News without the nonsense, every weekday morning. In episodes that fit your commute, The Bunker cuts through the noise to make sense of what’s really going on in news, current affairs, politics, economics and culture. We bring you smart explainers, interviews, fresh perspectives and under-reported stories to as a refreshing alternative to repetitive 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: Gavin Esler • Ros Taylor • Alex von Tunzelmann • Andrew Harrison • Zing Tsjeng • Jacob Jarvis • Emma Kennedy • Rafael Behr • Seth Thévoz. • Sign up to support the podcast a...
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Oct 2, 2026 · 30:23
Looking back at the past week... Burnham has set out his vision and was praised for delivering Labour’s “best conference speech since Tony Blair”. What did he actually announce –…
Oct 1, 2026 · 34:45
Paper Cuts survivors Miranda Sawyer , Jonn Elledge and Jacob Jarvis are back to pick apart the strangest takes from the op-edverse over the past month. This week: Andy Burnham…
Sep 30, 2026 · 42:52
The far-right is reshaping politics across Europe. So what is driving its rise? What do these movements have in common? How did we get here – and what might happen next? Steven…
Sep 29, 2026 · 31:13
Once, Britain and Germany were the closest of friends. But over the course of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relations spectacularly unravelled – culminating in two…
Sep 28, 2026 · 29:09
Setting out the stories of the next seven days… Five men are arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack on RAF Fairford. It has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored action…
Sep 25, 2026 · 34:42
Looking back at the big stories from the past seven days… Andy Burnham has vowed to crack down on Russia’s “poisonous” slopaganda campaign. Can he really stop the Kremlin…
Sep 24, 2026 · 31:03
Is Britain really the crime-ridden hellhole the right says it is? Well… no, not really. Crime has actually fallen over the past decade for most offences – ranging from phone…
Sep 23, 2026 · 24:47
Some people fear spiders so much they can barely stand to read the word. For others, these secretive eight-legged hunters are a source of fascination and mythic wonder. Why do…
Sep 22, 2026 · 31:52
Alexis Conran , the broadcaster and consumer champion, gets asked one question more than any other: “Is my phone listening to me?” We’ve all had a conversation about a new duvet…
Sep 21, 2026 · 28:01
Andy Burnham is meeting Trump this week – how will he handle the increasingly erratic US president? Plus, more issues for the UN, Labour conference and more news to look out for,…
Sep 18, 2026 · 30:00
Farage is bracing for legal war over a potential challenge to Reform’s mega money donations. But is his brand terminally damaged already? Plus, A.I. is being debated again, a…
Sep 17, 2026 · 34:27
Vladimir Kuzichkin may have changed the course of the Cold War – and it was all down to a very personal problem. The KGB agent was stationed in Tehran in 1981, less than two…
Sep 16, 2026 · 26:46
The future has arrived, and it’s starting to look suspiciously like something Elon Musk and his fellow tech billionaires dreamt about as nine-year-olds. Silicon Valley’s rulers…
Sep 15, 2026 · 24:08
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is constantly tipped as a potential Democratic contender for 2028. She is beloved by the left and loathed by Republicans with equal vigour for her…
Sep 14, 2026 · 29:40
Reform and Farage have raked in mega donations the likes of which British politics has never seen before. What does this money mean for democracy? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis…
Sep 11, 2026 · 36:26
Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Nigel Farage faces yet another headache after the Met launched a criminal investigation into whether Reform broke party…
Sep 10, 2026 · 35:39
A three-part mini-series from The Bunker… The horror of the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago this week led America into massive retaliation and ultimately national humiliation in…
Sep 9, 2026 · 29:37
A three-part mini-series from The Bunker… In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago, an enraged America stumbled into the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq. At…
Sep 8, 2026 · 32:24
A new three-part mini-series from The Bunker… When terrorists murdered 2,977 people in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago this week, al-Qaeda set America on a dark path which…
Sep 7, 2026 · 30:26
Nigel Farage is doing everything he can to deny having been in the wrong in those disastrous sting videos. Can his excuses work? Plus, Trump is going wild with AI slop, Kushner…
Sep 4, 2026 · 23:15
Quick-fire reaction with News Statesman’s associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe and Jacob Jarvis. Given the Farage fallout, we had to record something quickly, so we did an…
Sep 4, 2026 · 29:02
Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Burnham and Badenoch finally went head-to-head at PMQs. Who came out on top? Reform kicks off its conference, complete…
Sep 3, 2026 · 26:36
Is that mini-mart laundering money? Why have five barbershops opened on the same street? And how can suspiciously empty phone repair shops afford to run? For years, rumours have…
Sep 2, 2026 · 28:45
Amoral attack dog for Senator Joe McCarthy during America’s Red Scare of the ’50s. Corrupt mob lawyer, cruel swindler and powerbroker. Racist. Closeted but extremely sexually…
Sep 1, 2026 · 31:37
Setting up the stories for the week ahead… The carefree summer of announcing fun policies is over for Andy Burnham as Parliament returns with tricky questions on defence funding,…
Aug 28, 2026 · 28:31
Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Dolly Parton ’s death leaves the world brokenhearted but reflecting on a true rarity: someone rich, famous and powerful…
Aug 27, 2026 · 37:53
Hot Take Time Machine is back with Paper Cuts alumni Miranda Sawyer, Jonn Elledge and Jacob Jarvis sniffing out the strangest, worst – and occasionally best – opinions of the…
Aug 26, 2026 · 27:57
We’re living through another technological revolution, but it’s easy to take for granted how much of the world around us was once a radical new invention. Author, columnist and…
Aug 25, 2026 · 28:02
Do great leaders actually matter? Or are they just being carried along by bigger forces – from timing to sheer dumb luck? It’s the question that underpins almost every argument…
Aug 24, 2026 · 21:16
Burnham’s summer is coming to an end, how has his start in office gone? And what problems does he have to look forward to? Plus, there are new hacking concerns for the UK and…
Aug 21, 2026 · 39:29
Looking back on the big stories of the past seven days… Donald Trump is once again cosying up to his dictator bestie Kim Jong Un – what’s he got up his sleeve? Plus: Burnham…
Aug 20, 2026 · 26:55
How did we get the modern Middle East? Who shaped it and does the term even make sense in our current era? Seth Thévoz speaks to Simon Sebag Montefiore author of The Cauldron:…
Aug 19, 2026 · 32:25
We live in a surveillance world, but what is it doing to us? To give one small example, hackers figured out Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s movements by tracking his…
Aug 18, 2026 · 31:17
Silicon Valley’s overlords have completely lost their minds. Gil Durán , Kamala Harris’ former communications director and now a journalist, says Elon Musk , Peter Thiel and the…
Aug 17, 2026 · 27:51
Setting out the stories of the week ahead… The shocking death of Jason Arday reignites questions about the press’s relentless pursuit of the story, Cambridge University and Simon…
Aug 14, 2026 · 32:17
Looking back on the big stories of the past week… Will all of Nigel Farage’s problems come back to haunt him now his Clacton distraction is over? Andy Burnham tries to solve the…
Aug 13, 2026 · 30:35
First an OpenAI artificial intelligence model hacked a tech start-up called Hugging Face. Then one of Anthropic’s creations escaped its testing environment and carried out…
Aug 12, 2026 · 28:07
America’s hunt for al-Qaeda defined the 2000s in an epochal War on Terror that consumed $8 trillion. But the story didn’t end when Osama bin Laden and his successor Ayman…
Aug 11, 2026 · 30:38
How do languages die? Who’s behind the death of languages from Ghana’s Dagbani to regional Italian dialects? And does it matter if they decay? Almost half of our 7,000 languages…
Aug 10, 2026 · 27:20
It’s Farage vs. Binface at this week’s Clacton by-election, what has this campaign taught us? Plus, Burnham is on tour and Trump finds himself in a new conundrum. Gavin Elser…
Aug 7, 2026 · 28:15
Looking back on the big stories of the past week… Kemi Badenoch faces fury after defending a former neo-Nazi’s decision to stand as a Tory councillor. What was she thinking?…
Aug 6, 2026 · 31:29
Sick of watching Shiv Roy or Tanya McQuoid strut around luxury properties? You’re not alone. For years, depictions of extreme wealth have dominated the airwaves with shows like…
Aug 5, 2026 · 33:47
Europe is secretly at war – and it has been for a long time. Across the continent, 34 disputed territories remain with places where the conflicts of empire still linger and rival…
Aug 4, 2026 · 24:00
Donald Trump is making more money than any sitting US president in history – and his eldest son isn’t about to let Dad have all the fun… Through his investment firm 1789 Capital,…
Aug 3, 2026 · 30:16
Andy Burnham is pushing his new devolution agenda and suggested it could mean we need a written constitution. How might that work? Plus, there’s a new mayor in Manchester, what…
Jul 31, 2026 · 31:13
Looking back on the big stories of the past week… The Burnham bounce is driving the right completely bonkers. How long can his momentum last – and can anyone knock the PM off his…
Jul 30, 2026 · 26:21
Putin thought his war on Ukraine would restore Russia to greatness in just ten days. Instead, after four and a half years of futile slaughter and almost half a million Russian…
Jul 29, 2026 · 27:31
A lab accident, a bio-attack, a global pandemic. Is this how it all ends? If you weren’t worried enough about nuclear war, the next doomsday weapon is a sinister invisible threat…
Jul 28, 2026 · 24:52
Steve Gallant knows what’s wrong with Britain's prisons. He spent over 16 years in jail for murder and then – on his very first day release – he helped stop the 2019 London…
Jul 27, 2026 · 25:42
Setting up the stories of the next seven days… France and Spain suffer apocalyptic fires and mass evacuations. Will this be the tipping point for European climate policy? Andy…
Jul 24, 2026 · 27:32
Looking back on the big stories of the past seven days… Did Andy Burnham ’s first week as PM go as planned? A raging Elon Musk says he’s going to make his own Odyssey with A.I.…
Jul 23, 2026 · 25:39
“You can’t have a black Helen of Troy!” “You can’t have trans actors as Greek warriors!” Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of The Odyssey answered the far-right hecklers…
Jul 22, 2026 · 32:18
Marine Le Pen is expected to make her fourth run at the French presidency sporting a unique accessory: an ankle tag. The scandal-plagued National Rally leader has gained ground…
Jul 21, 2026 · 27:13
Nigel Farage launched a “people versus establishment” by-election in Clacton – but which side is he REALLY on? The Reform leader claims to speak for ordinary people but the…
Jul 20, 2026 · 27:17
Burnham is finally going to become Prime Minister – but can he really move faster than his predecessor? And will simply communicating better make all that much difference? Gavin…
Jul 17, 2026 · 26:50
Looking back on the big stories of the past seven days… An astonishing World Cup rollercoaster ends in crushing disappointment for England against Argentina – but it all seems…
Jul 16, 2026 · 31:54
It’s been branded “the scariest company on the planet” and it is busy weaving itself into the fabric of Britain’s NHS, defence establishment and beyond. Peter Thiel’s Palantir…
Jul 15, 2026 · 27:31
Nigel Farage is under fire over his £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire – but does British politics have a wider money problem? MPs earn a salary of just shy of £100,000…
Jul 14, 2026 · 26:46
“Please rate this book.” “What was your experience at Tesco like?” “Did this carrot meet your expectations?”… Star ratings are everywhere and they’re ruining the world. You can’t…
Jul 13, 2026 · 29:33
Setting up the stories of the next seven days… Police say there is no reason to suspect that the murder of Anne Widdecombe was politically motivated, but it’s not stopping Nigel…
Jul 10, 2026 · 31:26
Nigel Farage’s by-election stunt has blown up in his face – but could he really lose to Count Binface? Donald Trump has gone back to bombing and declared the Iran ceasefire…
Jul 9, 2026 · 35:20
Columnists need critics too… Hot Take Time Machine is back with Paper Cuts alumni Miranda Sawyer , Jonn Elledge and Jacob Jarvis picking apart the most bizarre takes in the…
Jul 8, 2026 · 29:00
Is Britain really as free of corruption as we think? This year the UK posted its lowest-ever score in a global corruption index. High-level scandals like Peter Mandelson’s…
Jul 7, 2026 · 32:46
Tech shapes our world, and Stanford University is Silicon Valley’s training ground. But what really goes on in the place that gave us Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel –…
Jul 6, 2026 · 30:13
Setting up the stories of the next seven days… As England fans shake off their Mexico hangover, another cash scandal hits Farage, who denies “doing any wrongdoing” (?). How will…
Jul 3, 2026 · 30:48
Setting out the stories that matter from the past seven days… Andy Burnham sets out his store before almost certainly taking the keys to Downing Street. But is Starmer leaving…
Jul 2, 2026 · 32:46
Fables Of The Reconstruction: A Bunker mini-series for the 250th anniversary of the USA… When Trump is gone, should America take a long hard look at its system to prevent…
Jul 1, 2026 · 28:46
Fables Of The Reconstruction: A Bunker mini-series for the 250th anniversary of the USA… Trump won’t be around forever. When he goes, does America need a root and branch rethink?…
Jun 30, 2026 · 28:10
Fables Of The Reconstruction: A Bunker mini-series for the 250th anniversary of the USA… After Trump’s reign and his war on the pillars of American democracy are over, will…
Jun 29, 2026 · 30:51
Setting out the stories of the next seven days… Andy Burnham is PM in waiting and the battle among Labour MPs for his attention is on. What’s going to bubble up from what the…
Jun 26, 2026 · 29:11
Burnham looks set to become PM, so how are his plans shaping up? Jonn Elledge joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss as they pull together the biggest news stories from the last week. •…
Jun 25, 2026 · 28:56
The eye-watering “Liberation Day” trade tariffs that Trump unleashed on the world on April 2, 2025, are about to expire after the US Supreme Court ruled the President had…
Jun 24, 2026 · 24:44
Kim Jong Un has ruled North Korea with an iron fist since taking power in 2011. But if the dictator died tomorrow, what would happen? Would North Koreans finally taste freedom?…
Jun 23, 2026 · 30:53
It’s ten years to the day since Britain voted by an infamously thin margin to leave the EU – and after a decade of acrimony, most voters now recognise Brexit as a colossal…
Jun 22, 2026 · 28:05
Keir Starmer is expected to announce his departure from Downing Street, paving the way for Andy Burnham to become PM. But is a coronation the best thing for Labour or the…
Jun 19, 2026 · 34:43
Donald Trump has finally put pen to paper and signed an agreement to end the war he started. He quickly lashed out at the “bad people” criticising it – but is it even a deal or…
Jun 18, 2026 · 22:23
What really triggered the horrific race riots in Northern Ireland earlier this month? Who were the agitators of the “modern-day pogrom” in which balaclava-clad rioters chased…
Jun 17, 2026 · 34:55
What connects violent anti-immigration protests with a defence secretary resigning over a funding row with Number 10? The answer is social cohesion – and Britain isn’t doing…
Jun 16, 2026 · 31:53
The West’s naivete towards Putin in the 2000s cost us dearly. Now Russia’s tyrant – a creature of the KGB/FSB who has returned his country to its roots as a repressive…
Jun 15, 2026 · 28:03
Setting out the stories of the next seven days… Labour announce far more draconian restrictions on social media for teens than anyone expected. Why are they being so hardcore…
Jun 12, 2026 · 30:30
Violence swept Belfast after a knife attack sparked days of unrest fuelled by right-wing agitators. With reports that many of those involved had travelled to the city from…
Jun 11, 2026 · 33:44
Or will it arrive pre-ruined by FIFA’s oligarch-coddling sycophant president Gianni Infantino, creator of Trump’s ludicrous “FIFA Peace Prize”? The 2026 World Cup has already…
Jun 10, 2026 · 24:53
What happens if Vladimir Putin suddenly dies – or is killed? Has the Russian dictator lined up a successor, or would a new leader rise up? And what sort of chaos would that…
Jun 9, 2026 · 36:38
Can the damage Donald Trump has wrought on America be repaired? And if another Trump emerged, could anyone stop them? Ex-FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann is a former member…
Jun 8, 2026 · 34:37
American politicians won’t stop wading in on British politics – what do they want and can we stop them? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss, plus the latest from Ukraine,…
Jun 5, 2026 · 23:12
Summing up the key stories of the past seven days… Reform and the far-right seize on the murder of student Henry Nowak to foment violent protests and provoke a national political…
Jun 4, 2026 · 33:13
Hot Take Time Machine is back and our crack squad of column critics are sniffing out the weirdest, worst and occasionally the best opinions from the last month. Paper Cuts…
Jun 3, 2026 · 27:39
OpenAI chief Sam Altman once wrote that the most successful people don’t build companies, they “create religions”. Will artificial intelligence really solve humanity’s greatest…
Jun 2, 2026 · 30:15
Democratic rights and freedoms have expanded for a century or more, yet the super-rich have never been richer and wealth has never been shared less fairly. And we keep on voting…
Jun 1, 2026 · 27:55
A huge dump of messages linked to Peter Mandelson are about to drop – what can we expect and who’s the most nervous? Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the news to…
May 28, 2026 · 31:11
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing for The Bunker. Tony Blair has weighed in on Labour’s direction – but what does he actually want?…
May 28, 2026 · 31:43
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Iran’s hardline regime may have weathered Donald Trump’s onslaught for now – but behind Teheran’s…
May 27, 2026 · 29:56
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Is time finally running out for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? The Knesset has voted…
May 26, 2026 · 30:25
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Last chance to get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Setting up the stories for the next seven… sorry, six days. As Britain suffers…
May 22, 2026 · 31:56
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing for The Bunker. The Makerfield by-election is heating up, with Andy Burnham officially entering…
May 21, 2026 · 22:52
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. The Doomsday crowd was once confined to fringe congregations and rural survivalists stockpiling…
May 20, 2026 · 28:22
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Donald Trump came, he saw, and left Beijing without much to show for his high-stakes summit with…
May 19, 2026 · 27:35
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to Washington and rebuilding it in his own image. Is his…
May 18, 2026 · 29:09
• It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Setting up the stories of the next seven days… Has Andy Burnham set Labour up for a potential…
May 14, 2026 · 32:09
It’s Podmasters’ 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year’s Patreon backing. Early release as the news is moving fast… Keir Starmer’s wild week is feeling more and more…
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