The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Despite endless scandals and psychodramas, the Tories keep getting into power. So why are the British obsessed with the Conservative Party? And will we ever get rid of them? Seth Thevoz is joined by Samuel Earle, author of Tory Nation: How One Party Conquered Britain, to ask how one party came to dominate our political imagination. “The election numbers seem more like a rigged casino than a functional democracy.” — Samuel Earle “The House of Lords seems to go against the grain of a liberal democratic society, yet it’s still here.” — Samuel Earle “Conservatives don’t like to see themselves as ideological people.” — Samuel Earle. Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thevoz. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Battle lines were drawn this week as the Conservatives held two conferences – whose side are you on? In the blue corner Suella Braverman and a whole host of unsavoury fringe figures from the National Conservatism Movement. In the other blue corner it’s the Conservative Democratic Organisation aka the ‘bring back Boris brigade’ led by Nadine Dorries. Plus the Turkish election – is Erdogan’s time up? And yes, we’ll be talking about Eurovision. Alex Andreou joins Ros Taylor to explore the week ahead. “Boris wasn’t there which isn’t unusual as it wasn’t a paid gig.” – Alex Andreou  “We’ve gone ‘high skill high wage’ economy to a ‘let’s all pick some apples’ economy’” – Alex Andreou  “Unhappiness following the local council elections was subsided by the Coronation but now it's back with a vengeance.”– Alex Andreou  Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producers: Kasia Tomasiewicz and Liam Tait. 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

How do you tell if a politician is lying? Their lips are moving. That’s what the old joke would have us believe anyway. Rob Burley was a senior producer on some of the BBC’s flagship political shows so he knows what makes a good (and disastrous) political interview. Ros Taylor talks to Rob about his new book, Why Is This Lying Bastard Lying to Me?: Searching for the Truth on Political TV, to find out the tricks used by politicians to get away with their little white lies.  “Paxman just had enough, he decided he wasn’t going to play by the rules .” “Robin Day revolutionised TV interviews in 1958 and it’s gone downhill since then.”  “The morning after the Brexit referendum the BBC told me not to look into the 350m bus claims.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Book Link:https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/why-is-this-lying-bastard-lying-to-me-searching-for-the-truth-on-political-tv-rob-burley?variant=40188508504142Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Managing editor: 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

Right wing extremists are often considered lone wolves. But platforms like 4chan have made it easier than ever for extremist communities to grow. Alex Andreou speaks to best-selling author Jeffrey Toobin about his latest book, Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism, which explores the connection between the Oklahoma City bomber and the rise of modern day far right extremism. “It’s easy for extremists to find each other. That plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan was hatched over Facebook chat.” “The federal government has not done enough to challenge the idea that all terrorists are Islamic radicals.” “McVeigh did act alone, but he was part of a larger political force in the US.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Book Link:https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Homegrown/Jeffrey-Toobin/9781668013571Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: 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

Donald Trump took over the phrase fake news – but dodgy journalism was an issue long before him. Has the media always been misleading? And how do we tell the difference between bad and fake journalism? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Andie Tucher, author of Not Exactly Lying: Fake News and Fake Journalism in American History, to discover the 300-year-old roots of fake news and why some journalists can’t admit it when they mess up. “Journalists make mistakes all the time – the reporting on Iraq being a key example.” “Sin of omissions can be as consequential as active misinformation.”  “There are huge limits on journalists, who often don’t like saying that.” “Fake journalism is much more worrying than fake news.” Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Book Link:http://cup.columbia.edu/book/not-exactly-lying/9780231186353Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. 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

David Cameron entered 10 Downing Street 13 years ago. Since he and his right hand man George Osborne got their hands on power it's safe to say things haven’t been going well. Political journalist Steve Richards, of BBC and Rock & Roll Politics fame, joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker to discuss this gruesome twosome and the pain caused by austerity and Brexit that they are both intrinsically linked to.  “Cameron’s left this horrible horrible mess that was wholly avoidable and we are still living with the consequences.”  “Cameron sold himself very effectively and it's a really interesting case study in how easy it is to mesmerise the media.”  “What has followed has been so chaotic – so it’s easy to forget that the seeds were sown in the Cameron era.”  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antisocial behaviour is constantly put under the spotlight by politicians. But what really causes it? Nick Pettigrew, author of Anti-Social, talks to Ros Taylor about what pushes it, how politicians try to shift responsibility for them onto individuals – and why shaming punishments don’t work. “Young people are as likely to be victims of antisocial behaviour as they are the causes of it.” “The safety net is more important than enforcement, someone with an investment in where you live is less likely to offend.” “Cleaning off graffiti in orange jumpsuits only isolates offenders further — it’s the modern stocks.” “If you deal with entrenched poverty antisocial behaviour will disappear overnight.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producers and audio editors: Robin Leeburn and Simon Williams. 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

Police came out in force for the Coronation. Can the Met ride out accusations of heavy handedness? And the Tories are still reeling from their local elections trouncing, how worried should they be? Plus, there's news from the US, Ukraine and the Home Office’s handling of refugees from Sudan. Hannah Fearn joins Jacob Jarvis to map out the news for the week ahead.  “Labour most feared Penny Mordaunt, and the coronation proves she is one to watch.” – Hannah Fearn “Labour can’t rest on their laurels, council elections show general mood rather than voting intention.” – Hannah Fearn “The Bring Back Boris thing could have troubled Sunak for longer if not for the coronation shifting focus.” – Hannah Fearn www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Hannah Fearn. Produced by Kasia Tomasiewicz with Liam Tait. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

King Charles III has just been crowned. What kind of king has he become? How has he handled the rift with Harry, and the Andrew problem? And has he managed to control his quick temper? Former Guardian royal correspondent Stephen Bates tells Ros Taylor that predictions Charles would ‘meddle’ in politics have been wide of the mark. They talk about whether the royal family will shrink further in the coming years, and if its remaining working members are now content to be dutiful but unexciting.QUOTES‘The one thing that kills off the institution is the loss of a sense of public spirit and duty. You can get away an awful lot with an awful lot if you’re conscientious, reliable and smile for the cameras. Catherine and William have discovered that.’‘The British monarchy has a different place in the constitution than the Scandinavian monarchies do, and that’s perhaps one reason why they’re slower to adapt.’‘I doubt very much Charles would use a biro. He’s more of a fountain pen man.’www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer and audio editor: Simon Williams. 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

Many anticipated a subdued Victory Day – and that was before the Kremlin claimed Ukraine attempted to assassinate Vladimir Putin. With this leading to even more cities scaling back their festivities, Arthur Snell asks Professor Stefan Wolff what exactly does Russia have to celebrate in 2023?  “Putin is trying to link Ukraine to a larger narrative that Russia is always being on the right side of history.” “The drone incident may be a way to downscale the victory day events.” “This is a narrative you can feed to a population deprived of a balance feed of news”  www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Liam Tait. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices