The Standard

The Chancellor has presented her first highly-anticipated Spring Statement to parliament. More extensive changes were made than expected , after Rachel Reeves' plans were blown off course by lower growth and higher government borrowing costs. Helena Wadia speaks to the London Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent, Rachael Burford, about defence spending, welfare cuts, and Sabrina Carpenter tick...

News broke late on Tuesday night that Prince  Harry has stepped down from his role as co-founding patron of Sentebale , the charity he set up in memory of his mother. To find out more, we're joined by The London Standard's culture and lifestyle writer India Block. In part two, we join Emma Flynn who is currently starring as Cher Horowitz in the new West End musical, Clueless . We ask her...

The row over the Chancellor Rachel Reeves receiving tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert at London’s o2 Arena has grown on Tuesday, with Greenwich and Woolwich MP Matthew Pennycook saying that he had never taken a free ticket for the flagship music venue in east London.  Speaking to LBC Matthew said he personally did not believe it was “appropriate” to accept them. But what is the ministeri...

As we approach this week’s spring statement we join The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford, who explains the government's plans to cut civil service running costs . Chancellor Rachel Reeves is now facing a war with unions amid claims as many as 50,000 people would lose their jobs. In part two we speak to historian Dr Leanne Langley as March 21st marked 200 years since...

Restaurant critic David Ellis and food and drink writer Josh Barrie are back. This week they discuss why the upcoming spring statement is going to wreak havoc on London's nightlife industry . This concern comes at the same time as Westminster City Council’s recent proposal of “quiet nights” for pubs, clubs and bars to help curb resident complaints. Josh walks us through his recent article titled&n...

The 76-minute-long season two finale of Severance is almost here , to close what’s been another highly acclaimed series. The London Standard’s culture & lifestyle writer India Block speaks to star of the show, Dichen Lachman, about the chilling finale , technology fears, the writer's strike, and what Ben Stiller is like as a director. To read the full interview click here. In part two, Helena...

Following on from our recent feature about the Netflix show, Adolescence, The London Standard’s columnist and Features Writer, Maddy Mussen joins us to take a deeper look into the language which is being used within the online culture of incels, explaining the word itself and concepts such as the manosphere, sigmas and looksmaxxing. In part two, The London Standard’s Transport and City Hall Editor...

As part of this week’s The London Question , we’re joined by The London Standard’s Transport and City Hall editor, Ross Lydall, who’s been writing about the safety of our capital’s buses . Why have the numbers in serious injury or fatality not improved, and what can be done to make journeys safer? Plus in part two: a new Netflix series has been creating headlines, earning praise for not only its h...

Sweeping changes to the welfare system are putting Prime Minister Keir Starmer under pressure . In this episode we hear from The London Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford on what cuts to the Personal Independence Payment and other benefits could mean for some of the most vulnerable in society. We also hear from The Standard’s food and drink writer Josh Barrie about the hidden...

Trump’s Trade war is escalating - tariffs on steel and aluminium are in place and key trade partners are hitting back. We hear from The London Standard’s Business Editor, Jonathan Prynn, about the impact of this uncertainty on the markets and how it's being felt by the tech tycoons. Also in this episode we hear from Homes and Property Editor Prudence Ivey on the secret lives of London’s mega mansi...

In today’s episode, Nicola Barron from Masterclasses for The London Standard is joined by journalist and author Erica Buist . Erica has written for  The Guardian, The Sunday Times,  and  Newsweek,  covering everything from death festivals around the world to the internet’s strangest subcultures. With AI reshaping the media landscape and the future of journalism u...

The Prime Minister plans to abolish NHS England to 'cut bureaucracy' and bring the health service under government control , promising better patient care. To find out more Helena Wadia joins The London Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent, Rachael Burford. In part two, can Sir Sadiq Khan clean up the capital’s rivers and make waterways swimmable? We’re joined by The London Standard’s Local De...

Although discussions around climate change, with a focus on global warming, have been on-going for decades, there is a scenario which could see London facing extremely cold weather as the norm. So what happens to the capital if climate change gets out of control? Joining the podcast is climate scientist James Stewart, who has been writing about this very scenario for The London Standard. Plus, The...

A US military fuel tanker and a cargo ship that collided off the coast of England, setting both vessels ablaze and spilling jet fuel into the North Sea, has raised concerns about the environmental impacts . How bad is the damage, and what happens next? Helena Wadia speaks with Marine Conservation Society CEO Sandy Luk about the potential risks to marine life and protected waters. In part two,...

It’s Commonwealth Day and King Charles III has turned music show host to mark the occasion. Presenting an hour-long show on Apple Music 1, the King is showcasing music from around the Commonwealth as well as some of his personal favourites. But what is Commonwealth Day and what does this 21st-century celebration say about today’s monarchy? On today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr Ed Owens, historian...

The London Standard is the media partner for this year’s Space-Comm Expo at the ExCel, which takes place between the 11th and 12th of March. Science and technology reporter Will Rogers-Coltman joins The Standard podcast to discuss the future of British space technology . Plus, we hear from Castrol on their AstroAnt robot: an exciting project that on Thursday, was set to become the first miniature...

In today’s episode , Nicola Barron from Masterclasses for The London Standard is joined by Johannes Cullberg – entrepreneur, food industry expert, and author of  Unprocess Your Diet in 30 Days . They discuss the rise of ultra-processed foods and how they’ve taken over our diets. Johannes offers practical advice on making small, sustainable changes to improve your health without drastic restri...

The London Standard’s business editor, Jonathan Prynn, joins us to discuss this year's remarkable rise in the FTSE 100 . For an hour or so, the City’s famous index of shares in leading British listed companies grew for the first time in history, above the 8900 mark. So, what has driven this sudden reappraisal of the UK and the London stock market? In part two, we’re joined by award-...

The fallout from Friday's public disagreement between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has continued, with the US pausing military aid to Ukraine. As Europe reels from Donald Trump’s decision, the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has insisted the Prime Minister will not be “blindsided or bounced” from the pursuit of peace. But how long could Ukraine h...

Restaurant critic David Ellis and food writer Josh Barrie take over the podcast to celebrate British Pie Week (March 3-9). This year’s celebration comes with a twist as ministers recently urged the government to grant pies protected status. David and Josh discuss whether some restaurants are cashing in on nostalgia, the closure of traditional pie and mash shops, and how modern interpretations are...

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan meets city hall and transport editor Ross Lydall to discuss the news of a public consultation and his plans to take control of Oxford Street. CALM CEO Simon Gunning joins us to discuss recent figures revealing that 50% of London-based adults believe the government should do more to prevent youth suicide. Plus, lifestyle and culture writer India Block visits Dennis Seeve...

This episode includes explicit language. Our restaurant critic David Ellis interviews the famed chef Gordon Ramsay at the glass-walled dining room of Lucky Cat , his new restaurant on the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate - London’s highest dining spot. Gordon discusses pricing, breaking America, and his reputation in the UK. To read the full interview, pick up a copy of this week’s edition of The Lond...

Following Wednesday’s PMQs, the Government has responded in full to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, setting out what they call tough new reforms to fix building safety and strengthen accountability. 58 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick when he published his long-awaited report in September are to be accepted in full. Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some of the bereaved, said it...

Was T.S. Eliot telling the truth when he wrote “April is the cruellest month”? Perhaps he had foreseen today, as news broke that millions of people are facing a perfect storm of rising bills on or around April 1 - including energy, water, council tax, train fares, mobile, and broadband bills. Helena Wadia is joined by The London Standard’s Business Editor Jonathan Prynn, to explain the predicted e...

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, millions of children have had their education disrupted.  To mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine , we’re joined by Sarah Brown, Chair of charity TheirWorld, to discuss how the organisation is supporting education and children throughout the conflict. Sarah has been working at Ukrainian President Zelensky's request direc...