lesleybruce's Avatar

lesleybruce

@lesleybruce.bsky.social

Wife, mother, grandma to 3 girls and a baby boy. Horrified by the consequences of austerity, Brexit and the previous Tory government. Wanting a better country for my grandchildren.

2,035 Followers  |  2,363 Following  |  653 Posts  |  Joined: 18.12.2023
Posts Following

Posts by lesleybruce (@lesleybruce.bsky.social)

Preview
'The Justification for the War against Iran Has Changed from Day to Day, with No Clear End Goal or Exit Strategy' From Washington DC, former diplomat Alexandra Hall Hall assesses the arguments used to justify the attack on Iran

πŸ”΄'The Justification for the War against Iran Has Changed from Day to Day, with No Clear End Goal or Exit Strategy'

Former diplomat @alexhh.bsky.social describes the chaos in Washington

bylinetimes.com/2026/03/05/i...

05.03.2026 13:56 β€” πŸ‘ 209    πŸ” 69    πŸ’¬ 21    πŸ“Œ 5

Oh.

05.03.2026 17:15 β€” πŸ‘ 610    πŸ” 175    πŸ’¬ 42    πŸ“Œ 7

"Every bullet and air defense asset we give Ukraine is one that we can't use to defend Taiwan."

-proceeds to drop 2,500 kinetic strike packages on Iran in four days for no apparent reason triggering a response that drains every Patriot Missile on two continents-

05.03.2026 08:50 β€” πŸ‘ 227    πŸ” 51    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0

Bigger. Problem. Than. Anticipated.

The first verified Shahed Drone attack on Ukraine was 1,270 days ago.

Ukrainian numbers put the number of Shahed strike UAVs launched at them last year alone at over 32,000.

Your brain, is it... not good? Do you have the bad brain? Sir? Sir?

05.03.2026 12:25 β€” πŸ‘ 220    πŸ” 63    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 4

I’ve spent years, decades, obsessing over the Bush Administration’s Iraq WMD lies, writing about them, debunking them.

I can think of no lie about Iraq WMDs told by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al that comes even close to the enormity and absurdity of this lie from Donald Trump.

05.03.2026 13:07 β€” πŸ‘ 6701    πŸ” 1838    πŸ’¬ 322    πŸ“Œ 72
Preview
Dubai influencers share near-identical videos with footage of Dubai crown prince | LBC Videos featuring the caption β€˜I know who protects us’ have been circulating on social media

I had no idea until this all started that the UAE licences and pays many influencers to live there and write positively about the regime.

That puts a whole new spin on things.

Propagandists in pocket of regime.

It's why all the messaging is the same.

www.lbc.co.uk/article/duba...

05.03.2026 13:52 β€” πŸ‘ 731    πŸ” 328    πŸ’¬ 77    πŸ“Œ 7
Preview
Refused asylum seeker families will be offered up to Β£40,000 to leave Britain under pilot scheme, says Shabana Mahmood – UK politics live The home secretary said that Britain will trial a scheme to encourage a small number of asylum seekers whose claims are rejected to exit the country

I’m not a political strategist but what is rhe logic of Labour not owning the falling migration numbers and saying β€˜we’re controlling our borders’ rather than ever time repeating far right talking points

Seems a very odd approach….

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

05.03.2026 13:05 β€” πŸ‘ 252    πŸ” 61    πŸ’¬ 31    πŸ“Œ 13
Post image

From FT comments

05.03.2026 13:47 β€” πŸ‘ 3798    πŸ” 1306    πŸ’¬ 179    πŸ“Œ 93
Post image

Again, Farage, Badenoch and their fellow travellers on X are wildly out of touch with the public on Iran.

Even the majority of Reform supporters oppose their position.

05.03.2026 13:47 β€” πŸ‘ 746    πŸ” 283    πŸ’¬ 35    πŸ“Œ 25
Video thumbnail

β€œThere’s no Somali folks in the Epstein Files”

Welp

05.03.2026 00:50 β€” πŸ‘ 6401    πŸ” 1551    πŸ’¬ 91    πŸ“Œ 44
Post image

The chaos in Iran is dominating the news, but do not let it overshadow what is happening right now.

Ukraine is still relentlessly striking deep inside Russia.

We need to help them fund more missiles to make this campaign even more devastating.

Keep the pressure on!

04.03.2026 09:41 β€” πŸ‘ 463    πŸ” 127    πŸ’¬ 12    πŸ“Œ 5
Preview
Crypto investor based in Thailand donates further Β£3m to Reform Christopher Harborne’s gift is latest to party’s election war chest and comes amid calls for cap on political donations

Who the hell is this guy? And what does he want as a return on his Β£millions invested in Reform? Because it sure as shit isn’t a fairer, more progressive, equal and prosperous UK with good public services and well-regulated consumer protections.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

05.03.2026 13:42 β€” πŸ‘ 990    πŸ” 418    πŸ’¬ 106    πŸ“Œ 26

Kemi giving a truly abysmal performance on Today, deeply out of her depth, insisting she's opposed to escalation whilst arguing for escalation, unable to actually articulate what she thinks should happen next. Just reflexively oppositional.

05.03.2026 08:44 β€” πŸ‘ 197    πŸ” 39    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 2

The Brexit tendency seem to be absolutely losing their minds over the government's refusal to get bullied by America into an illegal war.

Quite something from the people who wanted "independence" and to "take back control."

04.03.2026 22:20 β€” πŸ‘ 985    πŸ” 210    πŸ’¬ 44    πŸ“Œ 3

It's almost like she hasn't been briefed and doesn't know what she's talking about and doesn't have google

04.03.2026 22:27 β€” πŸ‘ 482    πŸ” 95    πŸ’¬ 36    πŸ“Œ 2

Remember the implausible story about a pub giving such a large discount for customers paying by cash that it sounded larger than any card transaction fees?

BBC has now responded to my complaint: "You may already be aware that we have removed this article as it did not meet our editorial standards."

03.03.2026 07:42 β€” πŸ‘ 176    πŸ” 42    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 9

Big money has bought British politics

75% of Reform’s money has come from three rich white men

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo...

05.03.2026 08:21 β€” πŸ‘ 484    πŸ” 371    πŸ’¬ 31    πŸ“Œ 23
Video thumbnail

Hegseth: "We are only four days into this and the results have been incredible."

- Middle East engulfed in regional war
- 11 countries attacked by Iran
- Oil & gas prices skyrocketing
- Strait of Hormuz now a conflict zone
- Terrorism threat raised across the world
- No sign of Iran regime collapse

04.03.2026 13:16 β€” πŸ‘ 825    πŸ” 298    πŸ’¬ 89    πŸ“Œ 25
Preview
March 4, 2026 - Rubio says he never said what he said, as Trump re-ups regime change as his goal Simon's live update on the US government's continuing, contradictory efforts to explain why it attacked Iran, and what it wants to achieve. For James O'Brien's programme on the UK'...

Mine earlier today with @mrjamesob.bsky.social on @lbc.co.uk as we continue to track the Trump administration's inability to keep its own story straight about why it attacked Iran, and what it hopes to achieve.

🎧: audioboom.com/posts/886933...

04.03.2026 15:12 β€” πŸ‘ 146    πŸ” 31    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 2

I’ll have some of that.

04.03.2026 17:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1125    πŸ” 119    πŸ’¬ 61    πŸ“Œ 3
Post image Post image

Jansen Ganesh is on fire in this column on the UK’s role in the Iran conflict

www.ft.com/content/eaee...

04.03.2026 18:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1062    πŸ” 284    πŸ’¬ 20    πŸ“Œ 16
Reform fury as someone else wins
by Our By-election Editor
Tim Shipsink
The losing candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, Matt Goodwhinge, has demanded an immediate re-run of the election on the grounds that he lost
comprehensively to someone else.
"It's totally unfair and rigged,"
said Goodwhinge.
"I shouldn't
be required to sit there and suck it up, just because I lost."
Mr Goodwhine continued, *I can't believe that all those voters I demonised failed to back me.
Especially after I was endorsed by Tommy Robinson and ten million Russian bots on X.
"We have clear evidence of family voting, where people voted in order for me to stop deporting their families."
Mr Badloser concluded. "I'm the victim of colour prejudice.
They didn't vote for me simply because I'm not green."
Reform leader
Mr Farage,
speaking from a sun lounger on a rock near the Chagos Islands said,
"It's a tragedy that the people of Manchester won't see Matt in Westminster, but my constituents don't see me in Clacton either."

PLUMBER DEFEATS
MATT GOODWIN

Photo of Hannah Spencer with speech bubble saying… 
I've stopped the cock

Reform fury as someone else wins by Our By-election Editor Tim Shipsink The losing candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, Matt Goodwhinge, has demanded an immediate re-run of the election on the grounds that he lost comprehensively to someone else. "It's totally unfair and rigged," said Goodwhinge. "I shouldn't be required to sit there and suck it up, just because I lost." Mr Goodwhine continued, *I can't believe that all those voters I demonised failed to back me. Especially after I was endorsed by Tommy Robinson and ten million Russian bots on X. "We have clear evidence of family voting, where people voted in order for me to stop deporting their families." Mr Badloser concluded. "I'm the victim of colour prejudice. They didn't vote for me simply because I'm not green." Reform leader Mr Farage, speaking from a sun lounger on a rock near the Chagos Islands said, "It's a tragedy that the people of Manchester won't see Matt in Westminster, but my constituents don't see me in Clacton either." PLUMBER DEFEATS MATT GOODWIN Photo of Hannah Spencer with speech bubble saying… I've stopped the cock

Beautiful from Private Eye on the massive toddler-tantrum that Matt Goodwin and Reform are having, because they got whooped in Gorton and Denton.

05.03.2026 07:35 β€” πŸ‘ 4089    πŸ” 1371    πŸ’¬ 87    πŸ“Œ 72

If Trump really can’t control Netanyahu, it seems at least feasible that Iran becomes Gaza 2.0, up to & including the hideous pretence that they bomb a land to smithereens to somehow help the people living there.

05.03.2026 07:44 β€” πŸ‘ 899    πŸ” 178    πŸ’¬ 87    πŸ“Œ 4
Video thumbnail

Quietly, calmly and forensically, BBC just dismantled the Trump communications shitshow on Iran.

No hyperbole, just laying out an unprecedented military, diplomatic and reputational shambles.

Worth a watch.

(πŸŽ₯ BBC News/BBC Verify)

05.03.2026 08:46 β€” πŸ‘ 3496    πŸ” 1907    πŸ’¬ 88    πŸ“Œ 163

The Tories' YT channel, meanwhile, think SHE SMASHED IT.πŸ˜‚

It is embarrassing. She is embarrassing. Suggesting welfare is why we don't have more missiles is embarrassing. Philp jeering while PM is trying to list evacuation flights is embarrassing. They are embarrassing, yet somehow NOT embarrassED.

04.03.2026 22:23 β€” πŸ‘ 572    πŸ” 108    πŸ’¬ 30    πŸ“Œ 4

Incredibly telling Kemi Badenoch interview on Today:
- can’t say what she’d actually want UK forces to do
- no idea what objective her proposed military action is to achieve
- hides from reality that single biggest constraint on British military = her govt’s defence cuts

05.03.2026 08:53 β€” πŸ‘ 523    πŸ” 186    πŸ’¬ 30    πŸ“Œ 12
Preview
Heat pump sales testify to government action - European Heat Pump Association Heat pump sales in 2025Β grew by 11% across 16 European countries* on average, preliminary data from the European Heat Pump Association shows. AroundΒ 2.63 millionΒ residential heat pumps were sold, up f...

As another military conflict shakes global fossil fuel markets, phasing gas and oil out of heating has never been more urgent. Surely this time common sense will prevail?

ehpa.org/news-and-res...

05.03.2026 08:49 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

FT comments section this morning - saying what everyone else is thinking, right?

05.03.2026 07:15 β€” πŸ‘ 16100    πŸ” 5675    πŸ’¬ 497    πŸ“Œ 474

Starmer might not float everyone's boat but thank God he's Prime Minister not Kemi Badenoch.
Badenoch as PM would be catastrophic for the country. Overwhelming self confidence is irrelevant if you have the judgement of a house brick.
#PMQs

04.03.2026 14:15 β€” πŸ‘ 256    πŸ” 40    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
London Borough of Hounslow on Instagram: "The Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, sets out β€œa budget for the future” investing in people, services, and the borough’s growth. The ... 28 likes, 3 comments - hounslowcouncil on March 2, 2026: "The Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, sets out β€œa budget for the future” investing in people, services, and the borough...

www.instagram.com/reel/DVYlxhH...

04.03.2026 19:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0