The Bunker – News without the nonsense

This week Johnson and Sunak play the blame game over the Covid inquiry. Will a trip to the USA help Rishi escape the shadow of the former PM? Plus, Labour is embroiled in infighting this week as the Jamie Driscoll drama plays out – can Starmer ignore it? Plus we’ve got the latest on the tragic train crash in India, updates from Ukraine and we ask the question, why is China drilling a hole to hell? Ros Taylor joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the week ahead. “Johnson is enjoying provoking Sunak.’ – Ros Taylor “Sunak’s popularity has gone down since local election results.” – Ros Taylor “Hanging out with Biden is good optics for Sunak, it makes him look like the world leader he isn’t.” – Ros Taylor Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Ros Taylor. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death penalty is supported by a large number of Brits. Why are so many people obsessed with it? And how does politics change how we see the role of the law? Seth Thévoz is joined by Lizzie Seal, professor of criminology at the University of Sussex to explore the fascination with this ultimate punishment.  “Popular support for the death penalty goes up following well-publicised social disorder.” “In the mid 20th century, the death penalty represented public order.” “Labour governments were more likely to be sympathetic to abolition.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz. and Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US isn’t delivering on its pledges to reverse climate change. The Willow Project in Alaska, labelled by some as a “carbon bomb”, is a key example of that. But with global energy supply chains so massively disrupted by the war in Ukraine, are these kinds of projects justified? Michael Gerrard is the founder of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. He joined Arthur Snell in the Bunker to discuss why pushing through new climate laws is so difficult. “We ARE NOT on the trajectory that we want to be.” – Michael Gerrard “The US climate commitments are not really legally binding.” – Michael Gerrard “The Supreme Court has become somewhat of an impediment.” – Michael Gerrard. “In the US there have been efforts going back to 2004 to hold oil and gas responsible for climate change.” – Michael Gerrard. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Arthur Snell Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ministerial code is a set of rules members of Government are expected to abide by. But they don’t all manage it. Is it fit for purpose? And have ministers become more unscrupulous – or do we just have higher expectations than we used to? Tim Durrant of the Institute for Government tells Ros Taylor that the system, tested to its limits during Boris Johnson’s premiership, works better than you might think. “We need to know that information coming from the government is honest and true.” – Tim Durrant “Ministers have a huge amount of power in public life and therefore it’s incumbent that they merit that.” – Time Durrant “I think you could almost argue that the removal of Boris Johnson was proof of the system working”. – Tim Durrant “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with expecting political leaders to be good people.” – Tim Durrant www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How secure do you feel in your job? From manufacturing plants to corporate boardrooms, the rise of artificial intelligence has sent shockwaves through the working population. Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz sits down with Dr. Kate Devlin to talk about how our lives will change in an AI-driven economy. “If essays can be answered with AI, we’re not asking students the right questions.” “Who are we to say the best relationships are between two humans?” “The bigger question regarding AI is who gets to profit from it?”  Support us on Pateron:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tens of thousands of people are demanding an end to leasehold laws in England and Wales. They say they’re trapped by an avalanche of bills, whilst freeholders rake in the cash. Both Labour and the Tories (after A LOT hesitation) have vowed to reform leasehold laws. But how could they do it? It’s an issue that could turn many at the ballot box in next year’s general election. Harry Scoffin is a campaigner for Commonhold Now and joins Hannah Fearn in The Bunker. “Labour don’t think the Tories are being genuine on this issue.” – Harry Scoffin “How is it right that in this 21st century when you buy a flat you still don’t own it.” – Harry Scoffin “Being ripped off is being ripped off! Exploitation is wrong!” – Harry Scoffin “The way the Tories are going about this issue, they will be out of power for an entire generation.” – Harry Scoffin www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Hannah Fearne Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Tories are in-fighting over supermarket price caps – can they agree on anything? And Boris Johnson is back sulking over Covid, will he stop acting like a teenager? Plus we’ve got the latest from Ukraine, the Turkish election results, and Biden’s proposed debt ceiling deal. Hannah Fearn joins Jacob Jarvis to give you the stories to look out for in the week ahead. “Boris Johnson is acting like a walking sulk.” – Jacob Jarvis  “It makes me incredibly angry that the Tories are treating the removal of liberties as a game.” – Hannah Fearn “Erdogan is proposing a ‘volunteer’ return of Syrian refugees which is very worrying.” – Hannah Fearn  Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Hannah Fearn. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio producer: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmett De Monterey was born with cerebral palsy, and as he grew up he realised that he was gay. He joins Alex Andreou to discuss his new book Go The Way Your Blood Beats about the challenges of facing two forms of prejudice, one against his disability and the other his sexuality. How do you fight to be seen in a world that refuses to see you? “As a teenager I would have liked to have read a book about these experiences.” “I wasted a lot of time internalising the narrative that I needed to be fixed.” “My mother knew that the world outside the family home would be harsh.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Go The Way Your Blood Beats is released on the 6th of July. Book link:https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451111/go-the-way-your-blood-beats-by-monterey-emmett-de/9780241570531 Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s 60 years this month since National Service was abolished – but the idea remains popular. Could it ever work again, or is it just a pipe dream sustained by right-wing cranks? Jude Rogers is joined by Professor of History Richard Viven, author of National Service: Conscription in Britain 1945-1963, to explore the boredom, terror, and nostalgia of life under compulsory conscription.  “Military service was a bit like the workhouse for the poor, it was the last option.” “There was always more tedium over terror.”  “National Service is not meant to be a social service.” Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jude Rogers. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Proud Boys may not be proud no more after four of its members have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy. The neo-fascist group is accused of leading the Jan 6th assault on the capitol and has heavy links to Trump and other influential, right-wing figures. But just how deep does their power lie? And is that power flailing? And talking of the right wing, why is America still so captivated by Fox News, even post-Tucker Carlson? Gavin Esler is joined in the Bunker by Juliet Jeske, Proud boys expert and host of Decoding Fox News podcast. “Right-wing authoritarianism is very much what they’re drawn to.” – Juliet Jeske “McInnes was just this angry bigoted racist man who thought starting a group would be a good idea.” – Juliet Jeske “This is all about masculinity and they think they’re saving the Western world.” – Juliet Jeske “You’ll see something that’s not true on FOX and within 24 hours GOP politics will push the exact same thing.” – Juliet Jeske Written and presented by Gavin Esler Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Alex Rees Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices