The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Amid a profound and worsening cost of living crisis, we discuss whether the Government is rising to the challenge. Is the public being shortchanged? Plus, with the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a huge courts backlog, Evening Standard courts correspondent Tristan Kirk joins us to talk about the pressures on the justice system. And after Facebook reported its first ever drop in daily users, what’s next for the social media giant? “It feels like the Chancellor, with all his riches, hasn’t understood the gravity of the situation.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh  “If you want a quick way to solve this issue, increase Universal Credit and don’t raise the cap as much.” - Miatta Fahnbulleh “If Sunak doesn’t get into Number 10 before the pain arrives, then he might miss his moment.” - Tom Peck “Myself, and I assume the Downing Street police officers, would think No.10 would be following their own rules.” - Tristan Kirk  https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ros Taylor with Tom Peck and Miatta Fahnbulleh. 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

With Boris Johnson’s senior team in chaos, we discuss what comes next as we brace for yet another calamity-packed week. Letters of no confidence continue to be sent – but will the number hit the 54 needed to spur a vote? Meanwhile, ongoing border check disagreements are causing turmoil in Northern Ireland. And on her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen kept busy, declaring her wish for Camilla to become Queen consort. Andrew Harrison is joined by Alex Andreou to forecast the days ahead.  "February 2022 to February 2022 doesn't look great on a CV."  "Satisfaction will turn into dislike very easily."  "The mess of Downing Street is leaking into the legislature."  "This is political, not constitutional. The DUP are drowning in the polls."  "The Queen is in a process of tidying up the Royal Family." Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Northern Ireland has been plunged into political turmoil following DUP first minister Paul Givan’s resignation over Brexit border controls. What does this mean for Stormont? And how will it affect May’s assembly elections? Belfast-based journalist Amanda Ferguson joins Naomi Smith to explain the crisis, and what could happen next. “The DUP will say this is about the protocol, the other parties will say this is about the election.” “The only way Northern Ireland’s position in the UK can be changed is if people vote for it.” “While some people are supportive of the DUP, a lot of the public are aghast at what they’ve done.” Presented by Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunkEMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award winning composer Howard Goodall tells us about his new remembrance cantata ‘Unconditional Love’, a career of composing pretty much every memorable British comedy theme tune ever, Brexit’s effect on musicians and much more.Howard joins guest Sophie Harris plus Alex and Jelena (for the first time) to explore the many folds of Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II – a movie about a movie within a movie about a movie, Cate Le Bon’s latest album, Pompeii, plus we head into the Courtauld to find out what’s behind their new exhibition Van Gogh Self-Portraits. “Streaming should have democratised music. But there's very few people at the party.” – Howard Goodall “Cate le Bon’s Pompeii refers to a life interrupted. It's the perfect lockdown album.” – Sophie Harris “Young people have sacrificed a lot to keep us alive during COVID. Now we must pay them back by listening to them.” – Howard Goodall  Written and presented by Alex Andreou 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

The car is one of history’s most important inventions, but with changing ownership patterns and the climate crisis, will the vehicle we’ve all grown up with survive the next few decades? The FT’s Motor Industry Correspondent Peter Campbell and futurist Rohit Talwar join Andrew Harrison to discuss the direction of travel for cars, from electric vehicles, to ones that drive themselves, and maybe even some that are capable of flying… “We’re dealing with completely new technologies, and there’s no guarantee the big manufacturers are going to be the winners.” - Rohit Talwar “Demand for electric cars is being driven by regulation, rather than consumer choice.” - Peter Campbell “Last year electric car sales overtook diesel cars. That was unthinkable a couple years ago.” - Peter Campbell “Changes in the car industry could bring down governments.” - Rohit Talwar “People say the car industry is at a fork in the road, it’s rather at the entrance to a labyrinth.” - Peter Campbell “The winners in this new marketplace might be those who can find value in the data, rather than manufacturers themselves.” - Rohit Talwar “The car that you’ll drive in 20 years time may well be from a Chinese brand you’ve never heard of before.” - Peter Campbell https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the global population set to hit 8 billion in 2022, are we really in the midst of a new population crisis? Or do climate change and migration mean the problem today is underpopulation, not overpopulation? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to anthropologist Anna Walnycki and Bryan Walsh of Vox’s Future Perfect about the dark, discriminatory debates over birth rates, why governments are cutting migration just when we need more people than ever before…and how pro-natal policies are curbing human rights in Hungary, Poland, and China. “We're seeing anti-immigration policies at the time when immigration is more important than ever in balancing out the global population.” - Bryan Walsh “Overpopulation doesn't happen in countries, it happens in cities.” - Anna Walnycki “Scenes of overpopulation are really scenes of poor planning.” - Anna Walnycki “Governments should be making it as easy as possible to be a parent with pro-family, not pro-natal policies.” - Bryan Walsh “Scandinavia is simply a better place to be a parent and a child.” - Bryan Walsh https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented and produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boris Johnson’s apology after Sue Gray’s “update” on Downing Street parties was followed by a shameful bout of obfuscation from the Prime Minister. While he dithers and delays, something he’s bemoaned in the past, can his crumbling defences hold? And with the Winter Olympics due to start in Beijing, amid suggestions the event may serve as a “sportswashing” exercise, we look at the collision between the games and politics. Andrew Harrison is joined by Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan for a much-needed session of group catharsis.  “I’m continually surprised by quite how low he can go … some of it just seemed deeply, deeply odd.” - Ahir Shah “Much of Johnson’s strategic calculation seems to be ‘I can stay defiant longer than you can stay angry.’” - Justin Quirk “China is trying to whitewash Xinjiang as a Winter Wonderland." - Yasmeen Serhan https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The wait for the Sue Gray report goes on–with the word “imminent” having been redefined of late. If it is finally released, what impact might it have? As Boris Johnson faces consistent pressure and splits within his party, the government wants to shift focus with pledges for so-called “Brexit freedoms.” What’s the reality, compared to the rhetoric? Meanwhile, Russia-Ukraine tensions persist, with further interventions due from the Prime Minister and foreign secretary Liz Truss. What can we expect? Alex Andreou and Gavin Esler take a look at the week ahead.  “This is not a government which does governing, this is a government which does marketing.” - Gavin Esler  “If Sunak were to quit over National Insurance then that would be the end for Johnson.” - Gavin Esler  “Liz Truss does not want to be seen as the one who caused Johnson to fall, as there’s a political price to that.” - Alex Andreou  “The idea that Boris steps in and saves the Ukrainian people from the Russians is nonsense.” - Gavin Esler  “Putin cannot accept a democratic Ukraine becoming richer than Russia.” - Gavin Esler Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conservative minister Lord Agnew’s dramatic resignation due to his dissatisfaction over efforts to tackle COVID loan fraud drew stark focus to the issue last week. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been forced to defend his handling of pandemic support schemes, amid mounting criticism. Financial journalist and executive director of TaxWatch, George Turner, joins Alex Andreou to explain the problem, the consequences for the Government, and why such concerns need to be taken more seriously. “HMRC has always had a policy of ‘pay now, check later’, but they didn’t have the capacity to check with Covid.”  “For HMRC, going through with Brexit in the middle of the pandemic was madness.” “We need to invest a lot more in law enforcement for fraud, and the Treasury has a big role to play in that.” “We never thought about fraud as a big problem, the pandemic will hopefully change that.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Alex Andreou. The Group Editor is Andrew Harrison. The Lead Producer is Jacob Jarvis. The Producers are Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunkA mash-up of Burt Bacharach, Scott Walker and Michael Nyman for the modern day, Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy tells us about his new best of album Charmed Life, 30 years in pop, and lovely horses.Neil joins guest Hannah Verdier plus Sîan and Andrew to discuss Guillermo del Toro’s grand guignol fable Nightmare Alley, the joy of angst on the new Eels album, and low-key suspense movie Framed on Amazon Prime. And comedy writer David Quantick tells us about his friend and hero Barry Cryer who died this week. “I started a radio show because I wanted to force my musical tastes down the public’s throats.” – Neil Hannon “I thought I missed all the fun in the 90s, but I preferred leaving parties after an hour and coming home to a sherry in front of Frasier…” – Neil “So many films are now like pop videos, but Guillermo del Toro really dwells on his scenes.” – Neil on Nightmare Alley “Olly Alexander is one of those pop stars who would be great Smash Hits fodder.” – Hannah Verdier “Who wouldn’t love a song that rhymes ‘Colin Firth’ with ‘earth’?” – Neil on Eels Written and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Producer 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.Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices