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. 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
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55:02
This HS2 story will make you mad
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. 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
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46:53
Why the Tories should embrace Abundance
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 Agenda00:27 Nuclear Power Predictions02:26 Energy Security and Nuclear Benefits05:08 Challenges in Nuclear Plant Construction06:52 Regulatory Hurdles and International Comparisons10:30 Caravans and Housing Issues12:24 History of Trailer Parks in America16:00 Trailer Living in Modern America19:02 Caravan Living in the UK22:32 The Housing Crisis and Future Trends28:20 Housekeeping and Social Media Call to Action28:47 Substack Newsletters and Upcoming Content29:48 Discussing Political Views and Ideologies31:07 Interview with Robert Colville on Planning Bill32:55 Challenges in Housing and Planning Reforms39:10 Political Dynamics and Housing Crisis53:44 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans 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
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55:00
A tale of two theme parks
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 Agenda00:32 Theme Parks: A Fascinating Business02:44 Universal's New Theme Park in Bedfordshire03:11 Local Impact and Community Response03:59 Challenges and Comparisons with Other Theme Parks09:23 Planning and Development Insights12:11 The Rise and Fall of the London Paramount Entertainment Resort15:20 British Steel: A Crisis Unfolds24:05 The Uncertain Future of British Steel24:29 Historical Context of British Steel Nationalization25:04 Challenges Facing the British Steel Industry25:46 Potential Solutions for Revitalizing British Steel26:31 Planning Bill Controversies and Local Politics27:20 The Role of Planning in Economic Growth28:38 The Debate Over Housing and Planning Amendments29:34 The Future of Planning and Development in the UK30:25 Housekeeping and Personal Updates32:21 The Concept of 'Leveling Up' in UK Politics34:05 Interview with JP Spencer on Regional Imbalances41:43 The Role of the Treasury Green Book45:05 Political Attitudes Towards Rebalancing the Economy46:47 Conclusion and 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
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48:02
Why we love Luton Airport, and a terrible plan for changing the London Mayoralty
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: 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
UK