YIMBY Pod – formerly The Abundance Agenda

On YIMBY Pod this week:* For the first time on the pod, James makes the case for liberating the Postcode Address File.* And we speak to Lord Mark Pack about how Secondary Legislation is a hidden problem that is slowing down the business of government.Mark’s excellent Lord’s Eye View newsletter is here, and The Week In Polls is here.James’s newsletter is here, and he’ll have a guest post up by the time you’re reading this.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his YouTube channel 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

Martin reveals the extraordinary grip one Bedfordshire councillor has on BBC coverage of the new Universal theme park. And James speaks to Dan Mead from Labour Together about why nationalising Thames Water might not be the best use of the cash, when can build trams instead.Dan’s post about Thames Water is here.James’s newsletter is here, and he’ll have a guest post up by the time you’re reading this.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his YouTube channel 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James and Martin dig into some astonishing YouGov polling that reveals a huge gender gap in support for nuclear energy… and desperately try not to get cancelled while talking about it. And we speak to Tym Syrytczyk from the Institute for Driverless Transport to check in on Britain’s autonomous vehicle progress.James’s newsletter is here, and by the time you’re reading this, he’ll hopefully have something published!Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest video will be 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James talks about Technology Secretary Liz Kendall’s speech last week, which essentially sets out Britain’s AI strategy – and he explains why the strategy is determined by some rather limited choices. And then we speak to Hannah Keenan, from the Institute for Government, who takes James to task over an incredibly bad take on the pod from a few weeks ago.James’s newsletter is here, and he’ll have something new up about Palantir by the time you’re reading this.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his YouTube channel 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

Why Green Party complaints about “industrial scale” solar farms are fundamentally unserious. Martin visits the actual Bat Tunnel – and returns with a crazy plot twist. And we speak to Dan Davies about his pitch for a less combative planning system, Build the Rail! Save The Snails!(Image credit: ANeely2020 on Wikicommons.)Dan Davies’s book, The Unaccountability Machine can be found here.James’s newsletter is here, and his latest post is a deep dive into the arguments against solar farms – and he explains why none of them hold up.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest video, visiting the Bat Tunnel, 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

Why it’s patriotic duty to switch on our air conditioners this summer. The NIMBY battle against a cancer hospital. And we speak to Maxwell Marlow from TYI Strategy about why phone signal in Britain is so crap – and how we can fix it.James’s newsletter is here, and his latest is about his most left-wing opinion.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest video, visiting the actual Bat Tunnel, 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

On YIMBY Pod this week:* James and Martin get unusually mad about the latest developments in the West Yorkshire team saga. We just want a tram!* Then James speaks to Andrew Greenway, a partner at Public Digital about his fantastic essay on fixing the Civil Service, titled ‘In Permanence Crisis’.Noah Vickers’ reporting on the West Yorkshire tram is here.James’s newsletter is here, his latest is not as billed on the show, but actually all about Artemis II, and why he’s still inspired despite, well, you know…Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest video, visiting the actual Bat Tunnel, 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

On YIMBY Pod this week:* James talks about Tory plans for a ‘National Pothole Patrol’, and explains how AI can be used to detect potholes.* Martin tells the story of a big NIMBY campaign to save… a car park.* And we speak to Asif Ghafoor, CEO of BE.EV, about the bureaucratic and political challenges of rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure.James’s newsletter is here, his latest on the AI/copyright debate is here.You might also like his written piece on how AI can be used to spot potholes is here.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James gets annoyed his new build was saddled with old technology. Martin tells the story of the surprisingly futuristic British wine industry. And we speak to Thomas Ableman about his proposal for Mini-Switzerland, a plan that could make rural trains and buses… actually good?!James’s newsletter is here, his latest on our geospatial data mess is here.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James talks about how Rachel Reeves’ plan to give mayor a slice of income tax could help get infrastructure built. Martin digs into two more BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service stories with an alarming NIMBY slant. And we speak to Simon Kaye, Director of Policy and Research at Re:State, about his new report, arguing for a more powerful London Mayor and fewer London boroughs!James’s newsletter is here.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James argues that Reform’s idea about politicising the Civil Service could be good, and begs everyone not to hate him. Martin tells the maddening story of his local playground, and how two years on kids are still not allowed to use it. And we speak to Laurel Boxall and Neil Ross from Public First about text and data mining (TDM), aka the eternal AI/copyright debate.Laurel and Neil’s TDM report is here.James’s newsletter is here.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his latest 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James tells Martin the story of Open Safely, an incredible tool that scientists can now use to research country-wide NHS GP data. And we speak to energy policy guru Adam Bell, partner at Stonehaven, ex-head of the government’s energy strategy, and writer of the excellent Unbalancing Mechanism Substack about the wild complexity of pricing energy as we transition to Net Zero.James’s newsletter is here. This week he wrote about proportional representation.James wrote about Open Safely here.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his Old Bridge Way 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

On YIMBY Pod this week, James and Martin have good news for once: Cornwall might be about to become Britain’s lithium-and-geothermal powerhouse, and London is (finally) getting a pedestrianised Oxford Street — after years of institutional gridlock.Plus: a celebrity guest! James speaks to Prof. Chris Lintott (Oxford astrophysicist and The Sky at Night presenter) about looming UK science funding cuts that could gut astronomy — and why “curiosity-driven research” is anything but a luxury.Chris’s piece on the threat to astronomy funding is here.Chris’s book Our Accidental Universe is here, and details on his upcoming talk in London is here.James’s newsletter is here. His piece on why we should abolish Natural England is here.Martin’s newsletter is here, and his Old Bridge Way 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

James explains why the National Grid’s queuing system is maddeningly broken – and how the government is trying to fix it. Martin takes us back to World War II to tell the story of an extraordinary railway bridge in Weston-super-Mare. And we speak London Assembly Member James Small-Edwards to dig into his new report, Gridlocked, which explains why data centres and new homes are forced to fight for a constrained electricity supply in London.James’s newsletter is here, and his post about tech that annoys him is here.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 is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 revolutionJames’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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Crisis01:18 Government's Water-Saving Advice03:13 Critique of Government's Digital Water-Saving Advice04:42 The Absurdity of Deleting Emails to Save Water09:36 The Bigger Picture: Personal Responsibility vs. Systemic Solutions12:46 The Role of Incentives in Public Compliance16:10 Personal Grievances and Weight Loss Journey19:40 The Impact of Drug Pricing on Health27:34 Potential Solutions for Affordable Weight Loss Drugs29:02 The Future of Weight Loss Drugs29:43 Global Patent Expirations and Market Impact30:14 UK's Patent Dilemma and Potential Solutions30:48 Economic Benefits and Unintended Consequences32:16 Housekeeping and Listener Engagement33:00 Substack Newsletters and AI Discussions34:38 Interview with Ruth Cadbury: Transport Issues43:17 HS2: Challenges and Future Prospects51:44 Autonomous Vehicles: Reality or Hype?55:35 E-Scooters: Legalization and Public Perception01:00:39 Conclusion and Farewell This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Dilemma01:39 The Road Maintenance Conundrum03:29 The Story of Old Bridgeway06:22 The 1990s Expansion and Road Issues11:16 The Daniels Brothers' Scheme15:11 Council's Reluctance and Public Outrage19:34 Scooters: The Next Big Thing?28:36 The Legalization of Private Scooters: A Missed Opportunity29:39 Current Speculations and Government Stance31:08 Daily Mail's Surprising Take on E-Scooters31:40 Proposed Regulations for E-Scooters32:51 The Role of Local Authorities and Public Frustration33:53 Promoting the Podcast and Substack Newsletters35:29 Interview with Alistair Stratton: Local MP's Efforts38:56 Challenges in Local Governance and Public Discontent45:40 The Broader Impact on Politics and Social Contracts53:14 Engaging with Constituents: The Role of an MP55:52 The Planning Bill and Future Infrastructure01:00:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Dilemma01:16 Importance of the Planning Bill04:08 Proposed Amendments and Their Implications07:54 Internal Politics and Party Management16:26 Climate Emergency Declarations24:09 Empty Fields and Financial Distress24:28 Net Zero Skeptics and Climate Emergency Declarations25:27 The Cognitive Dissonance in Climate Action26:40 Promoting the Podcast and Substack Newsletters27:48 Interview with Tom Copley: Housing in London30:16 Challenges in London's Housing Sector32:39 Green Belt Development and Political Implications43:26 Balancing Housing and Infrastructure50:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Myth07:22 The Realities of Slow Build-Outs10:09 The Economics of Land Value13:02 Government Intervention and Housing Market Solutions18:43 Heathrow's Third Runway: A Controversial Expansion23:49 Global Comparisons and Feasibility of Rapid Airport Construction25:56 Proposed Reforms for Infrastructure Development31:20 Proposing a Shorter Third Runway32:20 Controversies and Government Decisions32:36 Infrastructure Ideas Beyond Heathrow32:52 Government's Role in Decision Making33:54 Housekeeping and Listener Engagement35:18 Introducing Michael Ness and His Report36:20 Historical Context of Britain's Infrastructure37:55 Challenges in Modern Infrastructure Planning43:54 Proposed Solutions for Faster Planning51:30 Specialist Infrastructure Tribunals53:45 HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail Discussion57:06 Conclusion and Listener Call to Action This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Challenges01:41 The Infinite Demand for Health02:32 The Rising Costs and Limits of NHS Spending05:57 The Government's New 10-Year Plan for the NHS06:53 Principles of the New NHS Plan07:26 The Cost of Healthcare and the Importance of Early Intervention13:16 The Role of Digital Transformation in the NHS15:40 The Controversy and Potential of Weight Loss Drugs26:15 The Gov UK App: A New Era of Digital Government31:45 Introduction to the Digital Government Blueprint32:33 Richard Pope's Vision for Digital Government33:05 The Gov UK App: A New Relationship with the State34:05 Potential Benefits and Concerns of the Gov UK App35:24 Future Implications of the Gov UK App35:49 Privacy and Civil Liberties Concerns36:14 New Features and Functions of the Gov UK App38:00 The Role of Databases in Government Efficiency39:16 Housekeeping and Substack Newsletters40:26 Interview with Ant Breach on Urban Housing and Regulations42:19 The Future of Urban Planning and Building Regulations58:43 Controversial Ideas in Urban Housing01:01:05 Conclusion and Listener Engagement This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Goodwin01:59 The Reality of Phone Signals on British Trains02:16 Government Initiatives to Improve Train Connectivity03:16 Challenges with Train Signal Technology07:04 Comparing UK and French Train Connectivity11:19 Future of Train Connectivity: HS2 and Beyond15:31 The Role of the Office for National Statistics25:21 Chasing New Projects Over Core Work26:47 The Human Element in Official Statistics27:47 Impact of the Pandemic on ONS29:10 Leadership and Culture Issues at ONS30:20 Future of UK Statistics and Management32:15 Promoting the Podcast and Substack34:09 Interview with MP Dan Tomlinson38:14 Dan Tomlinson's Political Journey41:11 Challenges and Solutions for UK Growth52:08 The Abundance Agenda55:43 Conclusion and Farewell This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Build01:35 The Stewarts Review: Governance and Mismanagement04:01 The Strategic Case for HS206:33 Design Challenges and Gold Plating20:39 Government Interference and Project Delays28:36 Autonomous Cars: The Future of Transport35:17 Impact of Autonomous Deliveries on Big Business35:42 Cost Reduction in Goods Transportation36:18 Skepticism and Challenges of Autonomous Lorries37:39 Autonomous Public Transport: A Transformative Future39:27 Private Autonomous Vehicles: Ownership and Personalization44:34 National Data Library: Concept and Implementation01:03:50 Conclusion and Housekeeping This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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.ukThe 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 Speech03:00 Nuclear Energy Announcements08:00 The Economics of Renewable Energy17:41 Small Modular Reactors: The Future of Nuclear?21:31 Transport Spending Review26:37 Northern Powerhouse Rail and Economic Connectivity27:28 Economic Theory and Football Teams27:53 Trans Pennine Railway Upgrade28:16 Impact of Railway Upgrades on Travel Times30:33 Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS231:52 Funding and Budget Considerations33:33 Podcast Housekeeping and Listener Engagement36:34 Introduction to Brit Card39:49 Digital Identity and Government Services48:24 Addressing Criticisms of Brit Card53:51 Conclusion and Contact Information This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com

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 Concerns04:48 Natural England's Role and Challenges10:33 Planning Reforms and Housing Crisis14:02 Spending Review and Political Trade-offs20:32 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Investments24:14 Housekeeping and Substack Newsletters24:51 Discussing Crime and Controversies25:43 Introducing the Guest: Sir Simon Clark26:40 The YIMBY Campaign and Housing Crisis27:54 Planning Infrastructure Bill: Eight Quick Fixes28:41 Political Challenges and Housing Policies41:30 Devolution and Local Government43:50 Treasury Brain and Economic Growth48:16 Concluding Thoughts and Personal Projects This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.abundancepod.com