The Bunker – News without the nonsense

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 

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• Follow us on BlueSky• 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

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 authoritarian government from coming back? We talk to experts about the pros and cons of a new Reconstruction.  Today: Can you make the pillars of American democracy President-proof without looking again at the Constitution itself? If not, is the US on a one-way path to vesting all power in one person? And how are the supposed firewalls against Presidential tyranny faring under assault from Trump? Professor of government at Bowdoin College and LSE visiting professor Andrew Rudalevige talks Andrew Harrison through the big ask of looking again at America’s most sacred document. • Don’t miss the other episodes of this three-part miniseries. • Want more on the politics of the USA? Don’t miss our brilliant podcast American Friction – out twice weekly.• Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunkerwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. 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 

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 America need a reboot, like after the Civil War? A new Reconstruction? Today: Nothing reduces the America system to gridlock and vindictiveness like the polarised two-party system. And when Trump remade the Republicans into a self-radicalising personality cult, he made it worse. Is there any breaking out of the Democrat vs Republican vendetta? Casey Burgat, former congressional staffer turned politics professor at George Washington University, give Andrew Harrison a brisk education on what’s not working in US party politics… and what, surprisingly, is.  • Don’t miss the other episodes of this three-part miniseries.• Want more on the politics of the USA? Don’t miss our brilliant podcast American Friction – out twice weekly.• Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. 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 

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 Guardian calls a “massive bunfight for influence”? Plus, Shabana Mahmood finds a way to make immigration even more contentious, Trump finds a way to make America’s 250th birthday horribly divisive… and Taylor Swift is getting married in New York. Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison read the runes for the week ahead.  • Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker.  www.patreon.com/bunkercast   Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Jade Bailey. 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

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. • Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more.Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Jonn Elledge. Audio editor: Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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 overstepped his powers. But the damage they’ve caused continues to reverberate. For economists, Trump’s tariffs began World War Trade, a dangerous new era of predatory trade and protectionism. How did tariffs become Trump’s weapon of choice? And is his trade war a total bust? Professor of international economics at IMD Business School Richard Baldwin unpacks the truth about Trump’s tariff policy with Emma Kennedy. • Special offer! Get 20% off any vehicle history check at carVertical.com/TheBunker  • Read Richard’s book World War Trade: Conflict, Containment and the Emergent World Trading Order • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk

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? Who’s in charge of the nuclear codes? And could his 13-year-old daughter Kim Ju Ae really be next in line to rule one of the world’s most dangerous regimes? Journalist, foreign affairs analyst, and author of The Great Successor: The Secret Rise and Rule of Kim Jong Un Anna Fifield joins Seth Thévos to discuss succession scenarios and where the country – and world – might stand.    • Buy Anna’s book The Great Successor: The Secret Rise and Rule of Kim Jong Un 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 Seth Thévos. 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