The Abundance Agenda: Navigating the Impatience of Progress In the inaugural episode of 'The Abundance Agenda,' hosts James O'Malley and Martin Robbins delve into the concept of abundance and why it matters in today's world. They discuss the slow progress of major infrastructure projects in the UK, like HS2 and the Bakerloo Line extension, and the resulting frustration. The conversation also covers broader topics including the importance of housing, energy sufficiency, and climate change. Later, they pivot to discuss the implications of defense spending in the wake of geopolitical tensions, particularly the strain on the Western Alliance and the need for robust investments in military and infrastructure to ensure security. O'Malley and Robbins emphasize the importance of adopting an 'abundance mindset' to meet these challenges.

00:00 Introduction to The Abundance Agenda

00:20 The Concept of Abundance

01:08 High-Speed Rail and Infrastructure Delays

06:29 Housing Crisis and Economic Growth

07:31 Energy Abundance and Climate Change

09:31 Parking Apps and National Coordination

17:20 Podcast Housekeeping and Substack Newsletters

18:59 Defense and the Decline of the American-Led World Order

22:08 Romney's Russia Stance in 2012

24:36 Obama's Syria Red Line and Western Response

26:46 Russia's Annexation of Crimea

29:02 UK's Defense Spending and European Security

33:07 Modern Military Challenges and Drone Warfare

37:58 The Case for Increased Defense Spending

43:53 Conclusion and Future Discussions

The Future of Infrastructure: Examining the Lower Thames Crossing and Everything-ism

In this episode of the Abundance Agenda podcast, hosts James O'Malley and Martin Robbins discuss the UK government's plan to invest £2 billion in affordable housing and the significant approval of the Lower Thames Crossing. They explore the transport infrastructure project's details, challenges with the existing road systems, and the potential socio-economic benefits of the new tunnel. The hosts also touch on their evolving views on road building, balancing environmental concerns, and the role of autonomous vehicles in future transportation systems. Furthermore, the episode features an interview with Joe Hill from the Reform think tank, who introduces the concept of 'Everything-ism'—the problematic practice of overloading policies with multiple objectives, leading to inefficiencies and project delays. The episode concludes with reflections on the necessity of strategic focus in policymaking and infrastructure development.

00:00 Introduction to the Abundance Agenda Podcast

00:27 Exciting News: Lower Thames Crossing Approval

00:59 The Dartford Crossing: Current Issues and Future Plans

03:20 Debate on Road Building and Induced Demand

08:06 Planning Process and Costs of the Lower Thames Crossing

10:03 Comparison with International Infrastructure Projects

14:17 Challenges and Criticisms of Affordable Housing

24:57 Historic Roofline Preservation

25:04 The Ugly Cinema in Maidenhead

25:58 Introduction to Everythingism

26:25 Housekeeping and Substack Updates

28:10 Interview with Joe Hill on Everythingism

29:36 Examples of Everythingism in Policy

34:50 Challenges and Solutions in Policy Making

36:53 The Role of Government and Public Bodies

45:54 Cultural and Political Implications

48:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of 'The Abundance Agenda,' hosts James O'Malley and Martin Robbins dive into a story from Braintree in Essex where local resident Barry Thompson has faced ongoing challenges from the council in his efforts to install solar panels on his house. They discuss the irony of councils blocking green initiatives while declaring climate emergencies. The hosts also touch on broader issues such as the difficulty of carrying out decarbonization efforts, geopolitical tensions affecting renewable energy resources, and disputes within environmental organizations.

Additionally, James and Martin discuss the Peter Hitchens' obsession with British Summer Time and the politics of changing time zones. The main interview features Lord Ben Gascoigne, Chair of the Built Environment Select Committee, who shares insights on the potential of new towns and the necessity of integrating community engagement and nature into urban planning.

The New Towns Inquiry call for evidence:https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3626/

James's newsletter on the origins of Abundance ideology and the on-going vibe shift:https://takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/the-abundance-vibe-shiftMartin's post on taking his trousers off at his local station car park:https://martinrobbins.substack.com/p/britains-car-parking-is-a-complete

Book tickets for James's event with Anya Martin on How The YIMBYs Won:https://lu.ma/x265utjx

00:00 Introduction to the Abundance Agenda Podcast

00:22 A Solar Powered Nightmare in Braintree

03:30 The Irony of Declaring a Climate Emergency

05:09 The Tension Between Climate Action and Conservation

12:57 The Ethical Dilemma of Solar Panel Sourcing

18:29 Peter Hitchens and British Summertime

25:30 Permanent British Summertime: Effects and Controversies

26:01 The Scottish Influence on Time Policy

26:45 The Great Time Zone Debate: BST vs GMT

27:04 Public Opinion and Political Movements

27:35 The Future of Time Zones in Britain

29:39 Podcast Housekeeping and Substack Highlights

31:33 New Towns and Urban Development

32:27 Interview with Ben Gas Coin: New Towns Inquiry

37:11 Rewilding and Urban Planning

44:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of the Abundance Agenda, hosts James O'Malley and Martin Robbins delve into the implications of the new planning and infrastructure bill, exploring its potential to address issues like high-speed rail project inefficiencies and the infamous 'bat tunnel' problem. They discuss how the bill seeks to simplify the planning process and remove bureaucratic hurdles, emphasizing the significance of these changes for the UK's future growth. The episode also features an interview with Chris Curtis MP, who highlights Milton Keynes' exemplary development and the bill's potential impact on local and national infrastructure projects. Additionally, James and Martin debate the future of lab-grown meat, its economic feasibility, and its potential to revolutionize the food industry.

In the fifth episode of The Abundance Agenda, hosts James O’Malley and Martin Robbins explore (rage at) a deeply terrible proposal to make it harder for the Mayor of London to do their job.

Then they dig into plans to double the capacity of Luton Airport, looking at how the airport democratised air travel in the past – and how to reconcile caring about climate change with the need to expand airports.

Then finally, we speak to David Lawrence and Julia Willemyns, the co-founders of the Centre for British Progress, a new think-tank that researches and promotes, er, basically the sort of things we like. We talk about why economic growth should be at the heart of progressive politics.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Here’s the must-read “Rediscovering British Progress” essay.

Here’s London Centric on the proposal to make the Mayor of London share power.

And here’s our newsletter posts for the week:

On this week’s episode of The Abundance Agenda, hosts James O’Malley and Martin Robbins make a bold prediction about when the Sizewell C nuclear plant will get the green light.

Then Martin horrifies James with a frankly shocking deep dive into caravans – or trailer homes.

And finally, we speak to Robert Colvile, Director of the right-leaning Centre for Policy Studies about his views on the Planning Bill, and whether the Conservative Party can ever be persuaded to embrace Abundance.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Robert Colvile is on Twitter, Bluesky, and is at the Centre for Policy Studies.

James steals the opinions of the excellent Zion Lights at one point. (You can listen to James and Zion in conversation here.)

00:00 Introduction to The Abundance Agenda

00:27 Nuclear Power Predictions

02:26 Energy Security and Nuclear Benefits

05:08 Challenges in Nuclear Plant Construction

06:52 Regulatory Hurdles and International Comparisons

10:30 Caravans and Housing Issues

12:24 History of Trailer Parks in America

16:00 Trailer Living in Modern America

19:02 Caravan Living in the UK

22:32 The Housing Crisis and Future Trends

28:20 Housekeeping and Social Media Call to Action

28:47 Substack Newsletters and Upcoming Content

29:48 Discussing Political Views and Ideologies

31:07 Interview with Robert Colville on Planning Bill

32:55 Challenges in Housing and Planning Reforms

39:10 Political Dynamics and Housing Crisis

53:44 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans

In Episode 6 of The Abundance Agenda podcast, hosts James O'Malley and Martin Robbins explore positive developments in the UK, particularly focusing on new theme park projects and the challenges facing British Steel. The episode kicks off discussing Universal's plan to build a massive theme park resort in Bedfordshire, expected to create thousands of jobs and boost the local economy. The conversation then shifts to the recent crisis with British Steel, the government’s intervention, and the implications for the industry’s future. The hosts also cover an amendment to the planning bill proposed by Labour MP Chris Hinchcliffe, which has sparked debate among YIMBYs and developers. Additionally, the episode features an in-depth interview with JP Spencer, author of a new report by Labour Together that discusses strategies for addressing regional economic disparities and rebalancing the UK's growth. Themes of transport infrastructure, regional development, and the planning process are thoroughly examined.

00:00 Introduction to the Abundance Agenda

00:32 Theme Parks: A Fascinating Business

02:44 Universal's New Theme Park in Bedfordshire

03:11 Local Impact and Community Response

03:59 Challenges and Comparisons with Other Theme Parks

09:23 Planning and Development Insights

12:11 The Rise and Fall of the London Paramount Entertainment Resort

15:20 British Steel: A Crisis Unfolds

24:05 The Uncertain Future of British Steel

24:29 Historical Context of British Steel Nationalization

25:04 Challenges Facing the British Steel Industry

25:46 Potential Solutions for Revitalizing British Steel

26:31 Planning Bill Controversies and Local Politics

27:20 The Role of Planning in Economic Growth

28:38 The Debate Over Housing and Planning Amendments

29:34 The Future of Planning and Development in the UK

30:25 Housekeeping and Personal Updates

32:21 The Concept of 'Leveling Up' in UK Politics

34:05 Interview with JP Spencer on Regional Imbalances

41:43 The Role of the Treasury Green Book

45:05 Political Attitudes Towards Rebalancing the Economy

46:47 Conclusion and Call to Action

On this week’s episode of The Abundance Agenda, Martin tells James a frankly horrifying story about another attempt to delay the construction of HS2, and then we speak to former OpenAI frontier AI researcher Rosie Campbell about why her new non-profit, Eleos Research, is focusing on the emerging field of “AI Welfare”.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

You can find Martin’s detailed Substack posts with maps, diagrams and much more detail here.

You can read James’s solution to the AI/copyright problem here.

And you can find Rosie’s colleague Rob Long, whose newsletter she recommended, here.

On this week’s Abundance Agenda, James reveals the secrets of what Tony Blair actually said about climate policy – by actually reading the words he has written.

Then because it’s the 80th anniversary of VE Day this week, Martin shares some utterly mind-boggling numbers from D-Day – and explains why it was Abundance wot won it.

And finally, we speak to Lindy Fursman, author of the aforementioned Tony Blair Institute climate paper, The Climate Paradox: Why We Need To Reset Action On Climate Change, and we explore the actual policy ideas within, instead of reacting hysterically.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

You can read James’s piece on why he hates Reels and other shortform video here.

And Martin’s piece on diagnosis will be published later in the week here.

On this week’s Abundance Agenda, we discuss Sadiq Khan’s dramatic YIMBY U-turn, announcing this week that London needs to build on its green belt – and why the real villains are London’s golf courses.

Then we dig into the failure to build a massive new North Sea wind farm – and wonder what the changing economics of wind mean for the government’s 2030 Net Zero grid pledge.

And finally, we speak to Sam Richards, CEO of Britain Remade, about his new report making the case for several new ideas to improve the planning system – and how these ideas could benefit not just the pointy-headed wonks, but British workers too.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

You can find James’s piece on why Tony Blair is right about climate here.

And Martin’s piece on the nature of diagnosis here.

00:00 Introduction to the Abundance Agenda

00:26 London's Housing Crisis and the Green Belt

03:55 The Reality of London's Green Belt

05:25 Golf Courses and Urban Development

10:28 Political Will and Transit-Based Development

12:21 Opposition to the Green Belt Push

17:36 Challenges in Wind Farm Development

23:48 Future of Nuclear Energy Projects

24:23 Challenges in Achieving Net Zero

25:20 Government's Role in Nuclear Commitment

26:08 Wind Farms and Inflation

26:46 Housekeeping and Substack Updates

28:25 Interview with Sam Richards

29:01 Planning Reforms for Net Zero

32:53 Estate Renewal Passports

36:30 New Towns and Housing Expansion

38:49 Nuclear Power Plant Regulations

46:12 Environmental Rules and Clean Energy

49:07 Local Support for Infrastructure Projects

52:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

On The Abundance Agenda this week, James explains why buses are cool – and shares depressing news about what appears to be another delay to HS2.

Then Martin digs deep into a new report packed with ideas for increasing Britain’s housing supply. The secret? More air conditioning and smaller homes!

And finally, we speak to writer, comedian and prolific podcaster Andrew Hunter Murray about the phenomenon of empty houses… and why they are actually good.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

You can find Andrew Hunter Murray’s novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering here. He’s also on the Private Eye Podcast, No Such Thing As A Fish, and The Naked Week.

The report Breaking the Bottlenecks by Centre for Cities can be found here.

James’s unwise wading in on Blue Labour and the politics of immigration is here.

Martin’s latest post about the nature of diagnosis is here.

Liz’s post on why we need seven bins is here.

00:00 Introduction to the Abundance Agenda Podcast

00:35 The Struggles of Non-London Bus Services

01:31 Exciting News: West Yorkshire's Weaver Network

03:02 The Future of Bus Franchising in the UK

06:40 HS2: Costs and Delays

12:34 Challenges in Building More Housing

15:56 The Debate on Air Conditioning and Flat Sizes

28:45 Substack News and Housekeeping

30:38 Introducing Our Guest: Andrew Hunter Murray

31:34 Andrew's Obsession with Second Homes

32:46 The Second Home Situation in the UK

35:12 Potential Solutions to the Housing Crisis

37:33 The Impact of Second Home Ownership Policies

39:36 Incremental Changes and Taxation

46:01 Gentle Density and Housing Solutions

52:19 Political Viability of Abundance Ideas

55:38 Conclusion and Podcast Promotion

On The Abundance Agenda this week, Martin explores new research which reveals that the planning system is – amazingly – even more dysfunctional than we thought. Then James digs into some new polling from Ipsos, which reveals that a plurality of people are actually supportive of building new homes.

Then we have an update on the National Parking Platform, which we swear is more interesting than it sounds. And finally, we speak to Ben Johnson from the Centre for British Progress about his new paper, Security and Prosperity: Building UK Defence Innovation.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

James’s piece explaining why the National Parking Platform is cool is here.

Martin’s latest on bins is here.

On a packed episode of The Abundance Agenda this week:

* James and Martin run through five reasons to be optimistic, including the exciting news that the government has taken control of the planning powers for two major new reservoirs.

* James heads to Old Oak Common, the massive new HS2 station in West London, and speaks to HS2 Station Delivery Director Huw Edwards about progress inside the 1.8km “station box”.

* Then Martin explores the story of Skegness – and talks about how its 19th century success started with its infrastructure, and how its modern lack of infrastructure is helping Reform win votes.

* And finally, we speak to Labour MP Antonia Bance about how to build good quality housing, the opportunities of industrial policy – and whether an ‘Abundance’ mindset can ever be politically popular.

You can find James’s piece “Why I still believe in HS2” here.

You can find Martin’s piece… whatever it is going to be this week… here.

The report we talk about by Michael Dnes on missing roads is here.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:00 Introduction to the Abundance Agenda Podcast

00:38 Top Signs of Progress: New Reservoirs

03:09 Water Leaks and Infrastructure Challenges

07:45 Planning Reforms: Heat Pumps and EV Chargers

11:14 Railway Developments: HS2 and Great British Rail

18:19 A Visit to Skegness: Seaside Towns and Infrastructure

32:21 Government Failures and Local Issues

33:09 Staycations vs. Holidays

33:46 Podcast Housekeeping

34:24 Crowdfunders and Substack Topics

35:32 Listener Feedback on Local Plans

38:34 Interview with Antonia Bance: Housing and Public Services

47:59 Building More Homes: Affordable vs. Private

52:45 Skills Crisis and Industrial Strategy

01:01:42 Trade Unions and Technological Change

01:06:10 The Abundance Agenda: Political Popularity

01:10:14 Closing Remarks and Future Episodes

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* James is vindicated as Sizewell C has finally been funded!

* Martin digs into the economics of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

* We explore the implications of Rachel Reeves supporting Northern Powerhouse Rail

* …And James enters ‘The Cope Zone’ and explains how maybe – just maybe – the northern leg of HS2 might not be quite dead yet

* Plus we speak to Kirsty Innes from Labour Together about her new policy paper, “BritCard: a progressive digital identity for Britain” – and explore how digital ID could make Britain work better.

The grid website Martin mentions is here.

You can find James’s howl of despair about the slow pace of infrastructure here.

Martin’s piece on Natural England will be here.

And James’s piece on why he’s been Blairpilled on digital ID will be here.

If you’d like to talk business, you can contact us on martin (at) abundancemedia.co.uk

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:16 The NIMBY Debate and Hate Speech

03:00 Nuclear Energy Announcements

08:00 The Economics of Renewable Energy

17:41 Small Modular Reactors: The Future of Nuclear?

21:31 Transport Spending Review

26:37 Northern Powerhouse Rail and Economic Connectivity

27:28 Economic Theory and Football Teams

27:53 Trans Pennine Railway Upgrade

28:16 Impact of Railway Upgrades on Travel Times

30:33 Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2

31:52 Funding and Budget Considerations

33:33 Podcast Housekeeping and Listener Engagement

36:34 Introduction to Brit Card

39:49 Digital Identity and Government Services

48:24 Addressing Criticisms of Brit Card

53:51 Conclusion and Contact Information

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* Martin digs into the NIMBY assault on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is back in Parliament this week.

* We get mad at the Guardian and Natural England (again).

* We explore the big Abundance question at the heart of the Spending Review.

* And in a surprisingly candid interview, former Conservative cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke makes the case for why his party needs to embrace building – or face irrelevance.

You can find the slightly spartan Conservative YIMBY website here, and Sir Simon’s think-tank Onward here.

The Centre for British Progress’s new paper, “The Case for Abundance: Why Demand Suppression Won’t Fix the Cost of Living” is here.

You can find James’s piece slagging off Matt Goodwin here.

And Martin’s controversial piece on crime is here.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:34 NIMBYism and Environmental Concerns

04:48 Natural England's Role and Challenges

10:33 Planning Reforms and Housing Crisis

14:02 Spending Review and Political Trade-offs

20:32 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Investments

24:14 Housekeeping and Substack Newsletters

24:51 Discussing Crime and Controversies

25:43 Introducing the Guest: Sir Simon Clark

26:40 The YIMBY Campaign and Housing Crisis

27:54 Planning Infrastructure Bill: Eight Quick Fixes

28:41 Political Challenges and Housing Policies

41:30 Devolution and Local Government

43:50 Treasury Brain and Economic Growth

48:16 Concluding Thoughts and Personal Projects

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* Martin digs into the Stewart Review on why HS2 has been such a nightmare construction project. Spoiler: It ain’t pretty.

* James looks at progress towards having autonomous cars driving on London’s roads – and explores a new report on some of the second and third-order consequences of autonomous vehicles becoming a real thing in the world.

* Then we speak to technologist Tom Forth of The Data City, about his ideas for the National Data Library, and why he’s trolling the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.

You can find the full Stewart Review here.

The Productivity Institute report, by Graham Winch, on HS2 is here.

The Paradigm Junction report on autonomous vehicles is here.

Tom Forth’s ‘National Data Library’ is here.

Martin’s Substack is here, where he has written more on HS2 failures.

James’s Substack post on why HS2 to Manchester still might happen (maybe) is here.

Here’s some background on OpenSafely, which is mentioned by Tom Forth.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:19 HS2: A Symbol of Britain's Inability to Build

01:35 The Stewarts Review: Governance and Mismanagement

04:01 The Strategic Case for HS2

06:33 Design Challenges and Gold Plating

20:39 Government Interference and Project Delays

28:36 Autonomous Cars: The Future of Transport

35:17 Impact of Autonomous Deliveries on Big Business

35:42 Cost Reduction in Goods Transportation

36:18 Skepticism and Challenges of Autonomous Lorries

37:39 Autonomous Public Transport: A Transformative Future

39:27 Private Autonomous Vehicles: Ownership and Personalization

44:34 National Data Library: Concept and Implementation

01:03:50 Conclusion and Housekeeping

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* James looks at the government’s new attempt to make phone signal on trains better – and explore why getting reliable 4G and 5G on the rails is a really difficult problem.

* Martin reveals why the Office of National Statistics might have inadvertently broken a whole bunch of economic statistics – and why this is bad if you care about knowing what is actually happening in the country.

* And we speak to Labour MP and the government’s Growth Mission Champion Dan Tomlinson about why we need to build, the importance of growth if we want to redistribute wealth – and we try (with limited success) to sell him on the idea that we should make Abundance the guiding philosophy of Starmerism.

The alarming review of the ONS by Sir Robert Devereux is here.

James’s post on what the NHS can learn from Dave.

Martin’s post on HS2 and the slow decay of Britain.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:26 Controversial Opinions of Matt Goodwin

01:59 The Reality of Phone Signals on British Trains

02:16 Government Initiatives to Improve Train Connectivity

03:16 Challenges with Train Signal Technology

07:04 Comparing UK and French Train Connectivity

11:19 Future of Train Connectivity: HS2 and Beyond

15:31 The Role of the Office for National Statistics

25:21 Chasing New Projects Over Core Work

26:47 The Human Element in Official Statistics

27:47 Impact of the Pandemic on ONS

29:10 Leadership and Culture Issues at ONS

30:20 Future of UK Statistics and Management

32:15 Promoting the Podcast and Substack

34:09 Interview with MP Dan Tomlinson

38:14 Dan Tomlinson's Political Journey

41:11 Challenges and Solutions for UK Growth

52:08 The Abundance Agenda

55:43 Conclusion and Farewell

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* Martin digs into the Ten Year Plan for the NHS (which is more important than whether Rachel Reeves was smiling) – and we get mad at the stupid moralising about the use of weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic.

* James explains why the innocuous new GOV.UK app is actually a major step towards the total transformation of the British state.

* And we speak to Ant Breach from the Centre for Cities about his recent report on housing supply bottlenecks – and how to fix them.

James’s exhaustive piece digging into the digital government blueprint is here.

Martin’s latest on the unfixable road with no owner is here.

James’s latest, on how Universal Credit went from being a disaster to a wild success is here.

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:27 The NHS 10-Year Plan: Context and Challenges

01:41 The Infinite Demand for Health

02:32 The Rising Costs and Limits of NHS Spending

05:57 The Government's New 10-Year Plan for the NHS

06:53 Principles of the New NHS Plan

07:26 The Cost of Healthcare and the Importance of Early Intervention

13:16 The Role of Digital Transformation in the NHS

15:40 The Controversy and Potential of Weight Loss Drugs

26:15 The Gov UK App: A New Era of Digital Government

31:45 Introduction to the Digital Government Blueprint

32:33 Richard Pope's Vision for Digital Government

33:05 The Gov UK App: A New Relationship with the State

34:05 Potential Benefits and Concerns of the Gov UK App

35:24 Future Implications of the Gov UK App

35:49 Privacy and Civil Liberties Concerns

36:14 New Features and Functions of the Gov UK App

38:00 The Role of Databases in Government Efficiency

39:16 Housekeeping and Substack Newsletters

40:26 Interview with Ant Breach on Urban Housing and Regulations

42:19 The Future of Urban Planning and Building Regulations

58:43 Controversial Ideas in Urban Housing

01:01:05 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* Martin debunks the myth of ‘land-banking’ – and explains why all of the incentives for housing developers are totally broken.

* James explores a new paper which sets out how the government could conceivably build Heathrow’s notorious third runway… before the next election!

* And we speak to the excellent Michael Dnes about how a focus on time can speed up infrastructure planning – and breaks James’s brain with tails of Britain approving a nuclear plant in a national park… in just three days.

You can find “Getting Britain Off The Ground” at Labour Together or the Centre for British Progress.

The IPPR paper Martin was not a massive fan of is here.

Michael Dnes’s paper on “Making Britain Build Again” is here.

Michael also mentions a thread he did on the prospects of reviving HS2 to Manchester – you can find it here.

Ian Mansfield’s piece on the case for closing Heathrow and building Boris Island is here.

James’s latest is on Nigel Farage and the threat a Reform government might pose to Britain’s institutions.

Martin’s latest is on the troubles at the ONS and how weirdly precisely we measure GDP.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:21 The Housing Crisis: Greedy Developers or Systemic Issues?

02:10 Debunking the Land Banking Myth

07:22 The Realities of Slow Build-Outs

10:09 The Economics of Land Value

13:02 Government Intervention and Housing Market Solutions

18:43 Heathrow's Third Runway: A Controversial Expansion

23:49 Global Comparisons and Feasibility of Rapid Airport Construction

25:56 Proposed Reforms for Infrastructure Development

31:20 Proposing a Shorter Third Runway

32:20 Controversies and Government Decisions

32:36 Infrastructure Ideas Beyond Heathrow

32:52 Government's Role in Decision Making

33:54 Housekeeping and Listener Engagement

35:18 Introducing Michael Ness and His Report

36:20 Historical Context of Britain's Infrastructure

37:55 Challenges in Modern Infrastructure Planning

43:54 Proposed Solutions for Faster Planning

51:30 Specialist Infrastructure Tribunals

53:45 HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail Discussion

57:06 Conclusion and Listener Call to Action

Why the government is surrendering to Big Nature. And we speak to the Deputy Mayor of London about building homes in the capital.

James’s piece on the Planning Bill amendments and why the government might screw it up is here.

Martin’s piece on climate emergencies will be here.

James’s other piece on the vacuum where Starmerism should be – and how Abundance can fill it, is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:21 Government's Planning Bill Dilemma

01:16 Importance of the Planning Bill

04:08 Proposed Amendments and Their Implications

07:54 Internal Politics and Party Management

16:26 Climate Emergency Declarations

24:09 Empty Fields and Financial Distress

24:28 Net Zero Skeptics and Climate Emergency Declarations

25:27 The Cognitive Dissonance in Climate Action

26:40 Promoting the Podcast and Substack Newsletters

27:48 Interview with Tom Copley: Housing in London

30:16 Challenges in London's Housing Sector

32:39 Green Belt Development and Political Implications

43:26 Balancing Housing and Infrastructure

50:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Does the populist left believe in abundant energy and housing? Why was a major housing development rejected in Peckham? And we speak to former nuclear minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.

You can find James’s piece on amendments wrecking the planning bill here.

Martin’s piece on WASPInomics will be here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Plus is the government about to legalise e-scooters? And how did the government persuade the Daily Mail that it's a good idea? Plus we speak to Alistair Strathern MP about Old Bridge Way and what it tells us about the fraying social contract between politicians and voters.

Martin’s big post on Old Bridge Way is here.

James’s post on a similar mess in Kent is here.

Martin’s post on “WASPInomics” is here.

James’s post on what Ebbsfleet can teach the next generation of New Towns is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:22 Martin's Housing Estate Dilemma

01:39 The Road Maintenance Conundrum

03:29 The Story of Old Bridgeway

06:22 The 1990s Expansion and Road Issues

11:16 The Daniels Brothers' Scheme

15:11 Council's Reluctance and Public Outrage

19:34 Scooters: The Next Big Thing?

28:36 The Legalization of Private Scooters: A Missed Opportunity

29:39 Current Speculations and Government Stance

31:08 Daily Mail's Surprising Take on E-Scooters

31:40 Proposed Regulations for E-Scooters

32:51 The Role of Local Authorities and Public Frustration

33:53 Promoting the Podcast and Substack Newsletters

35:29 Interview with Alistair Stratton: Local MP's Efforts

38:56 Challenges in Local Governance and Public Discontent

45:40 The Broader Impact on Politics and Social Contracts

53:14 Engaging with Constituents: The Role of an MP

55:52 The Planning Bill and Future Infrastructure

01:00:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Is AI actually a big deal or not? Following the launch of GPT5, James and Martin finally hash out the biggest unresolved tension on the podcast.

Martin, an AI sceptic makes the case that the tech bro hype is out of control. And James, a wide-eyed optimist argues that actually maybe Large Language Models are a significant technology after all.

Plus we talk about why the AI critics are so annoying, why Grok is the best manifestation yet of Silicon Valley’s id, and what AI means for abundance.

No guest this week as the discussion goes too long!

You’ll be able to find Martin’s post on Plato vs Grok here.

James’s post on Sunday trading is here.

You might also enjoy the post James mentioned on how AI is going to break schools, which can be seen here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* Can deleting emails and photos really save water? James unpacks possibly the worst government advice ever published.

* Martin pitches a bold new strategy for wiping out obesity and saving the NHS billions of pounds.

* And we speak to Ruth Cadbury, Chair of the Transport Select Committee in Parliament, about integrated journeys, HS2, autonomous cars… and James’s e-scooter problem.

Andy Masley’s debunk of the government’s water advice is here.

Natasha Loder and Peter Singer on generic semaglutide is here.

The Transport Committee’s inquiry on joined-up journeys is here.

James’s piece on how he still thinks AI will eat the world is here.

Martin on Plato vs Grok is here.

James’s piece on the Sunday trading poll is here.

Our earlier episode on the two new reservoirs that are being built is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

00:26 Breaking News: National Water Crisis

01:18 Government's Water-Saving Advice

03:13 Critique of Government's Digital Water-Saving Advice

04:42 The Absurdity of Deleting Emails to Save Water

09:36 The Bigger Picture: Personal Responsibility vs. Systemic Solutions

12:46 The Role of Incentives in Public Compliance

16:10 Personal Grievances and Weight Loss Journey

19:40 The Impact of Drug Pricing on Health

27:34 Potential Solutions for Affordable Weight Loss Drugs

29:02 The Future of Weight Loss Drugs

29:43 Global Patent Expirations and Market Impact

30:14 UK's Patent Dilemma and Potential Solutions

30:48 Economic Benefits and Unintended Consequences

32:16 Housekeeping and Listener Engagement

33:00 Substack Newsletters and AI Discussions

34:38 Interview with Ruth Cadbury: Transport Issues

43:17 HS2: Challenges and Future Prospects

51:44 Autonomous Vehicles: Reality or Hype?

55:35 E-Scooters: Legalization and Public Perception

01:00:39 Conclusion and Farewell

On The Abundance Agenda this week:

* James talks about ‘London Unchained’, a new paper by Labour Together and the YIMBY Alliance that figures out how we could actually pay for the much-needed Bakerloo line extension, level-up the north, and protect the credibility of the public finances… all at the same time!

* And we speak to Sam Freedman, author of the Comment is Freed newsletter, about what the ‘Abundance’ view is missing, how to shift political incentives towards building – and playing Civilisation with his dad.

The Labour Together/YIMBY Alliance paper, ‘London Unchained’, can be found here.

James’s write up on the paper, with his own thoughts is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Sam’s excellent book, Failed State is essential reading and can be found here.

The episode about Dobbins Lane we mentioned is here, and the one where we talk about Northern Powerhouse Rail is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin looks at the BBC’s coverage of the Universal theme park and asks… why is it so weirdly negative? James reminds everyone about Eurostar’s forgotten stations – in Ebbsfleet and and Ashford, which haven’t seen international trains since 2020. And we speak to Sally Gimson about her new book Off The Rails: The Inside Story of HS2 (out now!).

The Good Growth Foundation’s report on re-opening Ashford is here.

Starmer shouldn't give a conference speech – he should give an Apple-style keynote (by James)

Martin’s piece on the BBC’s Universal coverage will be here.

Our previous coverage of Old Bridge Way, with lots more context, is here.

Martin’s amazing expose of the attempts to delay HS2 in Wendover can be heard here.

And previous coverage of the Universal theme park is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin tells us about his trip to see one of HS2’s ‘green tunnels’ under construction – and why digging a cut-and-cover tunnel is so much more complex than it sounds. James explains why the Sunday trading laws might be about to change – and why he’s going to unjustifiably take credit for it, if it happens.

And we speak to Simon Dudley, chair of the Representative Planning Group about how the new group is hoping to bring better data to planning fights. (Plus a little about his former roles, as Chair of Homes England and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.)

James’s piece on the Cambridge sewage works is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

The Grocer’s reporting on Sunday trading is here. (James’s piece on Sunday trading is here.)

Note: The interview at the end was recorded before Angela Rayner resigned, so just mentally substitute every mention of “Angela Rayner” with “Steve Reed”, and it still makes total sense.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

How Angela Rayner’s department killed a major new brownfield housing development in Cambridge – and how her replacement Steve Reed might be able to undo this terrible mistake. Plus Martin discovers that Reform in Lincolnshire is building its own bat tunnel.

And we speak to Dr Alicia Greated, executive director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering about industrial policy and how even Reform voters might support immigration for R&D jobs.

Check out CaSE’s immigration and industrial strategy papers.

James’s piece on the Cambridge sewage works and how Steve Reed could reverse Angela Rayner’s worst decision is here.

Martin’s piece on the Lincolnshire bat tunnel will be here.

James’s piece on why a ‘Fare Free London’ is basically unworkable is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

We get mad about a new document published by the government that seems like a beginners guide to jamming up the build-out of new energy infrastructure. And we speak to the amazing YouTuber CityEd, all about architecture, urban design, and how to build liveable cities.

James has written an accompanying piece about the NIMBY charter here.

James’s piece about Liam Byrne – and whether he’s had his Weetabix is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

You can read the CIA field manual here.

Our previous episode mentioned by Ed, featuring Sally Gimson talking HS2 is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

James looks at the big US-UK nuclear agreement, and explores some of the exciting nuclear projects that might happen here because of it. Martin explains the 18 year long redevelopment sage playing out in Bristol, where plans have been consistently derailed by a single barge. And then we speak to Michael Jenner, CEO of Last Energy UK, the nuclear firm building a nuclear reactor at the London Gateway port.

Our episode with former nuclear minister Lord Hunt can be heard here.

James’s piece on racism and the anti-asylum protests is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Pre-order Hayley Gullen’s book, This Might Surprise You, here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

We dig into the recommendations of the government’s New Town taskforce – and explore the twelve locations that have been selected for a new generation of New Towns. Martin takes the Guardian’s NIMBY nonsense to task – and wonders if nature activists actually know what nature is. Plus we speak to Kane Emerson about the plan for the new town of Tempsford – and how it could be under construction by the end of this Parliament.

The New Town Taskforce’s full report is here.

Kane’s paper on the case of Tempsford is here.

The maddening Guardian ‘Green to Grey’ piece is here.

James’s piece on the ‘NIMBY charter’ is here (and the short piece on HIGNFY is here).

Martin’s newsletter is here – he’ll be dropping something later this week.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

We make the case for new build houses, explaining why they’re so much better than people think, and why you can save frankly an astonishing amount of money on energy bills. Then, relatedly, we speak to Barratt Redrow CEO David Thomas about how volume house-builders navigate Britain’s notorious planning laws, and his pitch for how building on existing carparks could unlock over 700,000 new homes.

You can find James’s newsletter, and piece on digital traffic orders here.

Martin’s newsletter is here, and he’ll be posting his piece on boomers this week.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin describes how NIMBY activists in Cambridgeshire have destroyed a popular ‘cow experience’ – and what it says about our relationship with the countryside. James looks at the potential for chaos following the introduction of the European Entry/Exit System, and explains why the way we handle cross-channel freight traffic is broken – and how to fix it. Plus we speak to Tym Syrytczyk from Paradigm Junction about whether Britain is ready for the imminent self-driving car revolution

James’s piece explaining why a wealth tax isn’t credible is here.

James also wrote-up his take on cross-channel freight here (free to read!).

Martin’s piece on national service for boomers will be here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin tells the extraordinary story of how Natural England appears to have assumed absolute power to stop all development in West Sussex… because of some pesky snails. James looks at shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho’s conference speech, and is pleasantly surprised. And we speak to Praful Nargund from the Good Growth Foundation about how four rapid reforms that can unblock house building, and the case for re-opening cross-channel rail services in Kent.

Michael Dnes’s incredible/maddening post about snails in Sussex is here.

The excellent blog Simonicity, which Martin mentions is here.

You can watch Claire Coutinho’s Tory conference speech here.

James’s newsletter is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

We dig into the findings from the Independent Nuclear Taskforce led by John Fingleton, on why Britain is so bad at building nuclear energy, and what we can do to fix it. And we speak to Shadow Secretary of State For Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, about why she has taken the abundance pill, why she advocates making energy cheap – and why she wants to repeal the Climate Change Act.

You can find Martin’s newsletter here, and his YouTube channel here.

James’s piece on why everyone is getting the new Twitter geolocation feature wrong is here, and what he liked – and loathed – about the Budget here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin digs into fascinating new public opinion research from CaSE about attitudes towards research and development. James looks at newly announced planning changes to make it easier to build near train stations – and why the government wants to stop theatres from vetoing development. And we speak to Fabian Chessell from the DATA Alliance about why the government needs to get better at sharing data… with itself.

Martin’s fantastic video on the HS2 ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ is here, and his newsletter is here.

James’s piece on why he’s worried about who follows Starmer is here.

Tym’s piece on self-driving cars is here.

Morgan Wild on municipal bond markets is here.

Relevant previous episodes:

* Our interview with CaSE’s Alicia Greated – which also features a section on the Cambridge Sewage Works we mentioned.

* Why Fabian made a deep-cut reference to Old Bridge Way.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

James explains why Manchester should bid for the Olympics as an insurance policy for Northern Powerhouse Rail. And we speak to architect Ivan Jordan about why the way we protect historic buildings is broken – and why the listed system needs replacing.

James’s newsletter is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin makes the surprisingly persuasive case for building a tunnel to the Isle of Wight. And we speak to Ed Jennings, founder and editor of Kent Current about the maddening story of how NIMBY concerns killed a significant battery storage facility, and just how much worse Reform is making things in Kent, now that the party is in charge of Kent County Council. The answer might surprise you!

You can find James’s newsletter here, and Martin’s newsletter here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin tells us the jaw-dropping story of a bridge built for HS2 which is even more egregious than the infamous bat tunnel. This is seriously not to be missed. James explains how a clever new database could make driving much less annoying. And we speak to Lord Ben Gascoigne, Chairman of the Built Environment Select Committee in the House of Lords, about the findings from the first module of the inquiry into New Towns.

You can find Martin’s newsletter, which includes his post on the Bridge to Nowhere – and many pictures – here.

James’s newsletter and post on digital traffic orders is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

The London Assembly has called for the Mayor to restart HS2 planning, so we dig into Crossrail 2 – and how construction has already (sort of) started. Martin has been down in the dumps, literally, and has been figuring out why Oxfordshire has an enormous pile of rubbish dumped just off the A34. We have a very quick chat with Chris Curtis MP, who has been down to Ebbsfleet to see where the ‘jumping spiders’ have thwarted building a major new town centre. And we speak to Laura Ryan from the Tony Blair Institute about her important new paper, proposing new national laboratories designed to create new ‘disruptive’ technologies.

James’s piece on how he uses AI (and why the haters are wrong) is here.

You can find Martin’s newsletter here, and his YouTube channel here.

Our episode where we have a big fight about AI is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Arch-Remainer James discovers why re-aligning with Europe could spell doom for Britain’s critical fixes to how we build nuclear power plants. Martin updates us on the drama at Dobbins Lane in Wendover, and how HS2 and the council have landed on an insane solution to a stupid problem. And we speak to Phil Tinline about his fascinating new paper, Power Failure: A new theory of Power.

James’s newsletter is here. His piece on vibe-coding is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here, and his big pothole video is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

How just one planning objection scuppered a neighbourhood battery storage project in Banbury – and what this says about how much money councils are wasting on vexatious complaints. Why Europe needs its own independent space launch capability if we want an abundant future. And we speak to Zion Lights, author of the new book Energy is Life, about how we’re already living abundant lives – and how we can persuade degrowthers of the error of their ways.

James’s newsletter is here. His piece on whether Reform can ever be YIMBY is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here, and his big pothole video is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

A new study casts doubt on whether AI really will be a big productivity boost, so Martin and James have their AI argument again. A small tweak in how the government determines value for money could have big implications for new infrastructure like railways.

And we speak to Alexander Iosad and Eleni Arzoglou from the Tony Blair Institute about their fascinating new paper, Public Service Reform in the Age of AI.

Our previous AI episode is here, and our previous discussion about the cancelled plans to move Cambridge Sewage Works is here.

James’s newsletter is here. His piece on AI growth zones is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin bursts open the maddening story of how the new Universal theme park is worrying Anglian Water… and how nobody seems to have anticipated this? James talks about his big day grandstanding at the London Assembly’s Planning and Regeneration Committee – and explains how he was almost thwarted by a spider. And we speak to Eamonn Ives from The Entrepreneurs Network about his new research into the contribution of foreign-born founders to the British economy – and how we can make our immigration regime actually support growth.

Martin’s latest video, on the Badger Road, is here.

James’s newsletter is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

Martin digs into the NIMBY drama at Bristol Zoo… and then enters the lion’s den himself, and attends a meeting of his Parish Council. James goes full neoliberal shill talking about Darren Jones’ proposals for fixing the Civil Service. And we speak to policy guru Tim Leunig, Chief Economist at NESTA, to learn how he thinks about policymaking, and why we should build a massive electricity cable from Texas to the UK.

Martin’s latest video, on the Badger Road, is here.

Darren Jones’s speech is here.

An explanation of the Postcode Address File issue is here.

James’s newsletter is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

James argues the digital ID U-turn doesn’t deserve the hysterical coverage that Westminster lobby journalists have been giving it. Martin concludes the incredible story of a 17th century engineering project – and how it is weirdly similar to HS2 today. And we speak to transport guru Michael Dnes to break down the news that Northern Powerhouse Rail is back – and that there’s going to be a strangely familiar new railway line built between Birmingham and Manchester.

Our original Britcard interview is here.

The Stepchange podcast on the history of coal, which James mentions, is here.

James’s newsletter is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

We explain why The Abundance Agenda has a new name! James digs into a crazy story about how about how one village was almost cut off from civilisation for an entire year by… badgers. And the reason why is more infuriating than you think. And Martin tells the story of the biggest infrastructure project you’ve never heard of.

* Plus we speak to Michael Hill from Britain Remade, about how to reconcile the need for Net Zero with the reality that China manufactures almost all of our renewable energy technology.

Michael has written five pieces on China and energy – the first one is here. (Then check out parts two, three, four and five!)

James’s post on how he rebooted his social life is here.

Martin’s newsletter is here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

YIMBY Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

On The Abundance Agenda this week, a special look back at four of our favourite segments from the show in 2025.

James’s newsletter is here. (He wrote last week about why it’s time to reboot Back to The Future…)

You can find Martin’s newsletter here, and his YouTube channel here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.

This week, we’re hosting a Christmas Quiz – all about transport, infrastructure, urbanism… and all the stuff we usually talk about, basically.

The quiz master is Only Connect question-writer Stephen Jorgenson-Murray.

On James’s team we have the excellent YouTuber CityEd! (We particularly love his video about Manchester.)

And Martin is joined by comedian, author, and QI Elf Andrew Hunter Murray! His most recent book is A Beginner’s Guide To Breaking And Entering.

James’s newsletter is here. (He wrote about how Labour should reach out to gamers this week…)

You can find Martin’s newsletter here, and his YouTube channel here.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the pod – and leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts!

The Abundance Agenda is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and hopefully wherever you get your podcasts!

You can find James on Bluesky here, and Martin here.