Odds and Ends of History

Odds and Ends of History

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The wild complexity of digging HS2 tunnels
Plus Sunday trading, and behind the scenes of the notorious Ebbsfleet 'jumping spiders' SSSI
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James O'Malley
Trains are a critical part of an abundant future (Odds and Ends #77)
Plus a promising sign the government is planning to fix the Sunday trading laws! And more!
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James O'Malley
9
Steve Reed should reverse Angela Rayner's worst decision
The first test of his mantra, "build, baby, build".
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James O'Malley
10
Reform’s very own bat tunnel
Plus how Britain can turn its R&D skillz into economic growth
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James O'Malley
Making London transport free is basically unworkable
"Fare Free London" is an appealing idea but a silly thing to campaign for
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James O'Malley
12
The BBC's NIMBY bias
Plus why it's time to re-open Eurostar's forgotten stations and a new book about HS2
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James O'Malley
2

August 2025

Starmer shouldn't give a conference speech – he should give an Apple-style keynote
The format is tired and it is time to think different.
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James O'Malley
1
Reform in Kent is going... about as well as you expect (Odds and Ends #76)
Plus the Starship doubters are wrong again. And why are streaming apps so unambitious?
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James O'Malley
4
This is how we pay for the Bakerloo Line extension
One weird trick can extend the Tube, level up the north and make the Treasury happy.
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James O'Malley
12
LISTEN: How to extend the Bakerloo line
Plus what does Sam Freedman think of 'Abundance'?
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James O'Malley
The Mayor of London is posting nonsense (Odds and Ends #75)
Plus the US debate over moderation, and what a certain, notorious, ex-LibDem MP is doing these days
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James O'Malley
Make Britain Fat Again
Plus why deleting photos won't save water and more lessons from HS2
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James O'Malley
2
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