The Bunker – News without the nonsense

As Republicans gather (virtually) to anoint the Great Helmsman, how will Trump’s warnings of an American apocalypse play outside his radicalised base? UCL Global Politics professor Brian Klaas and The Atlantic’s Yasmeen Serhan join us to decide who’s the weirdest and most worrying at the Trump Family Telethon. Plus, your package was left in a safe place! Has the pandemic ended consumerism as we know it? “The Democrats’ tactic seems to be, let Trump incinerate himself.”Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. 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

The COVID pandemic has given unscrupulous data traffickers the opportunity they needed to hoover up vast quantities of private patient data, with Government connivance – and often with Government funding. Investigative journalist Nafeez Ahmed tells Alex Andreou what is happening to our private information, and what we need to do to stop an information grab that the Government is concealing from us.  “We’re faced with a monolith of huge transnational power with access for the first time to private health data.” “You’re seeing tiny front companies with no track record getting contracts with responsibility for life and death.”  “This is a danger to our democracy and a danger to the NHS.” “At this point, being paranoid about what Dominic Cummings is doing with data is absolutely important.” “When the Government says data will remain private, how much confidence can we realistically have that it will be?” Presented by Alex Andreou. 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

Bullying and sexual harassment are a blight on Parliament – and Westminster has been slow to deal with it. Cofounder of Women in Westminster and campaigner on the winning Starmer and Sadiq Khan campaigns Tara Jane O’Reilly talks to Ian Dunt about the measures women have to take to stay safe in Westminster; and whether the new independent complaints procedure will make a positive difference. “When you call out sexual harassment in Westminster, you’re not just complaining about your boss. You’re complaining about the people who run the country.” “You’re expected to be grateful and feel lucky to be in Westminster at all. And that’s used to silence people.” “There are whisper networks where women talk to one another – but seldom does anything get done.” “Every party, including Labour, has been dismal about supporting women in politics.” “Do I think I’m burning down my future career by speaking out? Every single time.”  Presented by Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. 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

Why do we believe lies just because there’s a graph attached? How can we develop a sixth sense to detect statistical disinformation? Data scientist and University of Washington professor Jevin D West, co-author of Calling Bullsh*t: The Art Of Scepticism In A Data Driven World, talks to Ros Taylor about the warping of COVID statistics by selection bias… how our brains are built to fall victim to false correlation… Sigmund Freud on cocaine… and why sharing information as soon as you see it is like picking a sweet up of the street and eating it.  “It’s almost as if data falls from the skies and lands on our desk, and we can’t question it. But we can.” “If there’s a rule, it’s share less, think more.” “If I wanted to gauge the average height of the population I wouldn’t go to an NBA game. That’s selection bias.”  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

What should we watch out for in the impending confrontation between India and China, the world’s largest democracy and the world’s largest autocratic superpower? And how does Pakistan fit in? Prof GUY BURTON of Vesalius College in Brussels joins Arthur Snell to explain the sources of these tensions between the world’s two most populous countries, what leaders Xi and Modi want, why they’re ignoring the Europeans – and what post-colonialism means for the reality of 21st century power politics.Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. 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

A-Levelling down: can the Government just style out a total betrayal of hardworking strivers? And will Gavin Williamson stay unsacked before you finish this paragraph? Former MEP Caroline Voaden joins us to channel the rage of parents and teenagers everywhere. Plus: Will the shine go off the Chancellor as Sunakmania gives way to the Rishicession? And what are we going to eat when Hard Brexit strips the shelves of food? It’s the full-length panel edition of The Bunker.Presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith, Ahir Shah and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and branding by Mark Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. 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

The Government’s new planning ideas hand a huge advantage to developers, with no-question greenlights for permissions in new “growth” and “renewal” areas. Is this a real fix for the housing crisis or just another free market free-for-all? STEVE COLE of Clarion Group – the UK’s largest housing association and also a developer – tells Naomi Smith why our housing crisis is so entrenched, and why the Johnson-Jenrick plans could well mean fewer affordable houses are built. “People love a smoking gun – but this is a massively complex crisis that has been a generation in the making.” “Housing is one of the most unstable government departments. By the time someone gets their head around it, they usually leave office.”  Presented by Naomi Smith. 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

What makes comedy happen? Our most celebrated impressionist RORY BREMNER talks to Alex Andreou about how his ADHD drives his own work – plus tracking and tracing Boris Johnson’s offspring, how hard it is to pin down a take on today’s political mediocrities, Brexit, and of course the loss to COVID of his great friend and colleague Tim Brooke-Taylor. And yes, there WILL be impressions…  “Fire, bank crashes, plague… We’re living a box set life now and you wonder, Who is writing this?” “Johnson isn’t a leader, he’s a cheerleader. His skillset is bluster and bombast.”  Presented by Alex Andreou. 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

Job losses are surging, but the next wave of mass unemployment won’t be like the ones in the 80s, the 90s or the financial crisis of 2008. The Institute for Government’s GILES WILKES – economist and past special advisor to Vince Cable and Theresa May – tells Andrew Harrison why the old remedies for joblessness won’t work, how COVID has robbed the Government of room to manoeuvre, and what sort of industries might emerge from this once-in-a-century crisis. 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

Belarus is convulsed by pro-democracy demonstrations, the opposition leader has fled in fear and the EU is threatening to reimpose sanctions. Yet pig-farmer turned strongman Alexander Lukashenko shows no sign of relinquishing his 26-year grip on power. Professor Andrew Wilson of UCL, the author of Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship, talks to Dorian Lynskey about how Lukashenko rigs elections, the prospects for bringing real democracy to Belarus, and who’s keeping “Batka” in power.  “There’s YouTube video of someone shouting ‘Just swap the votes!’”  “Lukashenko was shocked by Putin’s attack on Crimea. Even dictators want to stay in power.” “Lukashenko hasn’t done anything clever. It’s just the police vs the demonstrators.” 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