Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 16d

Bad regulations that require us to build bat sheds and produce 80,000 page EIAs clearly make infrastructure more expensive than necessary.

But are theu really enough to explain why HS2 and Hinkley are so expensive? Here's my answer.

www.samdumitriu.com/p/how-bad-regulations-make-infrastructure

How bad regulations make infrastructure expensive

It's more complicated than you think

www.samdumitriu.com

1 2 9

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23d

Nuclear works. It’s safe, clean and reliable. In other countries, it’s affordable too.

Here's how Britain can lead again in nuclear by fixing bad safety rules, streamlining planning, and creating new routes to market.

Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 23d

Britain once led the world in nuclear power.

Today, we’re building the most expensive nuclear power station in history.

Why? And how do we fix it?

The answer is here:
www.britainremade.co.uk/cheapernuclear

A policy playbook for cheaper nuclear

Britain Remade's policy playbook for cheaper nuclear energy.

www.britainremade.co.uk

1 3 11

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Aug 14

Will Labour deliver its 1.5 million home target?

New Britain Remade analysis of planning application data finds Labour are on track to be almost 500,000 homes short by the end of Parliament.

www.samdumitriu.com/p/labours-15...

Labour’s 1.5 million home target is drifting out of reach

It’s early days, but it isn’t looking good

www.samdumitriu.com

2 2 4

Reposted by Sam Dumitriu

Michael Dnes @roadscholar.bsky.social · Jul 19

On Thursday night, we heard that government was making big concessions on its planning bill, putting lots more controls on its nature recovery plans.

I find this disappointing. And to explain why, I have to tell a story I’ve been holding off from sharing.

8 38 96

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jul 19

NEW: Britain Remade's judgment on Labour's amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Plus: What they need to do to salvage their planning reform agenda.

www.samdumitriu.com/p/what-happe...

What happened to backing the builders?

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill’s most powerful measure has been watered down

www.samdumitriu.com

2 5

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 30

It's very hot today so I wrote about the UK's anti-air conditioning policies and why getting rid of them could be the secret to getting us to install heat pump.

samdumitriu.substack.com/p/legalise-ac

Legalise AC

Clean energy abundance should mean sweating less indoors

samdumitriu.substack.com

3 10

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Salman Rushdie moved to the US because of the first amendment.

He explicitly allowed a pro-fatwa movie to be screened in the UK (when state censors wanted to prohibit it).

In fact, he spends much of his time defending the First Amendment

1

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Yeah, I don’t think the first amendment is why Trump won.

And if anything anti-speech norms (particularly around purity) on the left are why we have Trump.

2

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

I think the Rushdie affair highlights the value of strong protections for free speech.

It’d have been good if Britain had a First Amendment culture when the Satanic Verses was published.

I do however think it’s reasonable to deport people where appropriate in such cases.

1

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Yeah, we should allow the very silly Westboro Baptist people to practice their faith.

2

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Is there a problem at US stadiums with this?

First Amendment protections do not prevent private organisations from restricting speech on their own property.

1 1

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

I don’t care about what’s popular. I care about what’s good policy.

1

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Yeah, they’re wrong about that.

1

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Yes, but my point was the piece claims it would pass the Supreme Court’s tests. It clearly doesn’t.

The US Supreme Court are right on free speech and this wouldn’t be a crime in the UK if we had proper protections for free speech.

2

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

Yes, there’s no way that would pass the test in the US.

There are much closer cases which don’t still pass the bar.

1

Reposted by Sam Dumitriu

Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · Jun 5

☀️A strong front of warming to the idea of new nuclear power is spreading across Europe ☀️
____________________________________________

🌧️There's a high chance that Scotland misses out by continuing to ban it 🌧️

1 1 5

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 5

The key point is that her crime simply isn’t a crime in the US due to the first amendment.

There is no constitutional law against stirring up racial hatred.

3

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · Jun 4

Strange piece. Rightly endorses the US Supreme Court definition of incitement and then claims that Connolly’s tweet would meet that standard.

Has he spoken to any US experts because it almost certainly wouldn’t meet the tests.

2 1

Reposted by Sam Dumitriu

PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · May 26

Make it easier for cities to build trams... regenerate post-war housing estates... build new towns (in the right places)

Here are 10 ways to revive the UK economy, writes @britainremade.bsky.social's Head of Policy @samdumitriu.bsky.social

10 Ways To Revive Our Economy

Why is the UK so slow to build? Sam Dumitriu, head of policy at Britain Remade, shares the think tank’s best ideas for injecting new life into the ...

www.politicshome.com

4 25

Reposted by Sam Dumitriu

Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · May 13

Britain’s planning system is broken, and working people are paying the price.

High bills. Low wages. Sky-high house prices and rents. A system built for blockers, not builders. It doesn’t have to be this way. 🧵

Front cover of Community Union and Britain Remade's joint report 'How to make planning reform work for workers' by Sam Dumitriu, Ben Hopkinson and Dominic Armstrong.

1 2 5

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · May 9

Want the blueprint for building trams cheaply and quickly?

Read this Britain Remade/ Create Streets paper.

britainremade.co.uk/backontrack

britainremade.co.uk

1 4

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · May 9

The prize if we can cut costs to European levels is efficient (and reliable) public transport across the country.

France has built 21 tramways since the year 2000.

Every French city with more than 150,000 people has a tram. In Britain, there are 30 bigger cities that don't.

1 2 7

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · May 9

If you're unconviced devolution equals speed, compare Birmingham and Dijon.

2 1 6

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · May 9

The same is true on planning. Approvals (and financing) are devolved to a local level in France, Germany, and Spain.

Britain should do the same by devolving the Transport and Works Act Order to metro-mayors and creating new financing mechanisms.

1 3

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · May 9

This system is unique to Britain. In Europe, it's the other way round and the incentive to request that pipes/wires are moved isn't there.

There's also better guidance ensuring pipes and wires are only moved when necessary.

1 3