The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Hollywood has shaped how we see spies – but who are these people who secretly walk among us? How hard is it to become one? Siân Pattenden unpacks the world of espionage, and discusses why the next James Bond will be a woman with Ava Glass, author of the new spy novel The Chase, who previously worked alongside spies in the civil service.  “The highest level of security clearance takes a whole year to pass.” “Spies rarely wear tuxedos and drink martinis.” www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Siân Pattenden. Producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak is meeting Ursula von der Leyen to seal a new deal to get Brexit done again, again. Will the agreement get sealed? And what fallout will any such settlement spark? Plus, we return to the strikes and discuss the SNP leadership latest. Ros Taylor joins Alex Andreou to discuss the week ahead. “It all depends on whether the DUP think they can get anything more out of it or not.” – Alex Andreou  “There’s nothing Johnson would like more than return as Prime Minister… but my sense is that the energy is moving away from him.” – Ros Taylor  “People just want Brexit to go away.” – Ros Taylor  “The reaction to Kate Forbes shows that in Westminster we don’t know Scotland as well as we think we do.” – Ros Taylor  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Alex Rees. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As NHS waiting lists get longer, more people are turning to private healthcare. Is this skipping the queue accelerating a decline to a two-tier system, or will the demand for more encourage policymakers to fund the NHS properly to raise the standards? Efua Poku-Amanfo from the Institute for Public Policy Research joins Hannah Fearn in the Bunker to find out.  “Young people 18-25 specifically… were less likely to have confidence in the NHS “There will be groups in our society who have options, whilst not ideal… the concern is for those who get left behind “For older people there’d often be a nostalgia to having a family doctor… young people are less likely to have that kind of nostalgia for the NHS.” www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Hannah Fearn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group editor: Andrew Harrison.THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The USA is built on ‘the American dream’. But what exactly is it? Does it actually exist? Jacob Jarvis is joined by Jim Cullen, author of The American Dream: A short history of an idea that shaped a nation, to ask where the idea came from and why it still has such a strong hold over American life. “The English pilgrims are central to the creation of the American Dream.”  “At the heart of the American Dream is that pure belief that society can be better.”  “The American Dream is the soft power of possibility.”  “Two streams run through American history, the puritanical idea of a new way and the money-making dream.” Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zelensky’s story of a comedian turned President of Ukraine and now war leader is stranger than fiction. So who is the man we have cheered on as he stands up to the Russian invasion? Siân Pattenden is joined by journalist Steven Derix, co-author of the new biography Zelensky, to take a peek behind the curtain of a life lived in the media spotlight, before being thrown into violent conflict.  “Ukraine is one of the countries least known to the public.” “He’s a boss everywhere he goes.” “His parents wanted him to be a diplomat, which is ironic given where he has ended up.” “He wanted to be the President of Peace.”  www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Siân Pattenden. Producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been one year since the full scale invasion of Ukraine began. From fanning the spirit of freedom, to how internally displaced people are coping, through to what Ukraine needs now from its friends and allies across the West – Olga Tokariuk, freelance journalist and fellow at the Reuters Institute for Journalism, joins Alex Andreou to reflect on the last 12 months.  “I could see the spirit of freedom and the spirit of commitment to democracy and human rights… that gave me confidence that Ukrainians would not just give up on those.” “For the moment Ukraine doesn’t have enough means to launch further counter offensives.” “Those people who have decided to stay in Ukraine, we’re supporting the economy, we’re buying things, we’re paying taxes.” “Seeing President Biden paying respect to Ukrainian soldiers, Ukrainian protestors… had a very profound symbolic importance.” www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnowWritten and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Jet Gerbertson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain is all but in recession. We’re far less productive than other European countries, and take the industries that do well for granted. Trussonomics was one idea to boost growth — and we all know how that turned out. But if cutting taxes isn’t the solution to our problems, what is? Greg Thwaites from the Resolution Foundation joins Ros Taylor in the Bunker to find out.  “Most of the growth that we've had in the economy hasn’t come from people being more productive, it’s from people doing more work.” “What the average UK worker can produce in an hour, it takes the average French or German or US worker ten minutes less to produce.” “You can liken the UK to a passenger jet that’s flying on one engine: it’s not safe.” www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer:Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison.THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Financial Crisis, many expected a new approach to the economy to be taken. Instead, lessons were forgotten quickly and countries continued to rack up debt whilst subscribing to the old order of things. Martin Wolf, author of The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism joins Alex Andreou to discuss whether we’re destined to repeat the past.  “After communism failed, the western leaders… came to feel that our systems had won, they were overwhelmingly successful.” “The working class which had been atomised… this story of resentment and anger against elites and immigrants is a very powerful story.” “What economics is wrong about is the assumption that a reasonably competitive economy can be sustained without consistent and active engagement.” www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor Andrew Harrison.THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sunak is trying yet again to establish his leadership – but will he ever be rid of Boris Johnson? With a Northern Ireland deal touted, we outline the looming showdowns. Plus, amid right wing protests over immigration – will the Government do anything but stoke them? And internationally, Turkey and Syria are still suffering the effects of the earthquake, while it’s coming up to a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to outline the week ahead. “Politics feels very 2018 right now.” “The majority of Tory MPs now are addicted to chaos, they know nothing else.” “Entire regions are being pulled down, and cities abandoned en masse.”  Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A good apology can make or break a politician. So why are so many public figures so bad at saying sorry? Jacob Jarvis unearths the fine art of apologising with ‘sorry watchers’ Susan McCarthy and Marjorie Ingall, co-authors of Sorry, sorry, sorry: the case for good apologies. “We rarely teach children why they should apologise, we just tell them they should.” – Marjorie Ingall “Apologising is hard, and so it’s instinctive to protect ourselves because we don’t want to mess up.” – Susan McCarthy Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices