The Bunker – News without the nonsense

The BBC: nest of woke lefty propaganda or tame right-wing mouthpiece? Or something more complex? As the BBC marks its 100th birthday and Nadine Dorries tries to kill off the Licence Fee, Simon Potter – author of This Is The BBC: Entertaining The Nation, Speaking For Britain? – talks to Andrew Harrison about the Corporation’s tangled roots, clouded future, much-contested purpose… and why politicians from left, right and centre always seem to hate it. • “Once you let broadcasting into politics, you’ll never get politics out of broadcasting.”• “The BBC has a mission to expand its empire into every single media possible.”Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did Britain come to be one of the largest gambling markets in the world? Rob Davies, investigative journalist and author of Jackpot: How Gambling Conquered Britain, talks to Nick Cohen about how technology, advertising and liberalised laws combined to target some of the most vulnerable in society, the influence of the gambling lobby in British politics, and the urgent reforms the industry needs to make. “In a world where technology was evolving rapidly, gambling regulation simply wasn’t fit for purpose.” “For every person who is a gambling addict, six other people are affected by that.” “People get huge amounts of hospitality lavished on them when they can be relied on to lose thousands of pounds.” “For some people, the dopamine rush of putting their money at risk is irresistible.” “The gambling lobby has MPs in the contact book like you wouldn’t believe.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Nick Cohen. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On our pop culture round-up: Special guest Will Young tells us about the art of mind maintenance, a life in pop, and more. Plus hard-bitten Dublin rock’n’roll from Fontaines D.C., Catherine Tate’s Netflix prison comedy Hard Cell splits the panel, and futurist feminism in new Apple TV+ sci-fi anthology Roar. Journalist Craig McLean of The Face and the Telegraph joins Siân and Alex in The Bunker. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b “My desert island mental health advice is don’t expect something from people they're not willing or capable of giving.” - Will Young  “My therapist also said, if I was your boyfriend I’d dump you’ - Will Young “As a man, watching ‘Roar’ I felt uncomfortable, but in a good way.” - Alex Andreou “For me, this wasn’t a ‘Roar’, more like a squeak.” - Craig McLean “I'm a bit disappointed with Skinty Fia as the rattling punk energy in the first two records is gone… maybe they’ve lost some of their spark since moving away from Dublin.” - Craig McLean “The main thing about ‘Hard Cell’ is that I just didn’t find it funny; it falls a bit flat.”- Siân Pattenden  Presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. 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

Anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny is the man Vladimir Putin fears most. Now a new documentary tells his story. Director Daniel Roher joins Arthur Snell to discuss his latest film Navalny, which tells the story of one man and his struggle with an authoritarian regime, and what the future holds for Russia and Putin in light of the invasion of Ukraine.  “Navalny’s people were just waiting for that knock at the door.” “How can this guy who does this dangerous work not think about his mortality? The rest of the of the world does.” “Navalny showed the Russian people that they don’t have to be afraid of Putin.” “Navalny reminds us that we must not be apathetic. Evil proliferates when good people do nothing.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We live in a culture obsessed with the spectacle of youth. One in five Britons will be over 65 by 2030 – with the fastest-growing age group being the over-85s. What are the implications for us as a country with an increasingly ageing population? What are the issues that need challenging and policies that need changing? And how should we think about ourselves as ageing people? Tim Whitaker, Vice-Chair of Positive Ageing London, talks to Jude Rogers about the future of ageing.  “When you're 100, you normally get a letter from the Queen. That will have to change.” “Older people contribute to society in different ways than younger people.” “There's a danger of ghettoising older people by sending them into care homes.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Jude Rogers. 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

Is Johnson’s hit job on Sunak distracting from a Tory brand that’s falling apart? Does the West have the stomach for sanctions that will really bite on Russia? New Statesman editor Jason Cowley goes in search of the must mysterious country on Earth: England. And while Channel 4 is still around, what are the C4 programmes we love? Zoe Williams of The Guardian and Justin Quirk join Andrew Harrison for this week’s roundtable Bunker.  “How is it sexist for Akshata Murthy to be asked to pay taxes in our own country? The sexism defence is just a ju-jitsu deployment of our own values against us.” – Zoe Williams “It was legally correct for Sunak’s wife to have non-dom status, ethically dubious – and politically ridiculous.” – Jason Cowley “It’s really puzzling what it takes for the British public to riot, and what it takes for the authorities to take it seriously.” – Zoe Williams “What Gareth Southgate showed is that you don’t have to choose between Englishness and tradition.” – Jason Cowley https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Andrew Harrison with Justin Quirk and Zoe Williams. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Elina Ganatra. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the far right’s Marine Le Pen runs off against Macron, could France fall to extreme populism? Plus the briefing war against Sunak, Johnson’s photo op visit to Kyiv and Russia resets its war aims. Gavin Esler sets up the week ahead with Andrew Harrison.  “A Le Pen presidency in France would be another victory for Putin.”  “The real scandal in British politics is not what is illegal, it’s what is allowed.” “It is possible that Le Pen could win if the French decide, like America did, that they just want a bit of entertainment.” Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain now removes more children from their parents than ever before. Is it possible to mend broken families? Polly Curtis, journalist and author of Behind Closed Doors, talks to Ros Taylor about complex factors that lead to families being split up, how the system fails both mothers and fathers, and what can be done to make sure it works for everyone. “We probably all know someone who has had a brush with the social services system.” “A lot of these kids don’t want to be separated, they just want their parents to change.” “There is going to be a new leap in transparency in the family courts, and that will open our eyes to these cases.” “Being told by the state you’re a failed parent is laden with the most horrific shame.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On our pop culture round-up: BBC2’s “genuinely moving” Paul Gascoigne documentary, reggae legend Horace Andy returns, and is Apple TV+ spy drama Slow Horses a Tinker, Tailor for the 21st Century? Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake joins us along with legendary beer writer Pete Brown – new book Clubland: How the Working Men’s Club Shaped Britain available for pre-order now. Hear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1aea7525-7891-4a88-8474-a08c45ea064b“I found ‘Gazza’ incredibly moving and upsetting. I was watching it in tears.” – Pete Brown on ‘Gazza’“The best part of ‘Gazza’ is you see that this gift is really a curse.” – Andrew Harrison on ‘Gazza’“It’s the sound of a band knowing they’re creating something glorious but not sure that they can control it, like the wheels could fall of at any minute” – Pete Brown on New Order’s Temptation Presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer Jelena Sofronijevic with Elina Ganatra. 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

Money makes the world go round, but how does it actually work? With economies across the globe in flux, understanding cash, currencies and crypto has never been more important. Gavin Jackson, lead writer for the Financial Times, joins Ahir Shah to talk about his new book Money in One Lesson: How it Works and Why, which covers the most important questions about money and how it shapes our societies. “Money is something we all believe in, but we’re not entirely sure why.” “We didn’t start with barter, the first money was actually made out of clay tablets.” “Hyperinflation only happens when a government decides something is more important than stopping hyperinflation.” “Bitcoin is an attempt to opt-out of the banking system we’ve become used to.” “Deflation, when prices fall, is actually a lot worse than inflation as our debts don’t change.” “If you’re interested in people, you should be interested in money. It tells us so much about who we are.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices