Share

cover art for Nimby Nation

The Slow Newscast

Nimby Nation

Season 1, Ep. 330

Earlier this year the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, wrote about a group of people he called zealots. And he identified one man in particular who the Prime Minister claimed was costing the country its future. But maybe he's saving it? This is the story of that man, the so-called zealots, and a prime minister who wants to take them on.


Reporter: Katie Gunning

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett


To find out more about Tortoise:


Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content


Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more


If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com


More episodes

View all episodes

  • 412. Pepped-up: the secret world of peptides

    43:32||Season 1, Ep. 412
    Ordinary people are turning to illegally produced peptides in the hopes of a beauty quick fix. How are these shady black market drugs slipping through the regulatory gaps? Reporters: Stephen Armstrong and Madeleine ParrProducers: Madeleine Parr, Matt Russell and Amalie Sortland Sound Design: Dominic DelargyArtwork: Harmony BlaiseEditor: Jasper CorbettClips: ITV News, Channel 4 News, 5 News, Loreal Elvive, Ozempic
  • 411. K2: Killer Mountain

    51:59||Season 1, Ep. 411
    A Sherpa was left for dead on Everest at the end of the climbing season. Stranded for almost a week thousands of metres up in extreme conditions, he survived. But his story is not a new story, and it raises questions about the mountaineering industry that has risen around the industry of summiting the world's most dangerous episodes.We've been here before, so can lessons be learned?
  • 410. Online grooming: a mother's story

    34:06||Season 1, Ep. 410
    Children are being caught in a global grooming pandemic. This is the story of a mother whose daughter was one such victim.Reporter: Rachel SylvesterProducer: Matt RussellIllustrator: Sara AndreassonSound design: Dominic DelargyEditor: Jasper Corbett
  • 409. SNC Extra: The Henry Nowak case

    21:46||Season 1, Ep. 409
    The death of student Henry Nowak has shocked the country and sparked riots in Southampton. Ada Barume is joined by the Observer’s Whitehall Editor Cat Neilan and Home Affairs Editor John Simpson to discuss the implications for the government, and the police. Producer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producer: Poppy Bullard
  • 408. On trial: oil and war crimes

    51:14||Season 1, Ep. 408
    Senior executives of Swedish firm Lundin Oil stand accused of complicity in war crimes. The case against them took more than a decade to come to trial, and the trial was the longest in Swedish history. If they are found guilty it could change how the rich and powerful operate around the world, but will it deliver justice for the Sudanese victims of war?Reporter: Francisco Garcia Producer: Ada BaruméExecutive Producer: Matt Russell Sound Design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lucy StephensonEditor: Jasper CorbettClips: Äldre TV4, Journeyman Pictures
  • 407. Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark: What does the future of AI look like?

    32:07||Season 1, Ep. 407
    Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark joins The Observer to reveal why he believes there is a chance we will see human-level AI by 2028. From how AI is already changing the job market to a historic meeting at the Vatican, he explains why we must prepare for a future where technology forces us to rethink what it means to be human.
  • 406. 'Social media is killing our kids'

    38:59||Season 1, Ep. 406
    Last year in the UK, a fifth of people arrested for terrorism offences were under 18. Counter-terrorism experts warn that outlawing social media for children is a matter of national security. So what are children really watching online?
  • 405. How might Labour's new leaders grow the UK?

    24:17||Season 1, Ep. 405
    With a leadership election on the horizon, there are discussions among the backbenches about how potential contenders might look to reshape and re-energise the UK's growth. The Observer's political editor Rachel Sylvester speaks with economics editor Ben Zaranko about what the various approaches might look like.
  • 404. Doped Up!

    48:11||Season 1, Ep. 404
    For decades, doping has hid in the shadows of elite sports. Now, for the first time, it’s out in the open. The Enhanced Games promises a new era of ‘superhumanity’ – is this the future of sport?Reporters: Jeremy Whittle and Chris Marshall-BellProducer: Jonathan LewisArtwork: Blythe Walker SibthorpSound Design: Dominic DelargyExecutive Producer: Matt RussellEditor: Jasper CorbettClips: ABC News, Enhanced Games, Josh Brett, Daily Mail