The Bunker – News without the nonsense

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

From drone pilots and prison guards, to the undocumented migrants who man industrial slaughterhouses, it takes an army of workers to carry out modern society’s most morally problematic jobs. But where are these hard-to-access workplaces, and who are the people toiling within it? Eyal Press, author of Dirty Work, joins Justin Quirk to discuss his meetings with prison guards from America and Abu Ghraib, why big tech won’t necessarily make the world a more equal place…and the awful conditions facing animals and workers in the food industry today. “The United States has the largest prison system in the world, but it's pretty much entirely hidden from view.” “The largest mental health services in the United States aren't hospitals, but prisons.” “We effectively still have a system where wealthy people can pay poorer people to fight their wars for them.” “It was easier for me to access prisons than industrial slaughterhouses.”  “Technology alone doesn't clean this work or sort out social inequalities.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionENDShttps://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Eyal-Press/Dirty-Work--Essential-Jobs-and-the-Hidden-Toll-of-Inequality/26073447  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite Dishy Rishi’s best intentions, restaurant culture has been hit hard by COVID. Lockdowns and cancelled reservations, social distancing and staff absences, have stirred up a toxic cocktail for many businesses - one garnished with post-Brexit labour and supply chain shortages. So has our relationship with restaurants changed forever, and what’s next on the menu? Corey Mintz, author of The Next Supper, and Eater London’s Adam Coghlan join Jelena Sofronijevic to chew on why haute cuisine is cooling off, whether takeaway food is really so democratic…and if COVID has called time on the all-you-can-eat buffet.   “Restaurants were told to diversify and prepare themselves for the rise of takeaways. But they didn't until the pandemic.” - Corey Mintz “The major delivery companies in the UK are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable.” - Corey Mintz “Today I discovered, ordered, and ate the food from a new restaurant within 30 minutes. Once you've tasted that, you can't go back.” - Adam Coghlan “If you hired an architect to build a restaurant today, they'd ask you where you'd like the Instagram wall.” - Corey Mintz “The £6k given to restaurants which closed over Christmas was mere chicken feed.” - Adam Coghlan 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