The Bunker – News without the nonsense

As Tory leadership hopefuls pledge tax cuts galore, we ask if this would make any sense. What impact would these moves have? What else could they do instead? Andrew Harrison speaks to Giles Wilkes, a senior fellow from the Institute for Government and former special adviser to Theresa May on industrial and economic policy.  “I suspect they’re hoping the Tory membership don’t have a memory of the 70s and 80s.”  “These people running for the leadership are thinking in a three month timescale.”  “It’s a terrible idea to pump money into the economy right now.”  https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we listen to the force of nature that is Lizzo and her brand new album Special. Will it top 2019’s storming Cuz I Love You? Plus OFFICE POLITICA  - film critic Linda Marric joins us to watch workplace drama The Good Boss movie with Javier Bardem directed by Fernando León de Aranoa. And BOO! We listen to Working Men’s Club’s second album Fear Fear. Plus we see Unstuck in Time, Curb Your Enthusiam director Robert Weide’s documentary about American literary icon Kurt Vonnegut. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064bPresented and produced by Siân Pattenden and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why have we been told there isn’t a magic money tree? And could such a thing actually exist? Alex Andreou discusses this question and unpacks modern monetary theory with L. Randall Wray, a senior scholar at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College who has authored several books on the subject.  “For a very long time we've had a view that finance is a scarce resource.” “What we have is this belief that the Government is just like a household and it could run out of money.”  “There appears to be no limit to the private financial sector’s ability to layer up more debt.”  “Politicians are scared to death of inflation… politically, it is a huge issue.”  “We argue we should focus on resource availability and the public purpose.”  “The economy decides what the deficit will be – it takes two to tango.”  https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BMW, Volkswagen, Allianz and Dr. Oetker are all household names – but how did these German businesses get to be so wealthy? The reality of collaboration, collusion, and the active championing of Hitler and the Nazi regime – during World War II, and beyond – by corporations remains “happily ignored”. So how have global powers let them get away with it? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to financial journalist David de Jong, author of author of Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthiest Dynasties.  “The businessmen that I write about pressured Jewish businessmen to sell assets far under their value or there would be more dire repercussions.” “The vast majority of Germany’s business community went through this very flawed legal process called de-Nazification. This saw millions of criminals get off scot-free for their crimes.” “There were farcical legal proceedings that saw Nazi war criminals exonerated.” “The allied thinking that they needed to have a financially West Germany also led to those businessmen keeping their assets.” “Most of the characters in my book are sheer opportunists.” “As we get further away from the atrocities of the Third Reich, this history is receding.” “As consumers the bare minimum we should expect from these families is that they’re transparent.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Tory leadership hopefuls try to outdo each other on culture war clout and tax cuts, we assess the would-be PMs. Plus, with Big Dog turning lame duck, the panel looks at what Johnson might do in Downing Street until he is ejected from the building. And as Conservatives set out their stalls, who’s won the battle of the launch video? “He wanted to be Churchillian and his tenure is one of the most embarrassingly short tenures.” – Ayesha Hazarika  “Penny Mordaunt’s pitch is that she’s very telegenic, was in the army and voted leave.” – Marie le Conte  “Grant Shapps’ entire pitch is ‘you will keep your jobs if you vote for me’.” – Ahir Shah https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Ayesha Hazarika and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the nation heats up, so too does the Conservative leadership race. There are 11 people in the running so far, what can we expect from them? Plus, the nation’s economic woes continue – we look at what more turmoil is to come. And, could we see record-breaking temperatures this week? Ros Taylor is joined by Naomi Smith to lay out the days ahead.  "If I’m not maniacally laughing at the farce of it, I’m just depressed.” – Naomi Smith “We’ve got Conservative leadership candidates all promising to cut taxes, so how are they going to fund their levelling up agenda?” – Naomi Smith  "New trade deals are not compensating at all for the trade that we’ve lost with the European Union.” – Naomi Smith  “I think we are running into a long hot summer of very hard times for families.” – Naomi Smith  "There are so many female candidates, and so many ethnic minority candidates, and yet everyone is right wing." – Ros Taylor  "Labour's never had a female leader, whilst the Conservative Party might have had three Prime Ministers." – Naomi Smith  "Whoever you want Penny Mordaunt to be, she can be." – Ros Taylor  "Tax cuts on certain groups have no impact on economic growth whatsoever." – Naomi Smith www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johnson’s going and his emphatic collapse in office was no less shameful than expected. But historically, just how abnormal was it? Jacob Jarvis speaks with Rock & Roll Politics host Steve Richards to discuss endgames of the past and where the latest Prime Minister’s ranks in the grand scheme of things – all recorded immediately in the aftermath of Johnson’s Thursday speech.   “Johnson wants to be a Churchillian figure. Instead he will go down as someone who blew a big majority, and he will hate that.” “When Johnson lost Javid and Sunak, I knew we were going to reach the end quite quickly.”  “When choosing a Prime Minister, you have to look beyond whether they can win an election.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THOR BLIMEY! We talk about Taika Waititi’s latest Marvel creation Thor: Love and Thunder, starring Chris Hemsworth. Techno titans Paul and Phil Hartnoll of Orbital join us to discuss their retro-future-spective album 30 Something, plus the latest from London indie trillsters Superorganism, World Wide Pop. And we watch Sky’s new parenthood horror series The Baby. Where’s the kid come from, what’s he doing, and why is disaster never far away?Hear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b“The Baby is right up our street. An evil baby killing people? That's funny.” – Orbital“Thor is the most metal Marvel movie yet.” – Andrew HarrisonPresented and produced by Alex Andreou and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hearings on the Jan 6th attacks have produced some of the most explosive testimony ever heard in Washington – and put Donald Trump in the frame for criminal activity. But what do they actually mean? And what will the fallout be? Dorian Lynskey talks to Julie Norman, co-director of UCL’s Centre on US Politics, about the latest revelations and their potential ramifications.  “We are seeing a person who was not acting in the best interests of the country on that day.”  “I think you’ll start hearing more the question of electability among Republicans.” “Most people who are watching this with an objective lens are actually quite impressed with what this committee has done.”  https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the world looks to alternative sources of energy, are we ready for the growth of nuclear power? Do we understand the risk that comes with atomic technology? Historian and author Serhii Plokhy joins Arthur Snell to discuss his new book Atoms and Ashes: From Bikini Atoll to Fukushima, which looks at six nuclear disasters that shook the world, and the lessons we can learn from them. “The history of nuclear disasters is very relevant to us today.” “Every nuclear accident produces a pause in the industry as people get scared.” “If we are not prepared to tolerate nuclear accidents then we have to look for alternative energy sources.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices