The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Nadhim Zahawi was unceremoniously but entirely predictably sacked at the weekend – what will be the Tory fallout? We forecast the sleaze as the Government continues to fight fires on all fronts. Plus we look at the widespread strikes and the latest from Ukraine. Ros Taylor is joined by Arthur Snell to outline the days ahead. “Zahawi projected the image of someone who isn’t in touch with normal people who doesn’t feel much shame about his actions.” – Arthur Snell “Sunak is surrounded by a pretty ramshackle gang, he’s never going to be able to present being an ethical group of people – because those people are not available.” – Arthur Snell  “The new ethics advisor seems to be very good at his job which is worrying for Tory members.” – Arthur Snell “When you have a conversation where the witnesses are only Vladimir Putin and Boris Johnson, the chances of an accurate account are quite limited.” – Arthur Snell  Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

Millennials and Gen Z are ditching the booze, while older generations are sticking to the same habits. What does this changing approach to drinking by young people mean? Professor John Holmes of the University of Sheffield joins Ros Taylor to find out what our drinking habits tell us about society as a whole. “Young people are drinking less in most high income countries. They’re either not drinking at all, drinking smaller amounts, and binge drinking less often.” “Across the Covid period, about a quarter of people drank less, about a quarter drank more.” “The Government is getting a political bonus from taxing beer less, but getting a revenue bonus from taxing wine more.” Written 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

Billions of dollars are spent on political campaigns in the US, even by the losers. Where is the money going?Jacob Jarvis speaks to Kyle Tharp, managing editor of FWIW News, to ask about the trends in political strategy, where cash is being wasted and how fundraising is the “wild west of American politics”.  “Republican campaigns are very old school and rely a lot on right wing media to carry water for them.” “It’s insane the amount of money and the amount of groups in our political ecosystem.” “Grassroots fundraising is the wild west of American politics.” www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Jade Bailey. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As sea levels rise, flooding will become more likely across the globe. But is Britain prepared for the inevitable rising waters? Ros Taylor is joined by Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, to assess when floods might hit and how to prepare for them.  “We are going to see many more floods in the summer.” “Our great pressure for housing is making flooding inevitable.” 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 ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The abrupt end of China's Zero Covid policy shocked the world. What do we know about the consequences of this change in tack? Accurate figures from Xi Jinping’s Government are hard to come by and the Chinese people are torn in two directions: with excitement about opening up and fear as Covid rips through the population. Cindy Yu, assistant editor at The Spectator, joins Alex Andreou to find out what the mood is like, and what opening up means for the rest of the world. “Twenty years ago we were talking about ‘The Chinese Century’. I don’t think China is going to take over the USA at this rate.” “In terms of Taiwan or Russia, China is going to want to do the stable thing for now. “All of this will have a positive impact on the world economy because China is so integrated into the world economy.” 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 Alex Rees. Group editor: Andrew Harrison.THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Austerity is a staple fixture of our political system. How did it become such a dominant economic policy? And is it really a ‘prudent’ and ‘realistic’ way of organising our economics? Philosopher and historian Clara Mattei, author of The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism joins Ahir Shah to explore how austerity came to become the water we swim in and why we can’t imagine a world without it. “Austerity has become the water we swim in.”  “We use very specific economic models from the 1900s, in which the worker loses agency while the entrepreneur is championed.” “The purpose isn’t to ‘trickledown’, it is to incentivise those at the top.” “In the US the richest 400 families pay the lowest tax.” “Even Lenin had to accept austerity.”  Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Ahir Shah. Producers: Jet Gerbertson, Alex Rees. 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 ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Airbnb has enabled people to earn more by letting second houses as holiday lets than to families. What does this mean for locals in tourist areas? With housing provision at an all time low, the Welsh Government is looking at a system of carrots and sticks to incentivise landlords to prioritise locals. Can this problem be fixed? Dr Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation talks to Hannah Fearn about the communities facing an Airbnb boom.  “In every single Welsh local authority bar one a property owner could make as much money in 10 weeks as letting out the house to the housing authority for an entire year.” “Properties that were down as holiday homes decided to flip to Airbnbs to get out of having to pay extra council tax.” “Don’t think about the maximum amount you can make, maybe yes, get your money back, but think about the community's needs more broadly.” 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 Robin Leeburn. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fasten your seatbelts, because it’s going to be a rocky week in UK politics as sleaze comes back with a vengeance. How will Sunak handle backlash to his car misdemeanour, Johnson’s loan scandal and Zahawi’s ongoing tax quagmire. Plus, we look at the latest news on strikes. Alex Andreou talks to Jacob Jarvis to outline the week ahead. “Part of the government is so incestuous, it doesn’t even realise it has a problem.” “Sunak’s made an idiot of himself by getting a fine and messing up gaining ground.”  “The public perception is that the government always has money for their mates, so the strikes will soon succeed.” Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

Emmanuel Macron feels firmly like an elder statesman of Europe – but while his global prowess grows, how is he doing at home? With his power held together by coalition, can he be the reformer he wants to be? Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for The Economist, speaks to Ros Taylor to discuss the French president’s changes in tack and the future of his nation’s politics.  “It has been forced on him to govern differently and that's no bad thing.”  “Macron has reassessed and changed his judgement of the risks and seen it is important to back Ukraine all the way.” “There are a number of ambitious, would-be successors to Macron, but it’s too early to see who might come through.”  “Macron is incredibly engaging, he doesn’t try to duck questions – but he has failed to project that in public.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. 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 Donald Trump bleeds out politically, a new generation of paranoid and conspiracy-minded MAGA Republicans has captured the party. A nightmare hardcore Freedom Caucus holds House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hostage, and nationally, the GOP just gets crazier. Do we have to steel ourselves for MAGA 2.0 – a deTrumpified extreme right in America? UCL politics professor Brian Klaas tells Andrew Harrison what they stand for and why they’ll be so hard to beat.  “This wasn’t about principles. It was a personal vendetta. Kevin McCarthy just isn’t a true believer in the Trump camp.” “If enough crazies vote against raising the debt ceiling you will have a self-imposed global recession which will make Liz Truss look like a blip”.  “The Democrats need define the Republicans as the crazy party… These are some actual lunatics in charge there.” Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer Jet Gerburtson. 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 ProductionInstagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices