The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Terrorist activity is surging across Europe since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, and UK police are warning MPs that London is currently facing the “biggest convergence of threats we have seen for a very long time”. Could we be facing a new phase in intensified political terror? Peter Neumann, Professor of Security Studies at King's College London and author of The New World Disorder: How the West is Destroying Itself, explains the current state of play to Alex Andreou. • “Terror threats are multiplying to such an extent that the counterterrorism resources in this country might not be able to cope.” – Professor Peter Neumann • “We are seeing a meeting of generations – people who have been reactivated by October 7, and people for whom October 7 is their first radicalisation event – their 9/11.” - Professor Peter Neumann • “These people do not feel that they are the aggressors. They feel that they are defending their people by committing acts of terrorism.” - Professor Peter Neumann Buy Peter’s new book, The New World Disorder: How the West is Destroying Itself, 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.www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Alex Andreou. 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

The Covid Inquiry continues to throw out news lines with Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove appearing since our last round-up. If you’ve found it too hard to keep track, we’re here to catch you up. Alex Andreou is joined once again by Prof. Christina Pagel to explain some key moments.• “The attitude of ‘I know better’ is quite damaging to Sunak.” – Christina Pagel• “It’s not just that we’ve been led by donkeys. We’ve been led by donkeys who don’t give a shit.” – Christina PagelSupport us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michelle Mone has admitted to lying to the media over her links to a PPE firm. What fallout will happen next? Plus – Rishi Sunak continues to pander to backbenchers over immigration, what does the PM have to gain by embracing the right? Plus, calls mount for a prolonged pause in the Israel/Hamas conflict, will Netenyahu be strong-armed into another ceasefire? And finally we have the latest on reports of financial difficulties for Ukraine. “Michelle Mone didn’t just lie to the media, she tried to bury the story with the full force of her legal team.” – Alex Andreou “Far right and centre right politics are bleeding together in a significant way across Europe.” – Alex Andreou "Sunak gets tougher on something new every other week but it never shifts the public opinion on him." – Alex Andreou Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with 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

Donald Trump’s hold over rural voters is priceless to the Republican party. But how did this real life caricature of a wealthy businessman win them over? And has the divide between rural and urban voters ever been so big in America? Nicholas Jacobs is the co-author of The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America and joins Dorian Lynskey in The Bunker.“No republican candidate has done as well in rural America than Trump.” “The most distinctive feature of the rural voter is that they are distinct.” “Most rural people feel like the impressions of them are not realistic.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by: Chris Jones and Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Alex Rees. 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 internet has become a theatre of war, with lies and disinformation being radically weaponised. The UN has responded with a framework on how to fight such threats – But does it hold any real potential to win the battle for truth? Carl Miller co-founded the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos and joins Marie Le Conte in The Bunker. “There’s no single stakeholder that can possibly make decisions unilaterally about what the internet should be like.” – Carl Miller. “one of the most helpful things is to start talking about standards about how we make the actual mechanics of the platform less gameable.” – Carl Miller. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and Presented by Marie Le Conte. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard and Liam Tait. Audio production: Alex Rees. 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 the human cost of Russia’s war in Ukraine – with estimated fatalities reaching half a million. But what is the financial cost? Can Russia afford to continue this conflict – and for how long? Oxford Analytica senior Russia analyst and Eastern Advisory Group director Dr Richard Connelly speaks to Chris Jones in The Bunker. • “Before the war, the Russian economy had been through a decade of stagnation… it was not in great shape.” – Dr Richard Connelly• “A lot of Western sanctions have been designed to restrict the inflow of oil and gas revenues… But the Russian government has been resilient.” – Dr Richard Connelly• “If you look at the Budget, it’s a record amount of expenditure. They’ve never spent this much… What they’re saying politically, is that they are going up a gear with the war.” – Dr Richard Connellywww.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. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most extreme movements seem to have one thing in common: angry men. Do misogyny and radicalisation go hand-in-hand? Extreme Britain: Gender, Masculinity and Radicalisation author Dr Elizabeth Pearson discusses the mobilisation of masculinity with Marie Le Conte, drawing upon personal experiences with British extremist group leaders such as Anjem Choudary and Tommy Robinson. • “Men realise particular aspects of masculinity that get themselves esteem within their extremist groups.” - Dr Elizabeth Pearson • “The far right has traditionally not had women in publicly visible roles… the cultural norms of the radical right are not conducive to women’s participation.” – Dr Elizabeth Pearsonwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Marie Le Conte. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Rishi Sunak’s nightmare week as he faces the COVID Inquiry and his own restive MPs over Rwanda. How will the testy PM deal with a real grilling? And it will only take 28 Tory rebels to sink the Rwanda legislation. How will he handle that? Plus, Farage paints coming last in I’m A Celebrity as a win, the cruelty of the family income rules on migration, and flawed leasehold legislation. Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou set out the week ahead. • “Eat Out To Help Out is the most glaring example of the Government not following the science when claiming it did… They didn’t even ASK the science.”• “Sunak is good at prep but he gets tetchy and petulant when he’s questioned.”• “Labour doesn’t want to fight an election in migration. The Tory press want to move the debate there, and Labour is not taking the bait.”https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Ros Taylor. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Assistant producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump commands extreme support from evangelicals in America – despite seemingly lacking Christian values. How has this support developed and endured? Dr Seth Thévoz is joined by Tim Alberta, journalist and author of the book The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, to discuss.  “There is a caricature of the evangelical, flag waving Trump republican which isn’t always accurate.” – Tim Alberta “Evangelicals view Trump as the ultimate brawler. He can fight for them in ways that are not beholden to Christian virtues and heritage. It is a great irony.” – Tim Alberta https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and Presented by Seth Thévoz. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright. Audio Production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Artwork: James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite governments pushing to make people healthier, the junk food industry continues to thrive. How do the corporations in charge continue to thrive – and hold power the world over? Alex Andreou is joined in The Bunker by Eduardo J. Gómez, author of Junk Food Politics: How Beverage and Fast Food Industries Are Reshaping Emerging Economies, to find out. • “Junk food is an image of wealth which is very appealing to the upper-middle income class; having access to something that is popular in the global West is seen as a social status symbol.” - Eduardo J. Gómez • “These multinational corporations fear declining markets and sales in a lot of Western industrialised nations where more people are knowledgeable about how unhealthy these food products are.” – Eduardo J. Gómez www.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. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices