[2] He edited the Express' "Hickey" column, and gave both Nigel Dempster and Paul Dacre their first jobs on a national newspaper.
A great supporter and friend of Margaret Thatcher, Esser was due to receive a knighthood in 1990 but declined the honour on the grounds that it was not appropriate for a serving editor to accept it.
[5] Esser moved to the Daily Mail in 1991, where he introduced an arts and entertainment supplement, published on Fridays.
He subsequently became the paper's Executive Managing Editor and oversaw the launch of its website MailOnline.
[4] He was an active member of the Society of Editors, for which he chaired the Parliamentary & Legal Committee,[6] and the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust.