The Bunker – News without the nonsense

The Conservative Party was once a unified force, able to steadily maintain power. But today’s Tories are in constant turmoil. How did they become the party of chaos? Since Brexit there’s been a revolving door of leaders, the rise of tribalism within the party and a series of humiliating byelection losses. Alex Andreou is joined by professor of politics at Queen Mary University Tim Bale to try and understand this shift in conservative politics.   • “Everything that top Tories say needs to be considered as part of their future leadership contest.” – Tim Bale • “Without Brexit, we wouldn't have seen the turmoil that we've seen over the last decade.”  – Tim Bale  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon. Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.  Instagram | Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prospect of a new Civil War in the United States is increasingly discussed as political turmoil rips through America. How could such a conflict actually break out? Rob Hutton is joined by The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future author Stephen Marche to discuss the terrifying new film Civil War – and how the reality could be even worse.   • “Civil wars when they come are the very worst things that can happen to a country. In England, the civil war demonstrated a level of brutality that is now unthinkable to us.” – Stephen Marche  • “It’s so dangerous right now, not because the people are inherently violent, but because for those people to get power, they need hatred to get them there.” – Stephen Marche  Buy The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon.    Written and presented by Rob Hutton. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Union Jack represents many things for many people, linked to historical pride – but also shame. And, unfortunately, it’s become somewhat synonymous with the political Right. So what is Labour’s relationship with the flag? Andrew Harrison asks The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party co-author Gerry Hassan if Labour can reclaim Britishness.   • “I don’t think anyone in the UK can be completely objective about the Union Jack. Flags are things we have emotional connections with. The Union Jack’s meaning has evolved over centuries.” – Gerry Hassan • “Lots of people say we have to either identify and feel pride in it, or loathe it – but it’s important we allow for a polarity of meanings.” – Gerry Hassan • “In our current age of culture wars, symbols really matter. And symbols like national flags are highly contested.” – Gerry Hassan • “Flags are part of who we are as human beings.” – Gerry Hassan   Buy The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  Support us on Patreon   Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak has lost another MP after Mark Menzies announced he’s leaving the Tories and won’t stand at the next election. What issues does this raise for the PM? Meanwhile, the Tory leader is set to head to Poland to discuss the Ukraine war with Donald Tusk. What will they talk about? Plus, will Israel go ahead with further strikes on Rafah? And can Donald Trump manage to stay awake during his hush money trial this week? Alex Andreou joins Ros Taylor to discuss the week ahead.   • “They were happy to comment on an ongoing investigation last week, life comes at you fast.” – Alex Andreou  • “The lack of any kind of compromise is part of the reason why the Lords have dug their heels in. The government has made absolutely no moves to meet them even 2% of the way, they’ve just flatly turned everything down.” – Alex Andreou • “The legislative process shouldn’t be one of trying to ram things through a House that dislikes them.” – Alex Andreou   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit  Support us on Patreon Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

We know what happened the last time Donald Trump lost – and Joe Biden wants to make sure he’s prepared for more shenanigans this time out. If Trump doesn’t win “he is willing to cheat and steal it,'' writes today’s guest Adam Rawnsley, reporter for Rolling Stone magazine. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss how President Biden is preparing for an electoral tussle with the GOP.• “The one message we keep seeing from the polls is that no one is excited for this race.” – Adam Rawnsley• “We have a uniquely dim system … the electoral college.” – Adam RawnsleyWe are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored creditwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vladimir Putin has a tight grip on information in Russia. How does he shape how his nation sees the rest of the world? And how does he actually perceive other countries? Chris Jones asks Dr. Ivan Grigoriev, lecturer in Russian politics at the King’s Russia Institute.   • “Propaganda in Russia is like a steamroller that keeps rolling over and over the population.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev • “Russia’s election went just how we thought it would: It was an 87% landslide election for Vladimir Putin. And the primary goal of this election was to show that if Putin wants 87%, he will get 87%.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev   We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit  Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

Paris is like Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. But it’s changing. Physically, through massive expansions in social housing and transport and a €40bn shot of investment, but also politically and psychologically. People are even smiling in the streets these days. Ros Taylor talks to Simon Kuper, Financial Times columnist and author of Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century, about how the French capital is transforming in the lead up to this year’s Olympics. • “One thing that globalisation does is it removes these weird localities – and in Paris, that locality was rudeness.” – Simon Kuper• “Paris is trying to become London with the bad bits left out.” - Simon Kuper Buy Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Political drama can be tedious but we can all enjoy watching a bitter rivalry unfold. What have been the greatest personal beefs in British politics? Before Starmer and Sunak there was Thatcher and Heath, Blair and Brown, Cameron and Johnson. Seth Thévoz talks Andrew Harrison through some of the ultimate Westminster head-to-heads.  • “When the personal overrides the principle, that’s when it becomes a problem. It’s a weak spot if you’re trying to bring down a person and not forward a cause.”  • “There are tales of Brown yelling at Blair, ‘You ruined my life!’”  We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit .Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

All eyes remain on the Middle East after Iran’s drone attacks on Israel. How will Netanyahu respond? And how are Britain and the US going to react? In the UK, Parliament returns – what is on the agenda? Plus, we look at other flashpoints across the globe – and round-up the rest of the domestic news. Alex Andreou and Hannah Fearn talk through the week ahead.   • “Perhaps it is a poor choice of timing for Iran, but it feels like a febrile time for the entire region.” – Hannah Fearn • “It feels like both sides are looking for a forever war.” – Alex Andreou • “The attack crystallised the partnership between Israel, the US and the UK.” – Hannah Fearn We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Producer: Liam Tait. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump needs evangelical Christian voters to back him to stand a chance in November. But can his religious rhetoric and doubling down on his supposed love of all things Jesus really help him win? Philip Bump is a national columnist for The Washington Post and says that “Trump’s appeal to Christians is more limited than he suggests”. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss whether Trump’s Christian pandering will help him. • “There’s definitely a subset that believes that the hand of God came down and anointed Donald Trump.” – Philip Bump• “I don’t know if there’s anyone Trump could pick as his running mate to lose his support from evangelical Christians.” – Philip BumpWe are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored creditwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices