The Standard

Today Chancellor Rachel Reeves has given the clearest sign yet that she will break Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise taxes on workers , after delivering an unusual pre-Budget speech at Downing Street this morning. She said that after years of so-called economic mismanagement, the budget will focus on “getting inflation falling” and “creating the conditions for interest rate cuts”. But she ha...

The Standard’s latest special report reveals the dark truth behind Dubai , as thousands of Londoners are flocking to the Middle East city each year. Ninety per cent of its residents are from elsewhere, and the Gulf expert Christopher Davidson referred to it as the “ultimate liberal economic city state”, which offers the allure of low taxation and cheap labour. But what lies beneath the wealth and...

Prince Andrew will be stripped of all his titles, Buckingham Palace has confirmed, and will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. King Charles made the unprecedented statement last night, that he will no longer be able to live on the crown estate , and instead will move to a property on the Sandringham Estate. It follows mounting pressure over a string of scandals, the most damaging being An...

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed calls for an investigation into Chancellor Rachel Reeves, after it emerged she did not obtain the required “selective” rental licence for her £3,200-a-month Dulwich home when she moved into No 11 Downing Street following the election. In a letter to the prime minister, Reeves “sincerely” apologised for her “inadvertent error”, but the Tories have said...

Today Chancellor Rachel Reeves has insisted Britain can “defy” economic forecasts as she prepares to deliver another tough budget next month. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is expected to deal the Chancellor a further blow in November by downgrading its productivity forecasts for the British economy, leaving her trying to fill a gap in her plans of more than £20 billion. Some top econo...

Today it’s been announced that hundreds of asylum seekers are to be moved to military sites as the Government aims to end the use of hotels to house small boat migrants . However, defence minister Luke Pollard admitted that using military sites could cost the taxpayer more than asylum hotels . Yesterday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “frustrated and angry” about the soaring cost of th...

A parliamentary report has sharply criticised the Home Office's management of the asylum system that has led to "billions" of pounds being wasted . It said the government has repeatedly cut corners and wasted taxpayers’ money with its “failed, chaotic and expensive” system. It comes as the Housing Secretary has said that progress on ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation will be announc...

The Standard can reveal a new interactive map that pinpoints London’s violent crime hotspots , as latest figures show the capital still accounts for almost a third of knife offences in England and Wales . Billy Gazard, of the ONS, said the data for police-recorded crime “paints a mixed picture”, adding: “Homicide and offences involving knives and guns have all fallen in the past year. While shopli...

Storm Benjamin hit the UK with gale force winds causing travel disruption, and serious flooding feared. Yellow weather warnings were put in place for London, the south of England, and the east Midlands, Yorkshire and parts of Wales. The Met Office said flooding, damage to buildings and travel disruption was likely throughout the day. It comes as a new report has revealed the London boroughs most l...

The Standard’s exclusive investigation on London’s harrowing grooming gang epidemic uncovers the repeated story of vulnerable youngsters let down by the authorities there to protect them. The Standard has spoken to social workers, charities, experts and survivors who all say sexual abuse by gangs is ubiquitous across the capital.  Previously, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was accused of “stonew...

We speak to Melanie McDonagh, who has reviewed Virginia Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice. Giuffre's book gives an account of her two-year ordeal as a sexual victim of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Melanie walks us through the memoir and reveals whether it shares new revelations on Epstein and Ghislaine's case, and what specific claims V...

As the Chagos Islands deal returns to the Commons, the Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent, Rachael Burford, joins us to explain how the influx of islanders from the remote archipelago has left Hillingdon council in crisis. The Chagos Islands have been the subject of a long-running legal dispute between the UK and Mauritius. This week’s special report explains how in 2022, those born on Chago...

Londoners have been told for years to go electric – and many listened. Families swapped their cars for EVs on the school run. Small businesses invested in electric vans. Thousands of Uber drivers made the switch to cut emissions and costs. But with the Cleaner Vehicle Discount ending this Christmas, those same drivers and households will soon face new daily charges of up to £13.50 to enter central...

Today discussions to resolve the ban on fans of an Israeli football club attending a match against Aston Villa are happening “at pace, across government”, Downing Street has insisted. Sir Keir Starmer was “angered by the decision” to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from next month’s Europa League game in Birmingham amid public safety fears, and linked it to antisemitism. But West Midlands Police s...

Sir Keir Starmer is facing fresh questions over the China spying case after several newly released key witness statements raised further concerns about national security. The case in question relates to Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, two suspected spies accused of allegedly passing sensitive data to Chinese intelligence. Meanwhile, the MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum has warned that ‘Chinese s...

Tube drivers have been offered an enhanced pay deal that could take their salaries to around £80,000 a year, The Standard can reveal. The proposal, which TfL describes as a “full and final offer”, will be available to all 16,500 London Underground staff, and would mean their wages will rise faster than the cost of living. The Standard’s City Hall Editor and Transport Editor Ross Lydall is here wit...

The latest unemployment figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the jobless rate has risen to its highest level since the pandemic in 2021 - but analysts also say the jobs market is stabilising after a year of volatility. Meanwhile, wage growth in the UK cooled slightly over the summer, from 4.8 per cent to 4.7 per cent. Does this mean that getting a job is becoming harder? And h...

Today Israeli families are welcoming home hostages as hundreds of Palestinian detainees are freed , following Friday’s ceasefire agreement in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump addressed Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and said that the “the war is over”, with today marking “a new beginning”. He then headed to Egypt for a peace summit with world leaders. Meanwhile, Irish deputy premier S...

On World Homeless Day, the government has announced a new £36.5 million funding package to help Londoners facing homelessness this winter. The money will be directed towards supporting families in temporary accommodation, and comes after London boroughs revealed they were collectively spending a staggering £5.5 million a day to tackle homelessness. The New Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern is...

Today, a story of murder, fraud and a fugitive on the run. This week’s special report explores the fascinating tale of city poster boy Anthony Constantinou, who became known as London’s Wolf of Wall Street . Despite amassing a huge fortune with all the trappings of success, he was charged with financial malpractice and sexual misconduct - a spectacular fall from grace. He appeared in the dock for...

Today Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has promised to abolish stamp duty tax if the Tories form the next government, which will be welcomed by many London buyers . Speaking at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, the embattled Tory leader thanked party members for ‘standing by’ her amid dire poll ratings, and announced a host of new proposed policies. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspon...

Today is the second anniversary of Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel, which took place on October 7, 2023, and killed 1,200 people, with a further 251 others taken hostage. We’re joined by Maoz Inon, an award-winning Israeli peace activist and co-author of the forthcoming book The future is peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land, who lost both his parents in the Hamas attack. It comes as UK Pr...

Today, Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride has promised that the Conservatives would slash £47 billion from public spending as the party continues to battle dire poll ratings, with some surveys putting them in fourth place. Speaking at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester , he outlined a “radical plan to rebuild our economy”. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford is here wit...

London is rapidly expanding its electric vehicle infrastructure, with over 21,000 charging points across the city – nearly a third of the UK’s total. But to meet its 2030 net zero targets, London will need tens of thousands more, with significant investment required across all boroughs. Upcoming changes to the Cleaner Vehicle Discount, which would end EVs’ exemption from&n...

Today, we’re following the attack on worshippers at a Manchester synagogue during one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. Amos Schonfield, British Jewish Community activist and leader, joins us to share the devastation it’s caused in the Jewish community.  And in part two, The Standard’s Culture Writer India Block joins us to review the much-anticipated 12th album from pop megastar Ta...