Andrew Lay
@apwlay.bsky.social
Teacher. Quiz show alumnus. Economics, politics, sport, food etc etc -all the usual
Yep, and ancillary points like "how high do military wages have to go to recruit another 20,000 personnel?" and " how long does this take?" given stock/flow issues of training pipelines etc etc
A thousand times this.
If we want to take defence spending from circa 2.5% of GDP to circa 3.5-4% of GDP the question isn’t “how do we pay for it?”. That’s the easy bit - a combination of taxes and borrowing.
The real question is about real resources and what do we want to do less of?
If we want to take defence spending from circa 2.5% of GDP to circa 3.5-4% of GDP the question isn’t “how do we pay for it?”. That’s the easy bit - a combination of taxes and borrowing.
The real question is about real resources and what do we want to do less of?
There's a lot of talk about rearmament and breaking US dependence. I understand the logic completely. But I wonder if people have fully absorbed the economic/consumption implications of serious rearmament, especially when we also consider the state of public opinion and the information environment.
January 19, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Yep, and ancillary points like "how high do military wages have to go to recruit another 20,000 personnel?" and " how long does this take?" given stock/flow issues of training pipelines etc etc
Peston with a rare direct and accurate question alert!
Things must be bad
Things must be bad
January 19, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Peston with a rare direct and accurate question alert!
Things must be bad
Things must be bad
Reposted by Andrew Lay
What a load of rubbish this is. Fails to explain that the US is no longer a close ally and partner. Emphasises benefits Starmer has got over and above others via the special relationship. Not only false [the deal is off!] but this non-solidarity with the EU is what made us all weaker.
January 19, 2026 at 9:31 AM
What a load of rubbish this is. Fails to explain that the US is no longer a close ally and partner. Emphasises benefits Starmer has got over and above others via the special relationship. Not only false [the deal is off!] but this non-solidarity with the EU is what made us all weaker.
I'm struck, as a Spurs fan,.about a certain affinity between Thomas Frank and Kier Starmer...
Directionless, chat about "pragmatism", a claim of values but no obvious example of what those values are
Has anyone done this yet?!
Directionless, chat about "pragmatism", a claim of values but no obvious example of what those values are
Has anyone done this yet?!
January 19, 2026 at 9:36 AM
I'm struck, as a Spurs fan,.about a certain affinity between Thomas Frank and Kier Starmer...
Directionless, chat about "pragmatism", a claim of values but no obvious example of what those values are
Has anyone done this yet?!
Directionless, chat about "pragmatism", a claim of values but no obvious example of what those values are
Has anyone done this yet?!
Shorter Starmer: say almost nothing, except maybe "I don't like it, but I'll have to go along with it"
January 19, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Shorter Starmer: say almost nothing, except maybe "I don't like it, but I'll have to go along with it"
Younger than this and maybe a result of slightly more rural living (falling trees etc), but we definitely had a big stock of candles for when the power went down when I was a kid. Extremely rare now
I'm 'only' 49 and I remember our small-ish town in Warwickshire having an almost complete power cut for 2 days. Cooking toast on the coal fire.
I remember regular casual violence being handed out to pre-teens by teachers and older kids. The '80s were miserable!
I remember regular casual violence being handed out to pre-teens by teachers and older kids. The '80s were miserable!
January 18, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Younger than this and maybe a result of slightly more rural living (falling trees etc), but we definitely had a big stock of candles for when the power went down when I was a kid. Extremely rare now
I would simply reject the request and ask to be on R3 Private Passions instead
I am delighted I will never be famous enough to be on Desert Island Discs. I struggle to pick my favourite eight Radiohead tracks / Frank Turner songs let alone "the entire canon of western music".
I could probably do you "my favourite eight madrigals written between 1580 and 1625". Just.
I could probably do you "my favourite eight madrigals written between 1580 and 1625". Just.
Yes, we’re all individuals
January 16, 2026 at 3:56 PM
I would simply reject the request and ask to be on R3 Private Passions instead
My one pause over this otherwise very plausible Occam's Razor explanation is that he at least phrases it in terms of security, Russia, some kind of manifest destiny... like he at least has the depth, or the advisors, necessary to avoid saying our loud "I just want to make USA bigger"
doing war crimes and shattering the NATO consensus because of the fucking mercator projection
January 11, 2026 at 7:36 AM
My one pause over this otherwise very plausible Occam's Razor explanation is that he at least phrases it in terms of security, Russia, some kind of manifest destiny... like he at least has the depth, or the advisors, necessary to avoid saying our loud "I just want to make USA bigger"
Reposted by Andrew Lay
100% seriously, European leaders and Commission officials should plan on the basis that the US might do this to them too, about Greenland, about tech regulation, about “Christian values”, about “free speech”, whatever.
January 3, 2026 at 9:59 AM
100% seriously, European leaders and Commission officials should plan on the basis that the US might do this to them too, about Greenland, about tech regulation, about “Christian values”, about “free speech”, whatever.
@janinegibson.ft.com is this correct?! Apx = the oysters?!
Where on earth were the beans from?
Where on earth were the beans from?
December 27, 2025 at 12:14 PM
@janinegibson.ft.com is this correct?! Apx = the oysters?!
Where on earth were the beans from?
Where on earth were the beans from?
Reposted by Andrew Lay
There are FOUR ghosts!
December 25, 2025 at 6:55 PM
There are FOUR ghosts!
They've got it right this time (very same track)
bsky.app/profile/apwl...
bsky.app/profile/apwl...
BBC Radio 3
Essential Classics
Now Playing
Johann Sebastian Bach & Olivier Latry
In dir ist Freude, BWV 615
Essential Classics
Now Playing
Johann Sebastian Bach & Olivier Latry
In dir ist Freude, BWV 615
December 24, 2025 at 11:10 AM
They've got it right this time (very same track)
bsky.app/profile/apwl...
bsky.app/profile/apwl...
Pretty sure this was actually BWV615, In Dir Ist Freude
“Chorale Prelude BWV617 'Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf'” by Johann Sebastian Bach #nowplaying #radio3
December 20, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Pretty sure this was actually BWV615, In Dir Ist Freude
Just woken up.
Time to check the score from day three of the highly anticipated first Ashes Test!
Oh, oh yeah
#thecricket
Time to check the score from day three of the highly anticipated first Ashes Test!
Oh, oh yeah
#thecricket
November 23, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Just woken up.
Time to check the score from day three of the highly anticipated first Ashes Test!
Oh, oh yeah
#thecricket
Time to check the score from day three of the highly anticipated first Ashes Test!
Oh, oh yeah
#thecricket
Sort of post that makes me regret that Dillow doesn't have more books and wider influence (probably down to same sort of dynamics he illustrates here) - I still have End of Politics on my reading list for my A-Level students but increasingly feels like someomthing from another age even if still true
New Substack: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/on-incompe... Parts of the Labour party and BBC simply don't know what their jobs should be.
On incompetence
Much of our political culture is fundamentally incompetent.
chrisdillow.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Sort of post that makes me regret that Dillow doesn't have more books and wider influence (probably down to same sort of dynamics he illustrates here) - I still have End of Politics on my reading list for my A-Level students but increasingly feels like someomthing from another age even if still true
Reposted by Andrew Lay
A thread of inspirational quotes from two of my idols: Kemi Badenoch and Ange Postecoglou
(uh-oh, I may have gotten some mixed up... or have I??)
🧵
(uh-oh, I may have gotten some mixed up... or have I??)
🧵
October 6, 2025 at 9:11 AM
A thread of inspirational quotes from two of my idols: Kemi Badenoch and Ange Postecoglou
(uh-oh, I may have gotten some mixed up... or have I??)
🧵
(uh-oh, I may have gotten some mixed up... or have I??)
🧵
Ha, looked to see what Stephen's reaction to this would be.
It was as expected
It was as expected
September 5, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Ha, looked to see what Stephen's reaction to this would be.
It was as expected
It was as expected
Speaking of cold northern places, he really TACO'd Greenland, didn't he?
(Thankfully)
(Thankfully)
“If I got Moscow and Leningrad free”?! WTF does that mean?? What kind of “deal” is he thinking he is negotiating?
He’s going to try to give away Alaska, isn’t he
He’s going to try to give away Alaska, isn’t he
Leningrad was renamed St. Petersburg in 1991
August 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Speaking of cold northern places, he really TACO'd Greenland, didn't he?
(Thankfully)
(Thankfully)
Reposted by Andrew Lay
What I have learned from Unzoomed:
1. God, North America is really like that.
2. The air in Africa is a faded brown colour
3. Christ North America
4. Dakar surprisingly looks like it's in the Middle East
5. I don't know where anywhere in China is
6. I am bad at Unzoomed
7. North America WTF.
1. God, North America is really like that.
2. The air in Africa is a faded brown colour
3. Christ North America
4. Dakar surprisingly looks like it's in the Middle East
5. I don't know where anywhere in China is
6. I am bad at Unzoomed
7. North America WTF.
August 9, 2025 at 9:52 AM
What I have learned from Unzoomed:
1. God, North America is really like that.
2. The air in Africa is a faded brown colour
3. Christ North America
4. Dakar surprisingly looks like it's in the Middle East
5. I don't know where anywhere in China is
6. I am bad at Unzoomed
7. North America WTF.
1. God, North America is really like that.
2. The air in Africa is a faded brown colour
3. Christ North America
4. Dakar surprisingly looks like it's in the Middle East
5. I don't know where anywhere in China is
6. I am bad at Unzoomed
7. North America WTF.
Let's not forget that the UK is in danger of being left behind in this area 🤪
Sorry to pollute the feed with technical financial terms, but this is all fxcking nuts
www.ft.com/content/8a16...
www.ft.com/content/8a16...
August 8, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Let's not forget that the UK is in danger of being left behind in this area 🤪
Brilliant observational article from @jemima.bsky.social
on.ft.com/41ugaqV
Others have written on this, but the tackiness/classlessness is intriguing. There's money involved (Porsches, country houses) but also semi-conscious rejection of other class signifiers (champagne, opera, dressing well &c)
on.ft.com/41ugaqV
Others have written on this, but the tackiness/classlessness is intriguing. There's money involved (Porsches, country houses) but also semi-conscious rejection of other class signifiers (champagne, opera, dressing well &c)
Sunday at the garden party for Curtis Yarvin and the new, new right
What you learn at a gathering of neoreactionaries, Very Online rightwingers and the formerly cancelled
on.ft.com
August 8, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Brilliant observational article from @jemima.bsky.social
on.ft.com/41ugaqV
Others have written on this, but the tackiness/classlessness is intriguing. There's money involved (Porsches, country houses) but also semi-conscious rejection of other class signifiers (champagne, opera, dressing well &c)
on.ft.com/41ugaqV
Others have written on this, but the tackiness/classlessness is intriguing. There's money involved (Porsches, country houses) but also semi-conscious rejection of other class signifiers (champagne, opera, dressing well &c)
Reposted by Andrew Lay
It’s kinda ridiculous that the BBC employs a disinformation specialist whilst simultaneously treating the most visible part of their output with all the care and caution of a bull in a china shop
The most viewed source of news in Britain, btw.
Oh you absolutely useless wankers
August 6, 2025 at 7:38 PM
It’s kinda ridiculous that the BBC employs a disinformation specialist whilst simultaneously treating the most visible part of their output with all the care and caution of a bull in a china shop
Good to know.
Presume this means these super competitive farmers can do without and subsidies and preferential tax treatment, e.g. in inheritance. Big changes to conservative policy afoot
Presume this means these super competitive farmers can do without and subsidies and preferential tax treatment, e.g. in inheritance. Big changes to conservative policy afoot
Got a lovely punnet of Lincolnshire lychees at the market this morning.
August 2, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Good to know.
Presume this means these super competitive farmers can do without and subsidies and preferential tax treatment, e.g. in inheritance. Big changes to conservative policy afoot
Presume this means these super competitive farmers can do without and subsidies and preferential tax treatment, e.g. in inheritance. Big changes to conservative policy afoot
I keep seeing trailers for The Assassin with Keeley Hawes, yet there is also something advertised on buses with the same name with a big picture of a woman... Who doesn't really look like Keeley Hawes?!
Eradication by airbrush
Eradication by airbrush
July 31, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I keep seeing trailers for The Assassin with Keeley Hawes, yet there is also something advertised on buses with the same name with a big picture of a woman... Who doesn't really look like Keeley Hawes?!
Eradication by airbrush
Eradication by airbrush
Think of the productivity enhancements! Stagnation solved
A NEW STUDY CLAIMS AN ALIEN SPACECRAFT NEARLY 7 MILES WIDE — AND POSSIBLY HOSTILE — COULD BE HEADED TOWARD EARTH
July 30, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Think of the productivity enhancements! Stagnation solved