Gavin Esler
@gavinesler.bsky.social
Writer, broadcaster, new book “Britain Is Better Than This” gavinesler.substack.com Contact: lfennimore@noelgay.com
Brown University has a widget that tracks the cost of the Iran war to American consumers (as contrasted to whatever the Pentagon is spending). Per-household cost now exceeds $600. iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu
“Gunwhales” ….. maybe Mr Farage thinks he is a “navel” expert…
Otto English@ottoenglish.bsky.social · 9h agoReform UKs plan to use the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats in the Channel brilliantly taken apart by ... er ... Nigel Farage
This just about sums things up in 2026 and beyond. Unfortunately
Joerg Lau@joerglau.bsky.social · 2d agoEuropean nations, an uncomfortable assemblage of former empires bound in an unprecedented (and misunderstood) realm of shared sovereignty, face an almost impossible task: managing the dangerous idiosyncrasies of a declining, a stagnating and a rising empire. (yeah, go ahead and guess who I mean)
It’s perfectly possible to make big changes to the UK’s “constitutional settlement” without a “written constitution”, in the sense of a single constitutional code. Most such changes would require legislation, like the 90s devolution settlements (which undoubtedly form part of our constitution now)
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 4d agoDevolution plans strengthen case for written UK constitution, says Burnham
Maybe it’s approaching the time for Nigel to retire to spend more time with his money. www.lbc.co.uk/article/fara...
Farage struck secret Reform comeback deal months before election | LBC
Negotiations with Richard Tice were supervised by George Cottrell, raising fresh questions over Nigel Farage’s account of when he decided to return to politics.
lbc.co.uk
“Across Hampshire, Kent, Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire, drought linked to the climate crisis and the failure of the water industry to build critical infrastructure means growth plans are hitting environmental barriers.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘We cannot magic up more water’: the supply problems putting housing targets in England at risk
Council leaders say crumbling infrastructure and lack of water are jeopardising government’s plans for new homes
theguardian.com
Another great episode by @thisisnotadrillpod.bsky.social with @gavinesler.bsky.social talking with Professor Ali Ansari. Really covers stuff we are not seeing covered in Western press on the conflict.
Reign of Tehran – Inside the new Iranian regime
Podcast Episode · This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler · July 30 · 27m
podcasts.apple.com
Who is really in charge in Iran? Want to know more? @gavinesler.bsky.social and Prof. Ali Ansari get into the details in our latest episode ➡️ linktr.ee/drillpod
Just days into the Iran conflict, strikes had taken out much of the country’s military leadership. Yet the conflict continues with a new regime installed. As peace negotiations stall, who and what drives Tehran’s decisions? @gavinesler.bsky.social and Prof. Ali Ansari discuss ➡ linktr.ee/drillpod
What’s really going on inside the Iranian leadership? Who is in charge? What do they want? It’s not easy to find out but we have an expert view from Prof. Ali Ansari
This Is Not A Drill@thisisnotadrillpod.bsky.social · 6d agoJust days into the Iran conflict, strikes had taken out much of the country’s military leadership. Yet the conflict continues with a new regime installed. As peace negotiations stall, who and what drives Tehran’s decisions? @gavinesler.bsky.social and Prof. Ali Ansari discuss ➡ linktr.ee/drillpod
Would you give this man a job? What kind of job?
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last wk.Hannity: "My President, Lindsey probably has a heavenly version of Mar-a-Lago. It may even be a little bigger. I wouldn't be surprised if he added one big beautiful ballroom and an arch somewhere on the property. Because he would want to obviously duplicate his dearest friend in life. You."
This is absolutely lovely. Worth a listen. Thank you @wtscotsocial.bsky.social
Woodland Trust Scotland@wtscotsocial.bsky.social · last wk.Every year this sound makes us smile. 😀 The black seed-pods of broom exploding in the sun. ☀️ This year it seems to be louder than ever before - no longer a quiet 'walk in the woods'! Can you hear them snap and pop?👂️ #Nature
tfw you say you're willing to work cross-party on a total reform of social care but then rule out any of the revenue-raising steps needed to pay for it. #Cakeism is clearly alive and well.
Kemi Badenoch tells PM not to raise taxes to fund social care
In a letter to the PM, the Conservative leader offers to work with him on adult social care reform.
bbc.com
Worth thinking about. Is this what people want? Would it make life better for most people and if so how? Is there demand for this? (I have no idea what the answers to these questions might be …. Happy to hear answers)
GylesNaMopaleen@gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social · 2w agoI maybe joining too many dots here but a quick thread on a possible move to a Federal England. 👇 @adambienkov.bsky.social ¦ @peterstefanovic.bsky.social @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social ¦ @gavinesler.bsky.social ¦ @pmdfoster.bsky.social TL;DR: An English Parliament for England by 2032.
Ah yes the very revealing "we're only going to answer questions about what we want to answer questions about" moment ... and the sheriffs try valiantly to keep a straight face ...
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w agoWow -- Ken Paxton and his team abruptly shut down a news conference and bail after journalists try to ask him about his various scandals
Siri: Do you have any examples of how the Trump administration dominates the attention economy by changing narratives constantly so that we become confused, perplexed, frustrated or just (and this is the Big One) turn off?
Patrick Smith@psmithjournalist.bsky.social · 2w agoJuly 17: Trump says China meddled in the 2020 election July 21: Trump says "It took place a long time ago." July 22: Rubio, after meeting Chinese foreign minister: "We didn't discuss that topic."
Meet the new boss… different from the old boss? @gavinesler.bsky.social & @jacobjarvis.bsky.social set out the stories that will shape a massive week.
The Bunker podcast – News without the nonsense@bunkerpod.bsky.social · 2w agoBurnham 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? @gavinesler.bsky.social joins @jacobjarvis.bsky.social to unpack the week’s biggest stories. ➡️ linktr.ee/bunker_pod
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? @gavinesler.bsky.social joins @jacobjarvis.bsky.social to unpack the week’s biggest stories. ➡️ linktr.ee/bunker_pod
Progress. (Keep going @danneidle.bsky.social - love your work. And you seem to annoy all the right people. And left people too….)
Dan Neidle@danneidle.bsky.social · 2w agoI have great news. When I wrote about Zack Polanski I was merely a white supremacist. But now I’ve suggested Nigel Farage has tax to pay, I’ve become a full blown NAZI. Tbh can’t wait to see where I’ll go next.
Me a month ago: Don’t follow the sport. Never heard of any of these guys—well maybe the one with the easy to remember name, Harry Kane. Me today: Can you believe Tuchel didn’t play Saka against Argentina? The course of world history could have been different! Also, how under-appreciated is Olise…
So unlike Liz Truss’s insane free market buccaneering plans which the goddam Marxist bond markets destroyed in a day: those, of course, required no snap election in order for the population to scrutinise them before she tanked the economy…
Siri: do you have any examples of intellectual Darwinism?
Media Matters for America@mmfa.bsky.social · 3w agoSome right-wing media figures blast commonsense health advice that limits exposure to dangerous wildfire smoke: I'm “not going to wear one of those goofy masks”
Gosh …. This is so surprising. Another ReformUK MP and an investigation into donations apparently. Surely can’t possibly be true? What does Binface think? …. FT says: Robert Jenrick’s wife knew in 2024 about foreign payments to his top donor, lawyer claimed