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The Bunker – News without the nonsense

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The Bunker – News without the nonsense
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  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Hot Take Time Machine – Britpop Burnham, ‘eat the ponies!’ and kinky cruises with Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge

    09/07/2026 | 35 mins.
    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 op-edaverse.

    On this episode: Andy Burnham’s wardrobe causes a stir, Kwasi Kwarteng – yes, the man who nearly exploded the economy – warns against “Red Ed” Miliband becoming chancellor, one Telegraph columnist has a solution for the Dartmoor ponies (eating them) and a Times writer takes a kinky cruise.
    • Spotted a column we should talk about next time? Send it to info@bunkercast.co.uk

    • Listen to Miranda’s sit-down with 5Live legend Elis James in the latest episode of Talk ‘90s to me.

    • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast

    Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

    www.podmasters.co.uk
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Sleaze Nation – How to fight Britain’s corruption pandemic

    08/07/2026 | 29 mins.
    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 Epstein ties and Peter Murrell embezzling from the SNP – and less conspicuous instances of fraud and backhanders – are eating into our self-image as rule-followers. And the man who might be Prime Minister keeps changing his explanation for a £5m gift from a crypto baron.
    Are these isolated political crises, or does the rot in our system run deeper? Professor of anti-corruption practice at the University of Sussex Robert Barrington joins Zing Tsjeng to unpick how corruption manifests in Britain.
    • Buy Robert's book Corrupted Kingdom: Britain's Disappearing Integrity – And How We Can Get It Back from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

    • Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker.
    • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast
    Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
    www.podmasters.co.uk

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Dark side of the Genius Factory – How Stanford University creates the global elite

    07/07/2026 | 32 mins.
    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 – the richest university in human history? As a student reporter, Stanford undergraduate Theo Baker’s work forced Stanford’s president to resign. Now his new book How To Rule The World exposes the intense and amoral culture of a place where talent fights for access to untold funds; oligarchs mine the world’s sharpest young minds for talent; and ethical concerns dissolve in the light of money.
    Seth Thévoz talks to Theo Baker about Stanford’s ruthless mindset, why most venture capitalists are actually very bad at their jobs, and what happens when you give teenagers money to burn and no responsibilities.
    • Buy How To Rule The World: An Education in Power at Stanford University through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

    • Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker .

    www.patreon.com/bunkercast

    Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Produced by James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
    www.podmasters.co.uk

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    The Farage Funds Fiasco – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler

    06/07/2026 | 30 mins.
    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 Naughty Nigel handle new revelations about undeclared funding from convicted criminal “Posh George” Cottrell, while still dealing with the headache of his £5m gift from a crypto baron?
    Plus: NATO’s conference in Ankara; crunch time for Marine le Pen; Trump names yet another thing after himself; and England face Norway on Saturday. Gavin Esler and Andrew Harrison cast the runes of the week ahead. (How come we never thought of “Orangemandias” before?)
    • Hear Gavin Esler on ⁠This Is Not A Drill⁠ every week. Miniseries New Weapons for New Wars starts Thur 16 July.
    • Special offer! ⁠Get 20% off any vehicle history check⁠ at ⁠carVertical.com/TheBunker⁠.

    ⁠www.patreon.com/bunkercast⁠

    Written and presented by Producer: Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
    ⁠www.podmasters.co.uk⁠
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Bunker – News without the nonsense

    Burnham boxed in on budgets? – Weekly Wrap-up with Alex von Tunzelmann

    03/07/2026 | 30 mins.
    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 him a poison pill? Plus, more emerges on Farage and Trump’s mammoth paydays. And goodbye human delivery, hello delivery robots, apparently already causing “pavement overload” on Britain's streets. Alex von Tunzelmann joins Andrew Harrison to dissect the week's biggest and weirdest stories – and the headlines you might have missed.
    • Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker

    • Back us on Patreon
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    • Want to get YOUR brand in front of 3.5 MILLION influential people who listen to Podmasters podcasts every month? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more.

    Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
    www.podmasters.co.uk
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About The Bunker – News without the nonsense
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 and get episodes ad-free and early: patreon.com/bunkercast • Apple users: Get all of our core shows ad-free and early with the Podmasters Originals super-subscription. The Bunker is a Podmasters production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Bunker – News without the nonsense: Podcasts in Family
  • Podcast Oh God, What Now?
    Oh God, What Now?
    News, Politics, Society & Culture
  • Podcast Origin Story
    Origin Story
    History, News, News Commentary, Society & Culture