Best of the Spectator Coffee House Shots: why Britain needs more Yimbys
Nov 22, 2025
Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North and co-chair of the Labour Growth Group, teams up with Maxwell Marlowe, Director of Policy at the YIMBY Initiative. They dive into Britain’s housing crisis, advocating for the 'Build Baby Build' movement. Curtis emphasizes the generational impact of housing shortages, while Marlowe critiques the building safety regulator's processes. Both agree on the necessity of planning reforms and budget measures to enhance building efforts, showcasing a rare cross-party consensus on the urgent need for more homes.
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YIMBYism Means Saying Yes To Build
- YIMBYism means saying yes to building, not just talking about it.
- Maxwell Marlowe frames it as matching pro-growth words with pro-building actions.
Underbuilding Is The Root Of Housing Pain
- Britain has underbuilt housing, causing wages to lag behind rising housing costs.
- Chris Curtis argues this supply shortfall is the main driver of high housing costs and generational harm.
Regulation Can Freeze Building If Misdesigned
- Well-intentioned regulators can choke construction if designed poorly.
- Chris Curtis criticises the building safety regulator for delaying or blocking high-rise approvals in London.