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 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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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