The Bunker – News without the nonsense

The curtain has fallen on Glasgow’s climate conference, but is the overtime pact agreed enough to steer the world away from disaster? Plus, as allegations of sleaze continue to pile up, political writer STEVE RICHARDS joins us to discuss whether this is the Government Britain has ever seen. And with stories and hot takes coming at us from every angle these days, how can we best deal with news fatigue?Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday• “These are pledges not policies, and the legislation being passed by countries is not as strong as the pledges made.” - Yasmeen Serhan “It is impossible for China and India to continue with the growth they have made without coal power.” - Arthur Snell “Historians will look back and say we didn’t do enough, fast enough” - Yasmeen Serhan “If you want to do a sleaze-o-meter, this Government is right at the top.” - Steve Richards “Johnson might have a majority of 80, but he has u-turned more than an other Prime Minister.” - Steve Richards https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . 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

COP26 came to a close at the weekend, but did India and China scupper an opportunity for real progress on climate change? Does the Glasgow pact go far enough? Plus, a horrific terror attack in Liverpool mars Remembrance Day, what do we know so far? And as sleaze allegations continue to come out, is the Johnson premiership now on a downward trajectory? Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor take you through the week ahead. “India and China are struggling to understand a future without coal.” “Alok Sharma was quite devastated, he had invested a huge amount into getting rid of coal.” “It does feel as though the shine has come off Johnson, but there isn’t an alternative they’re excited to go to yet.” “Sleaze could be something that is very difficult for the Government to shake off.” “In terms of levelling-up, cancelling the HS2 link to Leeds does not look good.” Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. 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

In England, 50% of the land is owned by just 1% of the population, but how did such a small minority come to control such a large amount of countryside? And what can we do about it? Guy Shrubsole, policy coordinator at Rewilding Britain and author of Who Owns England, chats to Nick Cohen about England’s dark past when it comes to land ownership, and his manifesto for how to open up our countryside once again. “Land ownership is one of England’s deepest, darkest secrets.” “50% of England is owned by just 1% of the population.” “Ultimately, we all should have a greater stake in who owns England.” “We think we live in a capitalist society, but we actually still have a lot feudalism.” “Such a vast area of our land is given to the sport of grouse shooting.” “To hold onto more red wall voters, something has to give on the issue of home ownership.” Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. 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

Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunkThe artist otherwise known as Malcolm Tucker and the Twelfth Doctor Who, PETER CAPALDI, makes an album with pal DR ROBERT of The Blow Monkeys. The Hogarth of the iPhone COLD WAR STEVE joins us to discuss his bleakly hilarious visions of Plague Island. And new albums from DAMON ALBARN and upcoming psychedelic soul star CURTIS HARDING.Buy Cold War Steve’s Journal Of The Plague Year: https://amzn.to/3wFV5sV.Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Albania in the 1980s was the last bastion of Stalinism in Europe. It was difficult to visit, and a place of poverty, executions and secret police, but for LSE politics professor Lea Ypi it was also home. She talks to Alex Andreou about her astonishing memoir Free: Coming of Age at the End of History, which details her childhood in one of Europe’s most repressive countries, what came afterwards, and what it truly means to be free. “The fall of the Berlin Wall was brushed aside as something that didn’t concern Albania” “At some point the state slogan was gone and was replaced by a coca-cola advert” “I’ve spent half my life under socialism, half my life under liberalism… neither of these systems delivered what they set out to” “To live in real democracy means to have a real say in the laws that are made” “What we have is not a democracy, but rather a liberal representative system” https://amzn.to/3HcK7Qw Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. 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

When you think about the gig economy, you probably imagine an Uber driver. But one in seven Brits are part of the gig economy, including some teachers and doctors. So what’s behind this global phenomenon? Ros Taylor talks to Rest of World editor Peter Guest about their vast report on how workers in the global South get a worse deal, why women get lower ratings than men, and giving a meaningful platform to platform workers.  “There is a great imbalance of power between the platform and the worker.” - 04:00 “You can't be hired and fired in the usual way.”  “There's a ready supply of people waiting to work on these platforms, so the power is always in the company's hands.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. 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

British-born US intelligence analyst FIONA HILL, America’s top Russia expert, became an overnight hero when she demolished Donald Trump’s Ukraine hoax before the House Intelligence Committee in 2019. In a fascinating conversation she tells us what it’s like to go up against a strongman’s political machine – and why Trumpism is still dangerous. Plus, is the tide of populism starting to ebb? And what pop songs changed our minds about politics?Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday• “I felt I had to stand up against Trump. Would I just stand on the sidelines and watch all this happen?” – FIONA HILL• “Elections come and go, but grievances are forever.” – YASMEEN SERHAN• “My favourite text message from a Tory MP last week just read ‘Christ’.” – MARIE LE CONTEhttps://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten, presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Marie le Conte. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . 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

As Johnson scuttles away from the Owen Paterson debacle and fresh sleaze oozes out, will new Commons regulations mean that MPs have to get by on just the one job like some sort of cave dwellers? Plus, brace yourself for trade war as Lord Frost (no doubt with great regret) prepares to trigger the Article 16 he’s been gagging for since December. And is your poppy leaf at the right angle? Alex Andreou flags up the week ahead. • “The entire Paterson mess is simply because Johnson hates people bothering his Brexiteer mates.”• “What is there to prevent paramilitary violence flaring up in Northern Ireland?” • “Triggering Article 16 will only show that trade power lies with Europe, because it’s seven times the size of the UK.”Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. 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

George Orwell was a keen gardener, but did his love of nature influence his politics? Inspired by her encounter with the surviving roses planted at his Hertfordshire cottage, writer Rebecca Solnit talks to Dorian Lynskey about her new book Orwell’s Roses, which looks at how Orwell’s involvement with plants was a catalyst for his work as a writer and antifascist. “When I was young non-fiction was not treated as artwork… Orwell provided a great model for essayism” “Animal farm is a book that Orwell couldn’t have written if he wasn’t aware of their behaviours” “I found 1984 very different after discovering Orwell the gardener, Orwell the cheerful even” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. 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

Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunkThe Wordsworth of Bury GUY GARVEY of Elbow joins us to talk about their transcendent new album ‘Flying Dream 1’, the remarkable story of how he and his wife nursed his mother-in-law Diana Rigg through her last months, and how music fixes everything. And JUDE ROGERS helps us examine that ABBA album, remarkable Netflix drama of racism and identity PASSING, and that weird Princess Di movie SPENCER. • “When people came back to our gigs, there was a sense of release.” – GUY GARVEY• “When I’m off to bed drunk, the band play Just A Gigolo and watch me spin on my heel.” – GUY GARVEY• “ABBA’s new album sounds like they’ve cleared out their hard drive.” – JUDE ROGERSPresented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices