to his side. It's a far cry from the optimism of the 1990s, but as a global power vacuum emerges, China looks ready to step up to the plate. Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Jeffrey Prescott, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN agencies in Rome and visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to find out what a century of Chinese influence could look like across the globe. Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Gavin Esler. 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

The Tory Party looks fatally damaged. Who hijacked the corpse at their conference in Manchester – Reform or Robert Jenrick? Josh Glancy of The Sunday Times was there and he explains whether there's any life in the old party yet. Plus, the horrific killings at a Manchester synagogue left many British Jews saying they feel unsafe in their own country. We look at the complex and emotive issues of fighting antisemitism while preserving the right to protest against Netanyahu's war on Gaza. And in the Extra Bit, we look at the Tech Bro nightmare of “996”. Could you work 9am-9pm six days a week? ESCAPE ROUTES  • Marie has set up her very own affordable art salon called The Outsiders' Arts Club. • Jonn loved Juniper Blood at the Donmar – keep an eye out in case it's on near you.  • Josh Glancy recommends Blue Lights on the BBC iPlayer.   • Andrew went to see Edwyn Collins live in London. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Jonn Elledge and Marie le Conte. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thought viceroys and colonial administrators were a thing of the past? Tony Blair is being lined up to run the “Board of Peace” for a reconstruction authority for post-conflict Gaza and observers are agog. Historian and Bunker regular Alex von Tunzelmann takes us on a tour of the inglorious history of viceregal rule. Where did the role come from? Was it ever a particularly efficient way to run a country you probably shouldn't have been in anyway? And what cautionary tales should Blair learn from cases as diverse as the Raj, post-Saddam Iraq and Paddy Ashdown's control of Bosnia?  • Buy Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex von Tunzelmann 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. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Art by Jim Parrett. 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

A US-led peace plan has brought renewed hopes that an end to the conflict in Gaza may be in sight. But as talks in Cairo continue over the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and disarmament of Hamas, what are the prospects for a lasting peace settlement? Gavin Esler discusses the latest with Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for The Economist. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vladimir Putin has ordered 135,000 new conscripts into the Russian military this autumn, just months after another 160,000 were called up. Officially, these recruits aren't supposed to serve in Ukraine but as the war drags into its third year, it's getting harder for Russia to fill the ranks. Today in The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor of Government at the University of Essex, to find out how long can Russia sustain a war that's quietly draining its people, its economy, and its future? Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Gavin Esler. 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

It's Tory conference and Kemi Badenoch is talking about leaving the ECHR and having ICE style crackdowns here in Britain. Will any of this cut through? Plus, we look at other domestic issues and check in on conflicts across the globe with Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis.  Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included.   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: 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's conference speech is getting heaps of praise after he finally went hard against Farage. But has he done enough to show he's in control, or is the Labour messaging still all over the place? Plus, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, isn't going away. He says he wants the UK to rejoin the EU, but do they want us? And does Labour even want him!? And in the Extra Bit for Patreon backers, the panel takes a look at the politicians who are the most popular with the UK's young people right now, according to the polls, anyway. ESCAPE ROUTES • Jonn is watching House of Guinness on Netflix.  • Hannah watched the 1961 documentary Barbara Hepworth on iPlayer. • Seth watched the documentary Hollywood by Kevin Brownlow. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It's risk- free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Seth Thévoz with Hannah Fearn, Jonn Elledge and Jason Hazeley. Audio Production by: Tom Taylor and Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Margaret Atwood to Alan Moore, from 1984 to Andor, science fiction has gamed out totalitarian futures better than most political analysts. But does it have the answers to stopping the rise of fascism? Writer, critic and host of a fascinating online science fiction community Damien Walter discusses the lessons of future oligarchs, space tyrants and cosmic populism with Andrew Harrison. Which sci-fi dictator does Donald Trump most resemble? Are V For Vendetta and Judge Dredd warnings or instruction manuals? And if Andor is Marxist-Leninist, is the Star Wars story of restoring a genetic elite of magic knights actually fascist?  • Watch Damien's brilliant explorations of science fiction on YouTube and hear his Science Fiction podcast.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Art by Jim Parrett. 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 foreign policy means the United States is leaving a vacuum in world affairs – and China looks increasingly willing to fill it.   Following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last month, what is the real nature of Xi Jinping and China's expanding but complex international relationships, including those with Narendra Modi in India and Vladimir Putin in Russia? In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill, Gavin Esler talks to Elizabeth Wishnick, expert on Chinese-Russian relations and senior research scholar at Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute, and Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, host of the Global India podcast and author of the book Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations during the Cold War.”  • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 2010s Putin's Russia was quick to realise the potential of disinformation to undermine its enemies in the West. A complex ecosystem including now-banned propaganda TV station RT and troll factories like the Internet Research Agency used social media to sow distrust, spread fake news, distort elections and encourage a cynical culture of politicised snark. But according to Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, co-author of Russia, Disinformation and the Liberal Order: RT as Populist Pariah, Russia's information polluters aren't as effective as we might think. “The broader problem is the sickness of our media environment,” she tells Alex von Tunzelmann – and the remedy is in our own hands.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Art by Jim Parrett. 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

Keir Starmer says his compulsory digital I.D. card will fight illegal migration and make everyday life simpler. But 2.4 million furious people have signed a petition against it, and everyone from civil liberties campaigners to Nigel Farage, Zarah Sultana and Northern Ireland's political parties say it's a threat to privacy and a hacking disaster waiting to happen. Can a digital I.D. system ever be secure? Will it work? Are objections pointless when we voluntarily give our data to tech giants every day? And do we have to call it the “BritCard”? Criminologist Dr Tim Holmes of Bangor University talks Andrew Harrison through a massive culture change for Britain – and a massive gamble for Labour.  • Support us on Patreon for early episodes and more. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to claim your offer from our sponsor Naked Wines. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to indeed.com/bunker to get your £100 sponsored credit. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Produced by Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Art by Jim Parrett. 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 ghost of Enoch Powell punches the air as Farage announces jaw-dropping plans for mass deportations and tearing up Indefinite Leave to Remain, claiming it will save Britain over £230bn (it won't). Is Reform succumbing to the gravitational pull of the far-far-far right or just showing its true, cruel face? And does Labour's feeble response that “this plan won't work” just accept the premise of a hateful piece of self-harm? Plus, Trump's Tariffs: how they started and how they're going, with international trade expert and friend of the pod Dmitry Grozoubinski. And in the Extra Bit, what was the exciting new tech innovation that made you say “OK that's enough exciting new tech innovations, thanks”? • See Matt Green on his Legitimate Concerns tour, beginning on 17 October.  • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Matt recommends The Girlfriend on Amazon Prime.  • Marie watched the whole of Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and seems to want a medal for it. And Modern Family too.  • Dmitry has been rewatching the Australian political satire Utopia which you can see on Apple TV+.  • Ros (mostly) recommends The Hack on ITV.  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Marie le Conte and Matt Green. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a dramatic shift over the war in Ukraine, Trump took to Truth Social this week to declare his belief that Ukraine can win back its territories.  Will Trump's change in stance last, and will the shift in rhetoric lead to a change in policy from the White House? To discuss a dramatic week at the UN General Assembly meeting and the latest from the front lines in Eastern Ukraine, Oz Katerji is joined in Kyiv by security analyst Jimmy Rushton. Read Jimmy Rushton's report on Ukraine's defence of its front lines in New Lines Magazine here. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Oz Katerji. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you look at the most recent polling data: Nigel Farage is on the rise, Keir Starmer is stumbling and the Conservatives are fading into irrelevance. Should we be worried? Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler is joined by Ben Walker, senior data journalist at The New Statesman and founder of Britain Elects, to crunch the numbers and ask what's next for British politics? Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.   Written and presented by Gavin Esler. 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

Political leaders are rewriting the rules of public debate and the media is in the firing line. This week, Jimmy Kimmel was briefly suspended after making seemingly innocuous remarks following Charlie Kirk's death, only to be swiftly reinstated. Meanwhile, Donald Trump isn't just undermining the press: he's destabilising the very institutions and principles of journalism in the process. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann speaks to Dr Ayala Panievsky, author of The New Censorship, about how the war on the media became one of the defining battles of our age. • 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  Buy Ayala's book New Censorship: How the War on the Media is Taking Us Down through our affiliate bookshop and you'll be helping the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more 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

In recent weeks we've seen right wing protestors and their figureheads take to the streets – often touting conspiracy theories with no basis in fact.  Increasingly these narratives are tipping into the mainstream, with GB News presenters key culprits in spreading this peculiar and damaging way of thinking. How did we get here? And is there any turning back? Writer and broadcaster Dr Matthew Sweet joins Alison Phillips to discuss. • 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 Alison Phillips. Produced by 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

Trump's economic policies have caused chaos globally and he's made it clear he's happy to use America's financial might against his enemies – or help his friends. But, when it comes to security, who is this actually helping?  In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill – we ask,how do tariffs and inflation in the US impact global security? Emma Beals is joined by Adam Posen, the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Read Adam Posen's Foreign Affairs article ‘The New Economic Geography' here. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Emma Beals. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

British politics is increasingly divided – but where are voters really going as they shift between parties? And how should Labour recalibrate their tactics? The Economist's Matthew Holehouse joins us to discuss the new ‘Battle for Britain'. Plus, the panel discusses the reaction to Charlie Kirk's death worldwide and how it might change politics. And in the extra bit for subscribers – political pets! Because we all need something fun to listen to don't we? Escape Routes  Rachel has been reading Terry Pratchett books: Jingo, Thud & The Truth  Zoe is watching The Real Housewives of London on Hayu Matthew is reading When The Clock Broke by John Ganz  Seth recommends the drama series Crown Court • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more  • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.   Written and presented by Seth Thevoz with Zoe Grunewald and Rachel Cunliffe. Audio production by Robin Leeburn and Tom Taylor. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.  www.podmasters.co.uk    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did Nepal's ‘Discord revolution' spark so quickly and bring in a new national leader chosen by online poll? On the 8th of September, a group of young Nepali gathered in Kathmandu to protest a social media ban they saw as a heavy-handed crackdown against an anti-corruption movement. A week later, the government has fallen, more than 70 people lie dead after protests were infiltrated by violent groups and the government responded with lethal force, and Nepal has a new Prime Minister, herself nominated via social media. In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill, Oz Katerji is joined from Kathmandu by journalist and academic Dinesh Kafle. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Oz Katerji. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China is challenging decades of US global dominance. With Xi Jinping forging alliances, launching international initiatives, and pushing for superpower status, is Beijing prepared to lead the world? Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler speaks to Professor Steve Tsang, director of SOAS's China Institute, on China's ambitions, America's unpredictability, and what it means for the future of the global order. • 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Gavin Esler. 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

Israel's targeting of Hamas in Qatar has further escalated the crisis in the Middle East, and follows Benjamin Netanyahu's evacuation order for Gaza City as Israeli forces prepare to send in occupying forces. Joining Gavin Esler to discuss the latest from the Middle East. and whether the Arab states in the region may play a part in defusing this endless conflict, is Emile Hokayem, Senior Fellow for Middle East Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.  • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reform UK kicked off party season in the weirdest way possible – will any of the other parties be able to overshadow them in the coming weeks? Perhaps not for singing and conspiracy theories, but hopefully in policy. The panel previews party conference season. Plus, we discuss who should be the next Labour deputy leader and in the extra bit dive into some dodgy Boris Johnson accusations.  • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon or ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Presented by Alison Phillips with Zoë Grünewald, Jason Hazeley and Hannah Fearn.  Audio Production by: Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NATO jets have scrambled to shoot down Russian drones after what Polish military command has called an ‘unprecedented violation' of its airspace.  As Europe reacts to Russian aggression crossing into NATO airspace and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk invokes Article 4 of the NATO treaty, Gavin Esler is joined for the latest from Warsaw by Ian Garner, assistant professor at the Center for Totalitarian Studies at the Pilecki Institute. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a special crossover edition with our partner podcast, This is Not a Drill. NATO jets have scrambled to shoot down Russian drones after what Polish military command has called an ‘unprecedented violation' of its airspace.   As Europe reacts to Russian aggression crossing into NATO airspace and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk invokes Article 4 of the NATO treaty, Gavin Esler is joined for the latest from Warsaw by Ian Garner, assistant professor at the Center for Totalitarian Studies at the Pilecki Institute.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more    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 and The Bunker are Podmasters productions.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over summer, Saint George's Cross flags have sprouted across Britain across lampposts, bridges, even painted onto roundabouts. Is this a wave of patriotism or simply a culture-war stunt to mark out who belongs and who doesn't? Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Jonn Elledge to find out what flags really mean today. • 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  Buy Jonn's book The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything and A History of the World in 47 Borders through our affiliate bookshop and you'll be helping the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. 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

The (former) Deputy Prime Minister resigns literally two minutes before we press “record”. Regulars Rafael Behr and Andrew Harrison plus special guest Steve Richards of the Rock'n'Roll Politics podcast rage at the brutal destruction of Angela Rayner and the uncontrolled power of the far-right press – and ask if there's any place for flawed humans or the working class in politics at all. Plus: As Steve publishes Tony Blair a razor-sharp analysis of Britain's last great Prime Minister, we look at the long reign of the leader they once called “Bambi” and ask whether Labour will ever get over it.  • Buy Tony Blair [through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Steve has been watching classic Michael Parkinson interviews on YouTube, especially this one with Peter Sellers.  • Raf has been playing folk-style live shows with a bit of blues with Theo Bard.  • Andrew recommends the scorching Swedish rock'n'roll of The Hives. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon or ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Angela Rayner's out. The resignation, which most of us saw coming, finally happened on a Friday afternoon. Was her position really untenable, or could she have toughed it out? Plus – what now and how does this leave Starmer's party? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Ros Taylor, to react to Rayner's decision and ask what it means for the future of the Labour government.   • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more   • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.    • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow⁠⁠. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!   Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Liam Tait. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.   www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Equality and Human Rights Commission new guidance on trans people's rights is coming up. What will this mean for trans people in the UK and how did we get here? Plus: Reshuffle fun! Will Zack Polanski's vow to never do a deal with Starmer be a gift to Reform? Labour succumbs to flags madness! And after a very special mid-show announcement we talk about how to keep yourself together when all about you is falling to pieces.  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Ros recommends Mix Tape on BBC iPlayer.  • Jonn has been reading No Second Changes by Morgan Jones and This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong by the Map Men.   • Marie recommends In Search Of Nomads by John Ure.  • Dorian recommends loads of new albums: CMAT, Wolf Alice and Wet Leg.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop, you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow⁠⁠. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Marie le Conte and Jonn Elledge. Audio production by Robin Leeburn and Tom Taylor. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As conflicts and tariff-led trade wars fracture an international order forged at the end of the Second World War, have we entered an era of great power competition?  Joining Oz Katerji today to discuss whether the rise to prominence of autocratic ‘strongman' leaders marks a new landscape of great power contest is Stacie Goddard, Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College.  • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Oz Katerji. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conspiracy theories used to be confined to fringe internet discussions and the guy you'd avoid in the pub. Now, thanks to figures like Donald Trump, they've gone mainstream. But where's the line between healthy scepticism and believing the Royal Family are lizard people? Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Daniel Jolley, social psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, to find out how the UK embraced conspiracy theories and what we can do to sort fact from fiction.  Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social  Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. 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

China is upping its pace in a race to dominate the world of technology. What will Beijing's quest mean for its rivalry with the US and how will it shape the future? Gavin Esler is joined by Dan Wang, author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, to discuss China's ambitions.   Buy Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund This is Not a Drill by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13277/9780241729175  • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill⁠ to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan.    • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this: https://www.patreon.com/thisisnotadrill     Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more    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.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside today's Russia, conspiracy theories like this aren't just fringe curiosities, they're mainstream. From TV talk shows to Putin himself, wild stories about stolen lands, shadowy Western plots, and circling enemies aren't dismissed; they're used to fuel Russia's war in Ukraine and position the country as a morally just state. Today in The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dr Ilya Yablokov, Lecturer in Digital Journalism and Disinformation at the University of Sheffield, to explain how the Russian state uses mass media to normalise conspiracy theories to the public. • 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more 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

One of the best-liked MPs in Westminster, Chris Bryant has led an incident-packed life as the title of his new autobiography A Life And A Half  proves. In a frank, astonishing, sometimes dark but also very funny interview he explains how he went from a painful childhood to becoming an Anglican priest to winning a very traditional South Wales seat as an out gay man. From early encounters with Boris Johnson to bizarre stories in Brussels, it's one of the most remarkable interviews we've done. “My mum looked after Shirley Bassey's wigs, which may explain my sexuality,” he tells Seth Thévoz and Marie le Conte.  • Don't forget you can watch full video on Spotify.  Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse which some listeners may find difficult. ESCAPE ROUTES  • Chris saw the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Edinburgh Festival.  • Marie recommends The Door by Magda Szabó. • Seth has been watching old episodes of Doctor Who with Tom Baker, some of which were good... ... and some of which weren't. When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop, you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Seth Thévoz and Marie Le Conte. Audio and video production by Chris Jones and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As details, claims and counter claims emerge after Trump's long-promised peace talks, Ukraine's future remains in the balance. In this special 100th of edition of This Is Not A Drill, Oz Katerji discusses a week of crucial diplomacy with Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's minister for foreign affairs from 2020 to 2024. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Oz Katerji. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robert Jenrick's hanging out with the far-right at the migrant hotel protests, the Express claims “tens of millions” of Britons want a full-blown revolution, and Alison Pearson is hoping for a military coup. Why are the former law-and-order right so desperate for political violence to erupt? Plus, will Sally Rooney's reign of terror ever end? As calls mount for her to be banned (somehow) or prosecuted (somehow) for backing Palestine Action, we ask if the proscription of the Gaza protest group could get any more absurd. And in the Extra Bit: Do the right-wing anti-academia mob have a point? Is university just not worth it for some people?  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Marie recommends Out of Sheer Rage by Geoff Dyer.  • Jonn recommends the Hamad Butt retrospective Apprehensions at the Whitechapel Gallery. • Dorian recommends people watching. Just go out for a walk. It's summer.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Marie le Conte and Jonn Elledge. Audio production by Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some say Donald Trump's ancestry ties him to Norse kings and even Rurik, founder of Russia's first dynasty. In recent weeks, Russian state media have pushed the idea that Trump's “Viking blood” explains his ruthless streak. But would the real Vikings have raised a flagon in his honour, or run him out of the fjord? Today on The Bunker, Chris Jones is joined by medieval historian Dr. Keith Ruiter, who specialises in the Viking age, to find out how the vikings would have dealt with a leader like 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Chris Jones. 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

The modern far right often play the underdogs, shaking fists at mysterious elites said to control our thoughts and culture. But much of their lexicon has already slipped into the mainstream. Phrases born on message boards now appear in newspapers, on TV, even in everyday chat. On today's Bunker, Dorian Lynskey talks to journalist Matt McManus, assistant professor at Spelman College and host of the Academic Edgelords podcast about the words and the warped worldview that the far right has smuggled into our 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  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. 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

After a frantic week of international diplomacy, where has the Trump-Putin summit left the prospect of an end to Russia's war on Ukraine? Following Trump's red carpet welcome for Putin in Alaska, European leaders scrambled to join Volodymyr Zelenskyy for further talks in Washington. With details still unclear on a host of negotiations, from land swaps to security guarantees, sanctions and even a potential meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, what's the state of play now? Oz Katerji is joined by Keir Giles, Russia expert at Chatham House and author, most recently of Who Will Defend Europe? - An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this: https://www.patreon.com/thisisnotadrill  Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Oz Katerji. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a special crossover edition from our partner podcast, This is Not a Drill, Oz Katerji is joined by Keir Giles, author and Russia expert at Chatham House, to discuss the fallout from Trump's meetings with Putin, Zelenskyy and a host of European leaders. After a frantic week of international diplomacy, what is the prospect of an end to Russia's war on Ukraine?    We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  • Support This is Not a Drill on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this: https://www.patreon.com/thisisnotadrill   • Support The Bunker on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more    Written and presented by Oz Katerji. 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 and the Bunker are Podmasters productions.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Trump's meeting with Putin, world leaders are scrambling to the White House for damage control. Zelenskyy will be joined by an A-list cast of European figureheads – what will they be pushing for? Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis discuss all this and more as they tee up the week ahead.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.     Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more www.patreon.com/bunkercast       Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. 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

Ed Davey's reborn Lib Dems are on a 100-year high with 72 MPs and a shot at becoming the conscience of progressive Britain. So why do Reform get all the coverage? He joins our regulars to talk about fighting Farage, Labour's travails, the war on cruelty in politics, why all those General Election surfing and bungee stunts worked, and what the Lib Dems can get done in Parliament. “We've been the best opposition,” he tells Alison Phillips, Matt Green and Hannah Fearn. Will they believe him…? • Get our exclusive ⁠NordVPN deal here⁠. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! ESCAPE ROUTES • Ed Davey recommends There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. • Hannah has been watching Black Doves on Netflix.  • Matt recommends Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.  • Alison recommends Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.  When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too.   • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Presented by Alison Phillips with Hannah Fearn and Matt Green. Audio production by Tom Taylor and Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The highly potent opioid fentanyl is a major cause of death in the US – and the global trade of the drug is also a cause of growing geopolitical division.  Trump has claimed tariffs on Mexico and Canada are targeting the supply of the drug; his China tariffs have complicated efforts to stem exports of the ingredients needed for its production, and fractures among cartels pushing fentanyl could well reshape underworld activity worldwide. In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill, Emma Beals discusses the global effects of the fentanyl trade with Vanda Felbab-Brown, director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. • 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 https://incogni.com/notadrill to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Emma Beals. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the hysteria around digital I.D. cards justified? Or should we simply realise this is the future and get on with it? Plus, how deep is the UK university crisis? Professor Glen O'Hara is a voice at the forefront of this issue and joins us to shed some light on the dire situation. And in the Extra Bit for Subscribers, the Channel 4 documentary 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story has created a media storm about sex, morality and censorship. Why have one woman's actions caused such angst? Escape Routes: • Rachel went to A Midsummer Night's Dream at Bridge Theatre  • Glen watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps (other cinemas are available) • Jonn went to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition  • Dorian watched Mix Tape on iPlayer www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal ⁠here⁠. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Jonn Elledge and Rachel Cunliffe. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices