The Bunker – News without the nonsense

The murder attempt on Salman Rushdie continues to reverberate. What does it mean for tensions with Iran – and for free speech? Plus, the economy’s in the toilet and the Prime Minister’s on a Greek beach. Will anyone get a grip of the cost of living crisis? And if TikTok becomes the dominant social media platform, how do we feel about China owning the arena of political debate? Our special guest is Helena Wadia of the Mediastorm podcast. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB “Iran’s capacity to stir up trouble remains. Even if they’re not responsible for this attack, they set the tone.” – Gavin Esler “We usually equate emergency with urgency. Somehow that message didn’t get through.” – Helena Wadia “The energy crisis feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back… A big shift has to come because the alternative is unthinkable.” – Ahir Shah “Rushdie has a very wicked sense of humour. And some people, especially the very religious, don’t get the joke.” – Gavin Esler “Didn’t Dominic Raab already prove that you can’t do your job from the beach? When Kabul fell?” – Ahir Shah https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Justin Quirk with Ahir Shah and Gavin Esler. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coming up in the next seven days: The attack on Salman Rushdie continues to reverberate. Will Keir Starmer’s plan to freeze the energy cap burst Truss and Sunak’s tax-cuts bubble? And Trump’s worries mount as more details emerge of what the FBI found in Mar-a-Lago. Alex Andreou looks at the next seven days with Justin Quirk. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB “Sunak just needed to sit back and let Truss reveal herself for the idiot she is – but he blew it spectacularly.”  “When it comes to Trump zealots, you’re not dealing with logic but religious fervour.” “It’s getting harder and harder for the government to call these strikers communist loons.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Alex Andreou and Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s 75 years since British India was split in two, but what does Partition mean today? Signalling the end of British colonial rule in the subcontinent, and leaving thousands dead and millions displaced – why are we not taught about it in schools? Ahir Shah discusses family histories and second generation identity with fellow British-Asian comedian Eshaan Akbar. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB “All you are taught at school is: Henry VIII was a bit of a legend, then World War Two.” – Ahir Shah “Wounds created in 1947 remained open and festering for decades.” – Ahir Shah “You have these two senses of us in your head - I can’t believe WE did this to US.” – Ahir Shah https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Jade Bailey. Audio production by Jade Bailey The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your pop culture update: Does Netflix smash The Sandman only make sense if you’re a comics geek? Super-producer Danger Mouse’s return to hip hop leaves our panel “totally blown away.” And why does Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 leave such a nasty taste in the mouth? Music business writer Eamonn Forde joins Alex and Andrew. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB “Tom Sturridge as Dream has an incredibly striking look, like a terribly deprived version of Bernard from Black Books…” – Eamonn Forde “Sandman puts a bunch of myths in a bag and shakes them.” – Alex Andreou “This is a fantastic album… Danger Mouse has done Pop 101 for hip hop and just written bangers.” – Eamonn Forde Get yer free opera classics: https://www.mariacallasmuseum.org/_cetra/cetra.htmHear all the music on our rolling playlists.Spotify: https://bit.ly/CultBunkTidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/77075591-255c-47eb-9062-815c4dd469efPresented and produced by Andrew Harrison and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. Co-produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s Bunker Gold, listen back to Jude Rogers in conversation with Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, from January 2021. On the last day of Trump’s warped presidency, his niece Mary – psychologist and author of Too Much And Never Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man – reflected on the making of a man who impressed his psychopathologies on a nation. How does a person get like this? What is it like when a family member places the entire world in peril? And could a defeated Trump represent an even worse danger to American democracy? “For the first time in his life he can’t spin a loss into a win. And it’s driving him crazy.” “At a very deep level, Donald knows he’s never been truly successful and has no skills.” “When Donald was elected I knew he would do to my country what he and his father had done to my family.” “What shocks me is that there are people on this planet who are weaker than Donald. I didn’t think that was possible” “In the election, if he was going down, he would try to take the rest of us with him. And that’s exactly what he did.” “Failure to live up Fred Trump’s demands got you destroyed. And that’s what happened to my dad.” “If the cameras disappear, Donald ceases to exist.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastComplete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySBPresented by Jude Rogers. 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

With workers on strike and services cancelled, why are Britain’s railways such a mess? And how can they be fixed? Tom Haines-Doran, research fellow at Leeds University and author of Derailed: How to Fix Britain’s Broken Railways, joins Ros Taylor to discuss the problems with the UK’s train system, and what needs to happen for our railways to get back on track. “Once a new Prime Minister is in place we could see a lot more strike action take place.” “The Government has deliberately shifted the cost of running the railways onto passengers.” “It’s extraordinary the Government would put up prices 13% after a year of turmoil on the railways.” “Railway workers really do have some power.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastComplete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com and AlienXXX via Freesound.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week has ignited tensions around the island, but why does China want to crush Taiwan? Cindy Yu, host of the Chinese Whispers podcast, joins Alex Andreou to explain the status of Taiwan, why Pelosi’s visit has angered Beijing, and how the situation could develop in the months ahead. “If Taiwan declared independence they would incur the wrath of Beijing.” “The national security law has made a peaceful reunification with Taiwan almost impossible.” “If the West doesn’t want to get into a decoupling situation with China, it needs to be strong on Russia.” “Xi has made it part of his legacy to reunite China with Taiwan.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastComplete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Sunak and Truss argue over cutting taxes, what about emissions? Madeleine Cuff, i’s environment correspondent joins us to pick apart the pair’s climate credentials. Do they have any? Plus, healthcare commentator Roy Lilley takes us through what you need to know about the state of the NHS staffing crisis. And, as spiders are reanimated in an experiment akin to a David Cronenberg movie, we ask… why?"The NHS has the biggest carbon footprint of any institution in Europe." - Roy Lilley "15% of the UK population takes 70% of its flights." - Madeleine Cuff“We should frame environmentalism as the militant wing of the National Trust” - Justin Quirk"Truss and Sunak's campaigns are simply fantasy island economics." - Justin Quirk​​"It’s really macabre. Some of the language around the utility of the spiders is quite stomach churning. They say they can get about a thousand 'repetitions' out of the carcass." - Madeleine Cuff Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Justin Quirk. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. 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 the cost of living crisis bites, will this week’s Truss U-Turn be “handouts” or an emergency budget? Can the Mail nobble the Privileges Committee before it nobbles Johnson? Tensions rise over Taiwan and the Russians are shelling nuclear plants in Ukraine. Just another week, then… Alex Andreou looks at the next seven days with Jacob Jarvis. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB  “The Government has checked out – not just the ministers but civil servants too… Most departments are on skeleton staff.”  “Their whole goal is to pretend that this is a brand new Government – and that’s hard to do if your first months are consumed with the Partygate probe.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis and Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Lead producer: Jacob Archbold. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come 2035, what will a trip away look like? Where will we visit when the planet is undergoing increasingly violent change? Siân Pattenden speaks with Tom Hall, vice president at Lonely Planet, about where our travel plans are headed. Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySB “Maybe the job of travel writers is different to what it was in the past. We need to have a range of voices.”  “People need different experiences and exposure to as many perspectives as they can.”  “I’m less convinced that the traditional idea of what a holiday is is what people need.”  “The enthusiasm for travel that doesn’t prick your conscience is really strong.”  https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Complete our listener survey for a chance to win a Bunker t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zFSySBPresented by Siân Pattenden. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices