#101 - Guy Opperman - The Real Reason Our Towns Are Dying

Aug 1, 2025

Guy Opperman, a former Conservative MP and Pensions Minister, dives into the pressing issues facing Britain today. He discusses the need for local banking and how it can empower communities, while highlighting the role of Bitcoin in pensions and savings. Drawing from his parliamentary experience, he critiques centralised politics and advocates for decentralisation as a solution to revitalize declining towns. With insights on grassroots leadership and innovative financial models, Guy emphasizes the importance of community action in rebuilding Britain's economy.

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INSIGHT

Voter Regret & Political Reality

Political promises of change without consequences lead to voter disillusionment and risk extremist populism.
Democracy requires honest leadership and managing complex governance challenges effectively.

INSIGHT

Economic Decline & Infrastructure Costs

The UK faces economic decline due to increasing public service costs amid low productivity and slow GDP growth.
Major shocks like Brexit, COVID, and Ukraine war exacerbate financial challenges and infrastructure costs.

ADVICE

Support Local Economy

Support your local shops and businesses to build economic resilience in your community.
Change your spending habits to help your town thrive and avoid decline.

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Former Conservative MP Guy Opperman joins me to discuss rebuilding Britain from the ground up. We explore local banking, Bitcoin’s potential role in pensions, infrastructure challenges, and how community action can revitalise struggling towns.

Drawing on his 14 years in Parliament and time as Pensions Minister, Guy explains why grassroots civic leadership and decentralisation are key to fixing Britain’s broken economy. We also discuss the failures of centralised politics, the importance of community banks, and how financial innovation – including Bitcoin – could help restore savings, trust, and economic resilience. CONTACT PETE › Website - http://petermccormack.com › Feedback - https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email - me@petermccormack.com › Instagram - /mccormack555 › X/Twitter - https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH GUY OPPERMAN › X/Twitter - https://x.com/GuyOpperman SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/ › Casa - https://casa.io/ › Incogni - https://incogni.com/peter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) – Introduction (2:58) – Labour's empty promises & voter regret (8:36) – What’s really broken in local government (13:01) – Why good people avoid politics (18:03) – Are we living in managed decline? (23:58) – Why the UK can’t build anything (28:43) – If you want to change the world… look in the mirror (35:56) – 14 years in office (37:54) – The real fixes to local government (40:34) – Building a community bank from scratch (44:07) – Solving poverty through savings (48:36) – Teaching kids about money in schools (52:28) – Why big banks abandoned the working class (1:00:26) – Crime, capital and community (1:02:44) – Is there a role for Bitcoin in pensions? (1:07:34) – MPs can do more than just make laws (1:11:40) – Creating a civic wave (1:13:52) – Regulation vs common sense in local action (1:17:24) – Building local pride (1:21:04) – Can Bitcoin solve pensions in broken nations? (1:29:27) – Final thoughts: build something that lasts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -