Podcast
23 August 2025
A fortnightly podcast in which veteran construction industry journalists Bishop and Taylor have a natter about some of the week鈥檚 events in the UK construction industry, seeking meaning even where none may exist.
16th February 2022
With Taylor Wimpey choosing its next CEO from within, against the advice of a major shareholder, Bishop & Taylor discuss succession planning. They also make a plea for greater clarity from marketing copywriters and discuss the breadth of construction鈥檚 corporate slogans, from 鈥渨e build stuff鈥� to (Taylor鈥檚 favourite) 鈥渞edefining the boundaries of ambition鈥�.
2nd February 2022
Bishop & Taylor are joined by Sarah Meek, managing director of mental welfare charity Mates in Mind. They also meet Nick Barnes of Allied Mechanical Engineering, who explains how recent VAT reforms have further squeezed the middle of construction鈥檚 supply chain.
19th January 2022
Bishop & Taylor discuss reports of Kier buying Taylor Douglas, CARES (the UK Certification Authority For Reinforcing Steel) expelling manufacturers, and the arbitrary 18-metre cut-off for the new building safety regime.
5th January 2022
Taylor has been watching Greg Wallace in a JCB factory; Bishop accuses Michael Gove of grandstanding; and they share views on the 2022 New Year Honours.
15th December 2021
Bishop and Taylor look back and some of the highlights and lowlights of construction industry news in 2021.
1st December 2021
Bishop & Taylor are joined by Lord Aberdare, who has tabled The 幸运快三 (Retentions Abolition) Bill in parliament. Our hosts also discuss developments in the campaign for mandatory builders鈥� licences, and the feasibility studies for a Stranraer-Larne fixed link, both of which now look dead in the water.
17th November 2021
With International Men鈥檚 Day on 19th November, Bishop & Taylor discuss manliness and men鈥檚 health. They speak to Sophie Smith, a specialist nurse at Prostate Cancer UK. And they also discuss the construction industry鈥檚 (lack of) preparedness for the end of red diesel.
3rd November 2021
Interserve鈥� auditors have been fined, BAM is building a net-zero pathfinder school and the consolidation of builders鈥� merchants continues. Bishop & Taylor discuss all this and more.
27th October 2021
Bishop & Taylor have differing attitudes to the use of uncertified reinforcing steel on the HS2 project. They also discuss a change in funding methods for new nuclear power stations and consider proposals from the National Federation of Builders to 鈥榬econstruct鈥� the industry鈥檚 training board.
20th October 2021
Bishop & Taylor wonder how much the UK really benefits from foreign contractors building roads in far-off lands. They also discuss the SOS hand signal with which victims of modern slavery can seek help, before straying to the topic of secret handshakes.
