One day you’re one of the world’s most powerful people, the next you’re out of work. So what do ex-leaders get up to when they leave office? And are they ever any good at it? BBC Radio producer and author of The Ex-Men: How Our Former Presidents and Prime Ministers are Still Changing the World Giles Edwards takes Ros Taylor behind the closed doors of members-only clubs – and reveals how these ex-men (and women) still shape public life without us even knowing. 


“You can get more done in fifteen minutes as Prime Minister than fifteen months as a former Prime Minister.” 

“Clinton touched something in the Democratic Party soul that Obama didn’t.”


Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Daily: Is there LIFE AFTER POWER? Tales of the ex-leaders

Your daily Need To Know on news and politics. Every morning The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on, with smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to rescue you from everyday Punch and Judy news coverage. It’s the only way to start the day. From the producers of Oh God, What Now?
Our regulars include: Alex Andreou • Gavin Esler • Hannah Fearn • Andrew Harrison • Jacob Jarvis • Marie le Conte • Jude Rogers • Yasmeen Serhan • Ahir Shah • Siân Pattenden • Ros Taylor.
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The Union Jack represents many things for many people, linked to historical pride – but also shame. And, unfortunately, it’s become somewhat synonymous with the political Right. So what is Labour’s relationship with the flag? Andrew Harrison asks The People's Flag and the Union Jack: An Alternative History of Britain and the Labour Party co-author Gerry Hassan if Labour can reclaim Britishness.  
 
• “I don’t think anyone in the UK can be completely objective about the Union Jack. Flags are things we have emotional connections with. The Union Jack’s meaning has evolved over centuries.” – Gerry Hassan 
• “Lots of people say we have to either identify and feel pride in it, or loathe it – but it’s important we allow for a polarity of meanings.” – Gerry Hassan 
• “In our current age of culture wars, symbols really matter. And symbols like national flags are highly contested.” – Gerry Hassan 
• “Flags are part of who we are as human beings.” – Gerry Hassan 
 
 
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Written and presented by Podmasters Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 

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Red, white and boo – Can Labour reclaim the flag?

Sunak has lost another MP after Mark Menzies announced he’s leaving the Tories and won’t stand at the next election. What issues does this raise for the PM? Meanwhile, the Tory leader is set to head to Poland to discuss the Ukraine war with Donald Tusk. What will they talk about? Plus, will Israel go ahead with further strikes on Rafah? And can Donald Trump manage to stay awake during his hush money trial this week? Alex Andreou joins Ros Taylor to discuss the week ahead.  
 
• “They were happy to comment on an ongoing investigation last week, life comes at you fast.” – Alex Andreou  
• “The lack of any kind of compromise is part of the reason why the Lords have dug their heels in. The government has made absolutely no moves to meet them even 2% of the way, they’ve just flatly turned everything down.” – Alex Andreou 
• “The legislative process shouldn’t be one of trying to ram things through a House that dislikes them.” – Alex Andreou 
 
 
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Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.﻿
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Menzies Behaving Badly – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou

We know what happened the last time Donald Trump lost – and Joe Biden wants to make sure he’s prepared for more shenanigans this time out. If Trump doesn’t win “he is willing to cheat and steal it,'' writes today’s guest Adam Rawnsley, reporter for Rolling Stone magazine. He joins Jacob Jarvis in The Bunker to discuss how President Biden is preparing for an electoral tussle with the GOP.
• “The one message we keep seeing from the polls is that no one is excited for this race.” – Adam Rawnsley
• “We have a uniquely dim system … the electoral college.” – Adam Rawnsley
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Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Inside Biden's plan to stop Trump stealing the election

Vladimir Putin has a tight grip on information in Russia. How does he shape how his nation sees the rest of the world? And how does he actually perceive other countries? Chris Jones asks Dr. Ivan Grigoriev, lecturer in Russian politics at the King’s Russia Institute.  
 
• “Propaganda in Russia is like a steamroller that keeps rolling over and over the population.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev 
• “Russia’s election went just how we thought it would: It was an 87% landslide election for Vladimir Putin. And the primary goal of this election was to show that if Putin wants 87%, he will get 87%.” - Dr. Ivan Grigoriev 
 
 
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Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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Putin Vision – How does Russia see the rest of the world?

Paris is like Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. But it’s changing. Physically, through massive expansions in social housing and transport and a €40bn shot of investment, but also politically and psychologically. People are even smiling in the streets these days. Ros Taylor talks to Simon Kuper, Financial Times columnist and author of Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century, about how the French capital is transforming in the lead up to this year’s Olympics. 
• “One thing that globalisation does is it removes these weird localities – and in Paris, that locality was rudeness.” – Simon Kuper
• “Paris is trying to become London with the bad bits left out.” - Simon Kuper 
Buy Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
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Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Instagram | Twitter  
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Daily: Is there LIFE AFTER POWER? Tales of the ex-leaders

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