The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Who’s up for some philosophy? COVID is shaping up as a crucible for the very idea of freedom – and an ultimate test for populism and libertarianism. Ian Dunt talks to TOBY BUCKLE of the Political Philosophy Podcast about what freedom means, who owns it, what the lockdown is doing to international notions of liberty, and whether Boris Johnson is, if possible, even worse than Trump. “Look at the evidence. Don’t look at your intuition. What seems obvious to you won’t be obvious to someone from another part of the country.” “Politics isn’t about policies. It’s about disagreements about the meaning of words.” Presented by Ian Dunt. 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

How is the Great Home Schooling Experiment going? Is distance learning exposing the holes in Conservative eduction policy – and the gulf between wealthy pupils and state students without laptops and iPads? Do we need to stop treating schools as a national childcare service? And will we see the end of traditional summer holidays? Education journalist LAURA MCINERNY who runs Teacher Tapp talks to Dorian Lynskey about the ongoing class struggle.  “Nine in ten vulnerable children are now NOT at school.” “Those in the poorest areas are reporting that their children are doing the least and have the least resources.”  “Motivation is a massive issue. If something you’ve spent five years working towards is taken away, you might just think ‘I’m never going to work for anything again’.”  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

Britain’s COVID response is now officially the worst in Europe – yet somehow Boris Johnson is getting away it. How? Plus: The NHS triumphant. Health policy expert Roy Lilley on how the service must change after the Corona ordeal. And what have we learned on our enforced retreat into inner space? Gavin Esler and Ayesha Hazarika join Andrew Harrison for this week’s full-length BUNKER.“Everyone’s an epidemiologist nowadays.” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork 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

After an economic shock that’s unique in human history, how can we rebuild Britain’s businesses and public finances? How are we going to pay off a national debt unseen outside of wartime? Ian Mulheirn, Chief Economist of Renewing the Centre at the Tony Blair Institute, tells Naomi Smith about the hard choices ahead in a world without rules.  “This is the first time ever that governments have actively decided to switch the economy off.”  “We won’t be as worried about paying this debt off as we might have been in the past. We’ll just have to live with it.”  “This is what the State is for. It’s for safeguarding livelihoods and lives in times of crisis.”  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

Donald Tusk is telling Poles to boycott their presidential elections out of “basic human decency”. Is Poland’s ruling Law And Justice using COVID to intensify its anti-liberal direction? How are ordinary Poles coping with Corona? And could Law And Justice really get Poland expelled from the EU even though Poles are the most pro-EU people in Europe? Sociologist ROCH DUNIN-WĄSOWICZ of the LSE explains the crisis in democracy in the EU’s seventh-largest country.  “If the Presidential elections were to take place they would not fulfil the democratic conditions of being free, open and transparent.” “This amounts to the complete control of the judiciary by the executive.” “In Poland the UK is being showcased as Europe’s worst case of handling COVID. And that makes the Polish community in the UK worried.” “A lot of promises were made to Britain’s Polish community, and those promises were broken.” 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

Zoom fatigue, virtual pubs, the Baby Johnson… Standup comic and comedy writer ATHENA KUGBLENU purges all her lockdown neuroses while Ian Dunt hides behind the microphone. Is Captain Tom being politicised? Why do we have to see everything through the prism of the Second World War? And why do we still treat posh upper class white guys with such respect?  “A lot of stuff is going on under our noses while we’re all, y’know, juggling for the NHS.”  “Congratulations to Boris Johnson, babies are wonderful… but he’s a politician who’s come back to work. So he’s fair game.”  “I wouldn’t have put it has Boris Johnson to time this kid so he got an extended Easter break.” Presented by Ian Dunt. 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

The lockdown is impacting everyone differently but it’s hitting people with pre-existing mental health issues especially hard. Demand for help with depression and anxiety are up by 30% worldwide, and the impending once-in-a-century recession is likely to make it worse. Will Higham of the charity Rethink Mental Illness talks to Naomi Smith about the post-COVID crisis in mental wellbeing – and how it affects young people especially. Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork 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

As Boris Johnson returns to work, will we see a chastened lockdown hawk or will he revert to his laissez-faire instincts? With trust in journalists plummeting, who decided that it’s the media’s job to ask “helpful questions” of government? Plus Conservative MP Robert Largan joins us to discuss whether infrastructure is the silver bullet to fix the Corona-hit economy.“We are watching unprecedented deaths… To talk about ‘success’ right now is obscene.” – Ian DuntPresented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Script and assistant production by Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickenson. Logo and artwork 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

Put that sourdough starter away… Lockdown is the perfect opportunity to enrich the soul by discovering the mystery and magic of gardening. Superstar ethnobotanist JAMES WONG tells Alex Andreou how to start growing at home, and the hacks that can make it work for you. Why is being around stuff that’s growing so good for our mental wellbeing? What’s the gateway drug to horticulture? And which of the 400,000 plants on Planet Earth should you be planting right now? “We don’t know how or why gardening is so good for us. All we know is, it works.”  “We’ve got time on our hands now that we may never have again.” “Supergluing plants? Are you kidding me?” 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

Bleach! 5G! Bats! Why would anyone march with a banner that reads “Sacrifice the Weak”? Is the political reaction to COVID really being influenced by conspiracy theory? And can a democracy function when many voters simply reject facts in favour of comforting delusion? Political psychologist STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY talks to debut presenter Justin Quirk about the irrational energies driving the Corona crisis.“Whenever people feel they’ve lost control they invariably resort to conspiracy theory.”“People take lies from a politician as a nudge and wink that they are on their side. That’s what happens with Trump.”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