British politics is a shambles, from the economy to the cost of living to the NHS and public standards. But is this age of disorder worse than the endgames of past governments? Steve Richards, former BBC political correspondent and host of the Rock & Roll Politics podcast, tells Andrew Harrison how this dying government ranks among key moments of fin de siècle political acrimony from recent decades. From epic scandals to strikes, corruption and shameful resignations, are we really living through the worst days ever?  
 
• “The divisions within the Tory party are much more visible… Sunak has completely failed to contain them.” – Steve Richards  
• “We think of politics as showbiz for ugly people but politics is also football for people who can’t play sport.” – Andrew Harrison  
 
We’re now on TikTok as well as Instagram and Twitter. Follow us to keep up with news about our latest episodes and more: www.tiktok.com/@bunkerpod  
 
Get Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards every Tuesday. 
 
Support us on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/bunkercast  
 
Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 
 
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Is this Britain’s worst-ever chaos era? – with Steve Richards

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 Bunker is a Podmasters production.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

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Government

Rishi Sunak is trying to spin his local election trouncing as best as he can – what bluster should we ignore this week? Plus, the latest from Gaza as Israel strikes Rafah. And, the Trump trial rolls on – while Xi visits Europe for the first time in five years. Alex Andreou talks Jacob Jarvis through the week ahead.  
 
• “There’s a sort of electoral ruthlessness to the Labour Party at the moment.” – Alex Andreou 
• “Sunak should call an election, he won’t, but he should.” – Alex Andreou  
• “If Sunak should do something then that usually suggests he won’t do it.” – Jacob Jarvis 
• “This is a critical moment for Netenyahu.” – Alex Andreou  
• “There is a weird mix of entitlement and scattergun strategy going on from Trump in his court case.” – Jacob Jarvis 
 
Want to hear more about the American election? Then listen to our new podcast, hosted by Jacob Jarvis, ‘American Friction’ – out every Friday in the run up to November’s vote.  
 
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. 
 
Support us on Patreon.
 
Written and Presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex Andreou. 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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Foregone delusion – Start Your Week with Alex Andreou and Jacob Jarvis

Is “fandom” one of the drives behind our dysfunctional politics? That’s the thesis of Dr Phoenix Andrews new book I Heart Politics – who writes about how people power is behind a series of quake moments in recent political history. He joins Andrew Harrison to discuss whether the phenomenon and power of fandom is overlooked in contemporary politics, and how the fandoms of politicians like Trump, Farage and Thatcher affect the cultural zeitgeist.

• “The world feels mad, but finding people with a common passion is uplifting.” – Dr Phoenix Andrews
• “Political fandom is basically Eurovision with consequences.” – Dr Phoenix Andrews

We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.

Buy Phoenix Andrew’s book I Heart Politics: How People Power Took Over the World 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.

https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast

Written and Presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: Adam Wright and Liam Tait. Audio Production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Artwork: James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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The fandom menace – How politics is shaped by obsessives

The brand new podcast from the makers of The Bunker. Bewildered by the US Presidential Election? Don’t worry, American Friction has got you. Every Friday Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez of Rolling Stone join expert special guests to count down to America’s most rancorous election in generations. 
Get the full episode and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major platforms. 
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Written and presented by Chris Jones, Jacob Jarvis and Nikki McCann Ramírez. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production
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Extra: A taster of American Friction

Fox News is regularly criticised for being sensationalist, full of conspiracies and obsessed with Trump. But, what’s it like if you really watch it for hours on end? Jacob Jarvis did just that and he talked to Dan Cassino, a political scientist at Fairleigh Dickinson University and author of: Fox News and American Politics: How One Channel Shapes American Politics and Society, about what he saw. What is the channel, which has been America’s most watched cable news station for twenty years, really all about? 
 
 
• “What’s happened over the years to Fox News is it’s turned into something akin to a celebrity gossip magazine.” – Dan Cassino 
• “If you come to the US Fox News is on wherever you are and that’s how it’s meant to be consumed… with about 30% of your brain.” – Dan Cassino 
• “We’re still living in the world that Fox News Created.” – Dan Cassino 
 
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.  
 
Support us on Patreon.
 
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Artwork by Jim Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
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“I watched Fox News for a week… here’s what I found out.”

Trump’s followers are often described as cult-like. But how much does the former president actually act like a cult leader? Does he employ the same coercive control tactics utilised by infamous infamous figureheads of the past – like Jim Jones and Sun Myung Moon? The Cult of Trump author and leading mind control expert Steven Hassan tells Rafael Behr how perceiving Trump as a cult leader might let us better understand the current political climate. 

• “People don’t care that Trump has ninety-one criminal charges against him, that he has over 40,000 documented lies. They refuse to believe he lost the election. Their minds have been hacked.” – Steven Hassan
• “There are a lot of different cults in the cult of trump.” – Steven Hassan

We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit.

www.patreon.com/bunkercast   
  
Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson and artwork by James Parrett. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. 
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Is this Britain’s worst-ever chaos era? – with Steve Richards

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