Donald Trump came, he saw, and left Beijing without much to show for his high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping. @wjhurst.bsky.social, Chong Hua Professor of Chinese Development at the University of Cambridge, joins @gavinesler.bsky.social to break down the relationship. ➡️ linktr.ee/bunker_pod

Worth a listen - Trump met Xi - but beyond the photo opportunities, what was the point? An expert view from @wjhurst.bsky.social

Thank you for those very kind words @nosregis.bsky.social

Calling friends and followers in Scotland: you can now sign up for my discussion with @gavinesler.bsky.social at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose on 14 June. Do have a look at the rest of the program, too! bordersbookfestival.citizenticket.com/events/borde...

Cannes today

Immigration make Britain brilliant

You couldn’t make it up

Close enough!

Thanks @gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social

20.5% of those who DID vote - in General Elections 40% don’t vote … the British “first past the post” system needs to be buried

At last.

Old enough to know better you might think

Thanks Rob -

How much “personal security” would £5 million buy?

Very good read. Thank you @robertsaunders.bsky.social

Brexit Destroys Every Government That Tries to Make it Work, season six, is coming to its entirely predictable end. Will the season 7 scriptwriters ditch the tired old plot for something better?

💥Big intervention from Martin Wolf in the FT today. UK “elective dictatorship” + First Past the Post in a multi-party environment is a dangerous mix. A system where 30% of the vote can deliver near-unchecked power is not just unfair. It’s a constitutional vulnerability. www.ft.com/content/1a5a...

I’m on my 8th Home sec in as many years - one a year since I began as Chair of Scotland’s Refugee Strategy. It’s impossible. Policy hasn’t time to be evidenced - it’s all knee jerk panic and gimmick and a constant race to the bottom with no time to do the serious work it needs.

There are various factors but Brexit and its aftermath is the key. It is not a coincidence that Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland all now have governments led by parties that want to leave the UK. England is divided five ways and we will have 7 prime ministers in a decade

This "one simple message" sounds quite friendly from the European President "it is time to reset the partnership between the EU + UK.. in a pragmatic, common sense, win-win approach. We can put the ghosts of the past to bed and write a new chapter" the-president.europarl.europa.eu/home/ep-news...

To state the absolutely bleeding anatomically obvious we can’t be “at the heart” of something we are not actually in.

Keir Starmer’s position looks more precarious than ever after the local elections. How will moves against him pan out? @gavinesler.bsky.social joins @jacobjarvis.bsky.social to discuss this and the other news to look out for in the week ahead. ➡️ linktr.ee/bunker_pod

Ha! I used to avoid that question … and still do

Yes I did! Did you or someone in the family fish for trout somewhere nearby ?

Born in Glasgow. Lived in Clydebank. Lived on Clarence Street opposite the “Mothers Rest.” Relatives worked in the shipyards and Singers …. Until they closed … emigrated to Embra ….

Thank you. We now have a Northern Ireland government a Welsh government and a Scottish government led by parties that are committed to ending the current Union of the United Kingdom. The complacency about this at Westminster is extraordinary. (PS I’m also a Weegie. Translations are available)

You do have to wonder what they are scared of ….

🚨ICYMI🚨 Acts of sabotage and arson spreading across Europe are persistently connected to Russia. @gavinesler.bsky.social is joined by @shaunwalker7.bsky.social to discuss the Kremlin’s shadow warfare network and the chaos state-sponsored terror is causing across the continent ➡️ linktr.ee/drillpod

🚨ICYMI🚨 The Secret Service deliberately operates in the shadows but an assassination attempt on Trump has put them in the spotlight. What exactly do they do all day? And what does it take to protect the president? Former agent Mike de Gues tells all to @gavinesler.bsky.social ➡️ linktr.ee/bunker_pod

This:

I’m sorry to disagree but I think it is for Jewish people to tell the rest of us what antisemitism looks like just as it’s not for me as a white Scottish bloke to tell other people what racism or Islamophobia or sexism looks like.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... Very much thought provoking piece from Jonathan Freedland - this is not just about Jewish people. It’s about the rest of us too. Definitely worth a read.

This:

Just ask! And thank you @biggreenbooks.bsky.social for reminding us that there are so many good people in our country. Cheers.

Congratulations Peter

Interesting indeed.

🔊 The one where @rostaylor.bsky.social discusses Melania’s new Bee hive 🤭, @mattgreencomedy.com considers some lines he might use in a 🤴 speech to 🇺🇸🍊🎃, @gavinesler.bsky.social shares some ballroom tales, and @rafaelbehr.bsky.social discusses REF’s “confected bollocks”! 🇬🇧 #UKPolitics 🗳️ #Podcasts 📻

Well that’s an interesting idea.

Unfortunately yes.

Now that HM King Charles is spending some time with (absolutely not a King) Donald in Washington we wanted to conclude our series on the long term implications of the Trump presidency @thisisnotadrillpod.bsky.social Can “The American century” survive the Trump disruption? Have a listen…

This is quite an amazing bit of television.

🚨 AMERICA AGAINST THE WORLD Ep.3 🚨 As Trump rips up America’s old international role, who will take advantage? @gavinesler.bsky.social finds out about the new Great Power rivalry 🚨 Listen here linktr.ee/DrillPod 🚨 Get the full series now on Patreon www.patreon.com/thisisnotadr...

Well, it’s just a bit of polling but ….

Listened to ‘America against the world’ podcast series with @gavinesler.bsky.social really good content as always with Gavin and excellent for a brisk walk to work, particularly when wanting to avoid walk to wall mandleson borefest

Exhausting for us regular folks without dubious newspaper columns to fill and drearier daily podcasts -obvs there’s some excellent podcasts @quietriotpod.bsky.social anything with @gavinesler.bsky.social @bylinetimes.bsky.social and of course the excellent @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social

Shout out to two of my favorite podcasts, the titles alone are great: “This is not a drill” by @gavinesler.bsky.social and “Disorder” by Jason Pack Links in comment

Thank you. We are trying to stand up for a bit of sanity in a bonkers world - your support is greatly appreciated @thisisnotadrillpod.bsky.social

Thank you @joerglau.bsky.social really delighted you enjoy our work

The Mandelson scandal is back and all eyes are on Starmer as he looks to once again justify the baffling and increasingly disastrous appointment. @gavinesler.bsky.social joins @jacobjarvis.bsky.social to discuss what could happen and what it all means. LISTEN HERE: linktr.ee/bunker_pod