The Bunker – News without the nonsense

If there’s one symbol of the COVID fight it’s the face mask – but do we understand the consequences of a masked society? Professor Graham Martin, Director of Research at the Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute, tells Ros Taylor why the issue of masks isn’t as clear-cut as we think, why the social dynamic of masks is so important, and how we can improve the quality of debate surrounding COVID-19. “Science is about debate – it’s about disagreement.” “What we’re seeing now is science under the spotlight” “It’s not so much scientific debate that breeds conspiracy theories, but any effort to suppress debate” “If you see anyone who isn’t wearing a mask, don’t assume they’re doing it out of bloody-mindedness” “I would say to anyone, if you can wear a mask, do so” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don’t mask, don’t tell. Will Trump’s bizarre bout with COVID make, break or fatally contaminate the US presidential race? The directors of a shocking new documentary People You May Know join us to explain how US churches used Cambridge Analytica-related data targeting to reach and radicalise vulnerable people – and they reveal the people who want to use this tech to literally rewrite the US constitution. Plus, tips on surviving Lockdown II, guaranteed banana-bread free. “With 300 data points, a data modeller can predict your behaviour better than your spouse.” – Charles Kriel “Using Excel to manage a pandemic is like trying to make Toy Story 5 using PowerPoint.” – Alex Andreou “You find the person who’s suffering the most and you tell them there’s a place for them in your politics.” – Charles Kriel “He’s trying to inject positivity at a time when there isn’t really any.” - Yasmeen Serhan You can stream People You May Know on Sundance Now via Amazon – free 7-day trial. Presented by Ros Taylor with Yasmeen Serhan and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 How did evidence-based science end up playing second fiddle to demagoguery and populism? And what can we do about it? Prof Luke O’Neill, professor of biochemistry and COVID immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, has written a book with the admirably direct title Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Science. He tells Justin Quirk why we need to fight a rearguard action for science’s primacy in politics, the dirty history of antiscience agitation, and why COVID could be the best thing in decades for the march of reason. “Science should never be an opinion. It should be a conclusion.” “Once the data becomes a roar, you can’t ignore it.” Presented by Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As promised, here's our new thing! What’s coming up this week? IAN DUNT tells us what to watch out for as Conservative Conference ends in a welter of COVID incompetency news, Priti Patel gets nastier, and Matt Hancock prepares to face the music in Parliament. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uncovering the personal stories of people who died from COVID-19, Sirin Kale’s Guardian series Lost To The Virus has become one of the most moving reporting feats of the year. She tells Dorian Lynskey about the truth behind the biggest human story of our generation, the special challenges of reporting at a distance, why the “carnage” in our care homes still isn’t understood, and why so many COVID deaths were avoidable. “I hadn’t expected just how callous some decision-making from central government could be.” “A clear decision was made that some lives were worth saving and some weren’t.” “The only way you can make sense of the pandemic is through the individual” “I get to tell these stories with the depth and humanity that they deserve.” “111 is going to be one of the scandals of this pandemic. It was nakedly obvious that it was not fit for purpose.” “I hope there won’t be a need for Lost To The Virus part 2 – but I’m not optimistic” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arbitrary Coronavirus regulations and the Government’s brinkmanship over international law are putting the justice system under unprecedented strain. Criminal barrister JOANNA HARDY tells Nina Schick about the impact of COVID on our justice system, the future of the judiciary in a post-pandemic world, and what breaking international law would mean for Britain’s standing on the global stage. “It’s a very interesting time to be a lawyer, but perhaps not the best time” “For the justice system, coronavirus has been a spotlight rather than a dam breaking” “Coronavirus has exposed how out-of-date our court system is with technology” “It damages Britain’s standing, it damages our ability to criticise other countries and it damages this Government” “The first role of a government must be to keep order and a sense of justice” Presented by Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As The New York Times exposes Donald Trump’s microscopic tax returns, will the revelations have any impact on November’s election? With barmy conspiracy theory QAnon making inroads into the UK, will Britain have to get used to a future of totally irrational politics? And if University has been reduced to a distance learning battery farm, will 2020 warp the very notion of youth itself out of shape? “If you’re a part-time childminder, you paid more tax than the President.” – Justin Quirk “America is culturally very hard on losers.” – Justin Quirk “If you hate Trump, this’ll make you hate him more. If you love him, you’ll justify it.” – Ayesha Hazarika “If you’re looking for normality, a theory of massive paedophile ring is a strange place to look…” – Dorian Lynskey on QAnon Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ayesha Hazarika, Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although it’s over 50 years since most colonies achieved their independence from Britain, on these shores we still seem to living in the shadows of the Empire. Dr SAMIR PURI, author of ’The Great Imperial Hangover: How Empires Have Shaped the World’ talks to Arthur Snell about why Britain is so obsessed with its imperial past, what the ‘Anglosphere’ is, and whether the EU is the modern day empire."For all the talk of globalisation, it's what we inherit from our immediate past that still has the greatest traction in setting us in motion.""Arguing for and against the benefits of empire is a circle that cannot be squared""The imperial age is over, but its influence hangs over us, and sometimes threatens to darken our future"Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain might enjoy a (worsening) love-hate relationship with Germany but the UK still can’t understand why they’re so much better than us in industry, political debate and social cohesion. Former BBC, FT and Telegraph reporter JOHN KAMPFNER’s new book is entitled Why The Germans Do It Better: Notes From A Grown-Up Country. He talks to Andrew Harrison about the German political miracle, life after Merkel… and whether Britain will ever get over winning the War.  Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whatever else they argue about, most politicians agree on one thing: competition just makes everything better. But does it? In her new book Competition is Killing Us: How Big Business is Harming Our Society and Planet, Michelle Meagher describes why she quit a job as a market regulator – literally promoting competition – to argue that companies should be made to stop offloading their costs on society, give up obsessing over shareholder value, and make capitalism work for people and the planet. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices