The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Tory sleaze rumbles on as opera becomes a new frontier in the Culture War and Chris Pincher MP lives down to his name. We unpack the current political turmoil and the latest class row between Raab and Rayner. Plus, the reversal of Roe v. Wade prompts women in the US to delete period tracker apps. What does it tell us about Big Health Data? And as the Fred Perry polo turns 70, we talk about the politics of clothes. Our guest this week is tech journalist and author of Social Warming, Charles Arthur. “I think it’s quite a safe bet to assume there will be another vote of confidence within a year of the last one.” – Marie Le Conte “Codes of class are so nuanced in Britain, but if you haven’t grown up here it probably makes no sense.” – Justin Quirk  “I don’t think the Tories have ever been the party of upward mobility.” – Charles Arthur  “Every office in the country has a woman like Angela Rayner in it, but in Westminster she stands out.” – Justin Quirk https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie Le Conte and Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tory sleaze is in focus yet again – how will Boris Johnson handle the backlash this week? Amid the Chris Pincher scandal, can Number 10’s line on the matter stand? Plus, on July 4, we look across to the United States and the latest political fallout there. And what action is needed to tackle the rise in COVID cases? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to lay out the week ahead.  "There are a lot of allegations of sexual misconduct involving Tory MPs." – Alex Andreou  "There is a deep desire on the part of Number 10 to say, ‘This matter has been settled.’” – Yasmeen Serhan "There are so many allegations facing the Conservative Party that you could start to think it was normal." – Yasmeen Serhan "The Supreme Court has historically been seen as an ahistoric institution, but no longer." – Yasmeen Serhan “You should brace yourself for running into COVID again." – Yasmeen Serhan  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan. 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

MPs are increasingly held in contempt by the public. How can Parliament improve its standing? Dr Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Government and author of Held in Contempt, joins Ros Taylor to discuss what’s wrong with the House of Commons, and how Westminster can repair its reputation in the wake of recent scandals. “It only dawned on me over the decade I worked there how Parliament wasn’t a normal workplace.” “There’s a small minority of MPs who don’t treat staff well, and there are no consequences for that.” “Most people don’t have much idea of the difference between Parliament and Government.” “The Prime Minister’s main job was to tell the country the rules, if he didn’t understand them he should’ve sorted that out.” “Society has changed a lot, but the Palace of Westminster hasn’t.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your pop-culture update: Russia hacks the UK in C4’s The Undeclared War. Does the drama bring the software to life? My Life As A Rolling Stone: new takes on Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie? And where’s Bill? Plus we talk to Lord Chancellor of chillout William Orbit, and V**gra Boys’ “brilliantly stupid” new album stands proud against cave-dwelling conspiracists. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b“It's terribly difficult to dramatise hacking and counterhacking…” – Sian Pattenden“Cave World is like being on motorway with all the traffic coming towards you.” – Sian PattendenPresented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Siân Pattenden. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Britain entering a new era of crisis? And what can we learn from the previous ones? Phil Tinline, author of The Death of Consensus: 100 Years of British Political Nightmares, talks to Dorian Lynskey about the previous occasions when Britain’s ruling consensus broke down, and if current turmoil will force us to change course once again. “When it comes to political futures, we always think of the worst-case scenarios.” “The nature of consensus is that it is a messy compromise.” “There are things Labour is now prepared to advocate because it has lost four general elections.” “In America there is such a consensus on support for Ukraine, perhaps more than most European countries.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Dorian Lynskey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rise of online clothes shopping has also led to the rise of the return. What actually happens to the items we send back? In the last year, 51% of British shoppers sent back items they purchased online - but these goods don’t always end up back on the shelves. Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Dana Thomas, European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, host of The Green Dream with Dana Thomas, and author of Fashionopolis, and Dr Mark Sumner, Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion at the University of Leeds. “Fast fashion is like fast food. We consume it quickly, then we're hungry for more.” - Dana Thomas “Most brands work hard to get clothes refurbished and back on sale.” - Mark Sumner  “Just because it's more expensive, doesn't mean it's more sustainable.” - Mark Sumner “I'm an advocate of fast fashion - which might seem perverse, as a sustainability lecturer.” - Mark Sumner “There is a whole generation of fashion brands that are strictly online.” – Dana Thomas “Luxury brands will try and retain exclusivity by burning stock, by throwing stock away, ensuring nobody can use those returns.” – Mark Sumner For more, listen to The Bunker Daily: Wild Wild Waste — How the West litters the world with Ruth Michaelson. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Fashionopolis-Price-Fashion-Future-Clothes/dp/1789546060  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does the fallout from last week’s by-elections show that Boris Johnson is losing touch with reality? Plus, the panel explore what the G7 Summit means for the conflict in Ukraine, how the Supreme Court ruling on abortion will affect American women, and why RMT leader Mick Lynch is the left’s latest pin-up. “The world's two oldest parliaments are in Iceland and the Isle of Man. Neither have anything to do with the Magna Carta.” - Arthur Snell “The whole property market is so out of whack that a treehouse to get little Wilf on the ladder might not be a bad thing.” - Ahir Shah “Johnson has escaped once again, but his problems are far from over.” - Yasmeen Serhan “Since 2016, America has been embarking on the great backslide.” - Yasmeen Serhan “It's not theories and ideologies that are clashing here, but fundamental world views.” - Yasmeen Serhan https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell, Ahir Shah and Yasmeen Serhan. 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 US Supreme Court strikes down abortion rights, what does the ruling mean for women in America? The fallout from last week’s by-elections and rail strikes continue, where next for the Tories? And G7 leaders meet in Germany this week, with Ukraine, climate change and food security on the agenda. Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to set up the week ahead. “Abortion access being limited doesn’t stop abortions, it stops safe abortions.” - Naomi Smith “The right to abortion now sits with state legislators.” - Naomi Smith “Johnson will cling on, it now depends on if the cabinet move.” - Naomi Smith “400 million people rely on Ukrainian food supplies, the world will not see an end to rising prices any time soon.” - Naomi Smith www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Justin Quirk 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

This week is a little bit special, as we are joined by Andrew and Siân live from Glastonbury 2022! Keeping it strictly music, we went along to see Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic Elvis, with our special guest Linda Marric. Could we not help falling in love with it or did we get the G.I. blues? And, staying with the festival theme, Jelena and our producer Jade head to Margate Dreamland Leisure Festival, to catch up with its organisers and line-up stars HighSchool. Was the rollercoaster more highs than lows? “The trailers for Elvis are quite bland and dead. They do the film a great injustice” - Alex Andreou “I think Austin Butler was born to play Elvis” - Linda Marric “Elvis is the apex of Baz Lurhmann’s artistic style” - Jelena Sofronijevic “The film really tries to tell a wider story of US consumerism in music” - Jelena Sofronijevic 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 Alex Andreou and Jelena Sofronijevic. 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

Geoff Dyer talks to Dorian Lynskey about his career and new book The Last Days of Roger Federer: And Other Endings. In this, he examines the matter of final performances and pieces, through the tales of artists, sportspeople and writers. The pair also discuss how Dyer’s work takes shape, and how he reflects on his own writing. “The sense of not being ideally qualified to write about a subject has been quite enabling for me.”  “Write the book only you could write is the mantra I repeat.”  “Some genre defying stuff now feels a comfortable genre in itself.”  “I think I’ve managed to turn the lack of a readership into some sort of freedom.”  “If you can turn your weaknesses into some kind of strength, that’s a very happy outcome.”  “The writing life has gone hand in hand with the continuation of my self-education.” “If you're able to engage the reader's curiosity and interest they’ll keep on reading.“ https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Productionhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Days-Roger-Federer-Endings/dp/1838855742  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices