The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Most people know who Keir Starmer is – but don’t know much about his character. Who is the Labour leader really? Tom Baldwin is a journalist, political adviser and author of the newly published Keir Starmer: The Biography. He’s spent time figuring out who the man who’s likely to become the next Prime Minister really is – and joins Ros Taylor in The Bunker to discuss what he’s learned.Buy Keir Starmer: The Biography 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.• “He’s complicated like Britain is… and I think the media have largely got him wrong.” – Tom Baldwin• “A lot of politicians like to pretend they like football to make them look normal… Starmer uses football as an anchor to pull him back to normalcy.” – Tom Baldwin• “In politics everyone wants to place you on an ideological spectrum and he doesn’t like that.” – Tom BaldwinSupport us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter | TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abbas Gallyamov wrote scripts for Vladimir Putin for 3 years from 2008. He describes Vladimir Putin in that time as ‘logical’ and ‘in control of his emotions’. Now, after Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine he says Putin is ‘erratic’ and unrecognisable. His opposition to Putin has reportedly landed him on the Kremlin’s wanted list. He joins Chris Jones from exile away from his motherland, to discuss how Putin has changed, his popularity and the upcoming March election.•”Back then he was totally different, he was absolutely logical and in full control of his emotions.” – Abbas Gallyamov.•”These polls are about the number of brave people that dare, in the current situation, to say they don’t trust Putin.” – Abbas Gallyamov.•”Who on Earth in Russia would answer ‘do you or do you not trust Putin?’ - it’s like opening the gates to hell.” – Abbas Gallyamov.www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written, presented and produced by Chris Jones. 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

The death of Alexei Navalny sent shockwaves across the world. Has Russia’s hope of a brighter future, beyond the reign of Putin, died alongside him? And will we ever know the full truth around his demise – or why it has happened now? To answer these questions and more, Dr. Jan Dollbaum, head of research group ‘Mobilisation and Representation in post-Soviet Eastern Europe’ at LMU Munich and co-author of Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future? speaks to Chris Jones in The Bunker. Buy Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's 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.• “The emotions that the Kremlin wants to create are hopelessness and despair. When people are angry with something, that anger can make them overcome their fear. But hopelessness keeps people individualised, and stops collective action.” – Dr. Jan Dollbaum• “Naming any sanctions against Russia as ’Navalny Sanctions’ sends the message that Navalny is an agent of the West, and Russian propaganda would rejoice in using that opportunity to make that clear to its population.”  – Dr. Jan Dollbaumwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Chris Jones. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

Lee Anderson has lost the whip – will any other horrid MPs follow this week? And there’s the by-election in Rochdale coming up, which will likely mean more bad news for Sunak. Plus, we discuss the latest from the  US presidential race, conflict in the Middle East and concerns over Putin’s actions. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to tee up the stories to look out for in the coming days, • “A dog whistle is only meant to be heard by people really tuned in, this is turning into a foghorn.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. 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

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began two years ago. Hundreds of thousands have died and more will follow. What is the state of the conflict right now? How has Russia altered global stability, and is Western support for Ukraine wavering? Gavin Esler is joined by Michael Kimmage formerly of the US State Department, now a professor of history at the Catholic University of America and author of Collisions - The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability.Buy Collisions - The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability 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.• “Putin overestimated the capability of the Russian military.” – Michael Kimmage.• “I think NATO, while interesting and important, is a bit of a red herring.” – Michael Kimmage• “There's really no structure or set of powers that can iron this out.” – Michael Kimmage.www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. 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

America’s presidents have generally been straight, white, old men. Barack Obama bucked that trend, but the United States is yet to have a woman or a queer person in the White House. In today’s Bunker, Alex Andreou asks Harvard professor, award-winning activist and author of the influential A Queer History of the United States Michael Bronski if the US is, or when it might be, ready for an LGBTQ+ president. • “While Pete Buttigieg may break glass ceilings, there may also be backlash against that, in the same way that there was a decade long backlash from the Republicans against Obama getting elected with the ultimate punishment being Trump.” - Michael Bronski• “We’re at a point in American popular culture where Ru Paul’s Drag Race is one of the most popular tv shows, and we have multiple movies about trans and non-binary people. So Americans can accept this as a part of popular culture, and simultaneously there’s a political backlash." - Michael BronskiSupport us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by: 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

It’s a massive election year, with billions voting worldwide. But will those casting votes do so logically? Has voter psychology changed in recent years? And what can be learned from it? To find out, Jacob Jarvis talks to Dr Sandra Obradovic, associate researcher at the Electoral Psychology Observatory to find out. • “Some see voting as something that upholds democracy and connects you with society at large. It is not an individual activity, it’s one that makes you a citizen.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic• “We’re moving away from this ‘rational actor’ assumption and acknowledging that reasoning and emotions interlink in the context of politics.” – Dr Sandra Obradovic• “We’re much more distrusting of politicians and political institutions, even within our own camps.” – Dr Sandra Obradovicwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Podmasters managing editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After decades of unprecedented economic growth China’s rise seems to be slowing down. Has the nation’s power reached its peak? What would this mean for the country, and for the rest of the world? Alex Andreou asks Michael Beckley, associate professor of political science at Tufts University and author of Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower, in The Bunker.  • “The U.S. has the power to shape the international system in ways that China can’t match.” – Michael Beckley• “The failure of China’s zero COVID policy is emblematic of a bigger issue” – Michael Beckley• “China is at risk of a deflation debt cycle. It’s a fundamentally broken economic model.” – Michael Beckleywww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. 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

The killing of Putin’s high profile rival, Alexei Navalny, has sparked outrage. Will this convince the UK and US to step up their support for Ukraine? Rishi Sunak faces the fallout of his most recent by-election losses – how is he clinging on? Across the pond – Liz Truss will be making an appearance at CPAC, as if Americans didn’t have enough to deal with already. Finally we have the latest on the Israel/Hamas conflict as Netenyahu prepares a ground offensive in Rafah. • "We have politicians in this country like Nigel Farage who say that they admire Vladimir Putin. Why?" – Gavin Esler • “What kind of person would pay money to listen to Liz Truss?” – Gavin Esler• "Appointing David Cameron as Foreign Secretary has been one of the best things that Rishi Sunak has done."– Gavin EslerSupport us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. 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

Biden’s economic and immigration policies are under relentless fire from Trump and Republicans, and his approval ratings are dire – but when you look at the facts, is he really doing so badly? And what does he need to do to convince the American public to re-elect him? Gavin Esler finds out from Molly Jong-Fast,  special correspondent for Vanity Fair and host of the Fast Politics podcast.Listen to Fast Politics podcast: https://fastpoliticspod.com/ • “As much as there’s so much talk about Biden's age, Biden got the last nomination BECAUSE he was old.” – Molly Jong-Fast• “American political life is so demented and deranged.” – Molly Jong-Fast• “Why are we talking about immigration? Because the economy has gotten much better … the Republicans have shifted the narrative.” – Molly Jong-Fastwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: . 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