The Standard

Ambulance workers are striking again - for the third time in five weeks - as the dispute over pay and staffing rumbles on.  In part one, we speak to London paramedic and Unison representative, Steve Johnson, about why they are striking for the third time in five weeks - and their plans for any possible future action. In part two, the Evening Standard’s health reporter, Daniel Keane, explains...

John Hitchcox is the founder and chairman of Yoo, a global real-estate and development company, and the world’s largest non-hotel residential brand. He's also one of those behind a £1bn regeneration of Olympia in London. In this episode we talk about: How he's inspired by "things that I need and the things that I want" Why he created the enormous Lakes estate in the Cotswolds  His plans for O...

In this month’s special ‘Let Girls Learn’ episode, we’re talking about periods in El Salvador. Menstruation is viewed here as a subject only for women, it’s seen as dirty and believed that when someone is experiencing one, they should hide themselves away.  Local journalist, Julia Gavarrete, takes us to ‘the Power of the Red Butterflies’ project in Chalatenango, where they are aiming to dispe...

The mystery and search continues for 35-year-old former It-girl and aristocrat Constance Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their newborn baby who've been missing since January 7th . It emerged this week that Gordon is a convicted sex offender who spent 20 years in US jail. Manchester Police are leading the investigation into their disappearance. Katie Strick , the Evening Standard’s feature writ...

Nurses using food banks and working second jobs to stay afloat. Royal College of Nursing union’s 48-hour strike begins . Will the government back down over the pay rise dispute? Natalie Brooks, a Nurse and RCN member, explains why she’s taking strike action. Plus our Health Reporter Daniel Keane discusses the politics around the industrial action, and how the government is dealing with the dispute...

The ‘political statement’ behind new ITV drama Maternal . Why don’t we talk about the tough return to work post-maternity leave? Does the system need to change? Maternal writer Jacqui Honess-Martin discusses her decision to highlight the struggles of a post-pandemic NHS, and her ‘political statement’ around the realities of women returning to work from Maternity leave. In this episode: What was th...

Metropolitan Police officer, David Carrick, is facing life in prison after admitting a horrific campaign of rape and abuse against women across a period of around 18 years.  The Evening Standard's court correspondent Tristan Kirk discusses the case, its impact and whether or not trust can be built back by police. If you're affected by any issues raised in this podcast you can contact Rape Cri...

This is a bonus interview taken from our How to be a CEO podcast. Sports streamer DAZN's North America CEO Joe Markowski joins us to talk about the origins of the company from a few bullet points on a page to a global presence in over 200 markets. To listen to the full episode, and others, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stormzy, Mimi Webb, Harry Styles, Lizzo and George Ezra are among top names receiving nominations ahead of next month’s 43rd Brit Awards at London’s O2. But who are the brilliantly-named duo Wet Leg everyone’s talking about?  In the second year of gender neutral categories without best male and female lists, there’s controversy not a single woman appears among five men nominated as Artist of...

Could the humble quid in your pocket go digital in the future? The British government’s Treasury is investigating minting a new virtual version of our national currency. The Leader podcast’s joined by Brett Scott, a former City broker and author of Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for our Wallets. We discuss: - Bank-issued digital currency  - Privately-issued crypto “stablecoins” b...

Paramedics working for London Ambulance Service are on strike for the second time this winter in a bitter pay dispute. On Wednesday, they were joined on picket lines by 999 call handlers, with LAS saying just 50 per cent of staff and 200 vehicles are serving the capital. For the latest, the Leader podcast’s joined by Evening Standard health reporter Daniel Keane, and we discuss: When to call 999 o...

As London Underground celebrates its 160th anniversary, fears loom over fresh Aslef driver strike action in dispute over pensions, working conditions and driver-only trains. Analysis with Evening Standard transport editor Ross Lydall. - Worries over new season of travel chaos for London commuters - Aslef chief quiet on talks progress - Can a deal be reached? - Impact on passenger fares For more vi...

Following Prince Harry’s latest round of television interviews to promote his book, Spare, will his long list of grievances and claims cause a dent in the British monarchy? To unpick the fallout from the Duke of Sussex's public relations offensive, the Leader's joined by royal commentator, PR expert and former editor of The International Who’s Who, Richard Fitzwilliams, and royal historian Dr Ed O...

This is a bonus episode taken from our How to be a CEO podcast : Richard Mabey quit his job as a lawyer to pursue his mission to make contracts quicker and easier to make, alter and sign. In 2016 he launched Juro , a contract automation platform designed for lawyers and businesses, which could replace emails, programmes such as Microsoft Word and Excel, and cloud-based storage. Last year the busin...

As we welcome a new year of film and the awards season draws near - with buzz aplenty! We’re here to run down everything you need to know in the world of cinema. The ones to watch, what to take your kids to and which to avoid altogether. From entering the ‘Barbieverse’, to potential Oscar-winning fat suits as well as lesser-known movie gems. Charlotte O’Sullivan, Chief Film Critic for the Evening...

In a series of bombshell leaks of his new book, Prince Harry claims his brother William physically attacked him. This comes as more clips from the Duke of Sussex’s ITV interview are released ahead of the publication of ‘Spare’ next week. Robert Dex, the Evening Standard’s Arts Correspondent, discusses whether after so much damage there is any way back for ‘Willy’ and ‘Harold’. ‘Harry: The Intervie...

Health experts are sounding the alarm over the NHS crisis.  It’s been revealed ambulance crews in London lost the equivalent of three-and-a-half months because of handover delays, with 7,000 Londoners waiting more than 12 hours to be admitted to A&E - a rise of 46 per cent. Daniel Keane, the Evening Standard’s Health Reporter, explains the current situation faced by health services. In pa...

Around 16 million journeys could be affected by what is expected to be the worst week of rail disruption for 30 years.  About 40,000 members of the RMT at Network Rail and 14 train operators are staging a 48-hour walkout, with another to follow on Friday, while drivers in the Aslef union will strike on Thursday. Ross Lydall, the Evening Standard’s City Hall Editor & Transport Editor, expl...

It’s not all been strikes, delays and looming apocalypse in 2022 - this year’s also brought the shocking, the surreal and the slapstick. Collating our greatest hits of the 2022 zeitgeist is a reminder how we saw in the new year amid Omicron and dodged a Christmas lockdown. But enough of that because, in the words of Gogglebox, this year we’ve enjoyed a lot of great pop culture moments. So who...

Back in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed his nation, announcing a “special military operation” against Ukraine. The biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II.  Since then it's estimated that tens of thousands of lives have been lost.  But, Ukraine has and continues to show resilience, endurance and spirit that completely surpassed e...

Gymshark started in Ben Francis’s parents' garage in the Midlands, with lessons from his gran on how to sew. Ten years on, the fitness apparel company’s a global business valued at one and a quarter billion pounds and has just opened its first IRL store on London's Regent Street. This is a cut-down version of the full episode. To listen to the full episode click here. For all the latest business n...

As energy companies’ profits continue to soar, many Britons in fuel poverty can't afford to heat their homes this Christmas. Now, campaigners are alerting London households with pre-payment meters eking out their heating amid rocketing gas and electricity prices - claim your £400 energy discount vouchers. Despite the recent cold snap, more than one million UK households have not cashed in the mont...

Thousands of NHS paramedics, technicians and call handlers follow nurses taking to picket lines for 12 hours in a long-running pay dispute. Amid sustained pressure on 999 and 111 services, eight English and Welsh NHS and ambulance trusts declare critical incidents, despite promises of “life and limb cover”. Londoners requiring an ambulance until midnight on Wednesday are even being told in some ca...

Ten thousands nurses walked out on Tuesday - and are set to be joined on strike by legions of paramedics. It comes as soldiers meant as emergency stand-ins for paramedics say they’re being stopped from carrying out treatments or using 999 blue lights. Rishi Sunak is ruling out reopening negotiations in the pay dispute, suggesting he’s dug in for a war of attrition with the unions. For the latest f...

Millions of British workers are expecting a pay rise in 2023, with nearly a quarter of respondents to a recent recruitment survey hoping for at least 10 per cent extra. It comes as nurses are negotiating for a 19.2 per cent increase, while unions recently secured 10 per cent plus a £2,000 bonus for workers at Rolls-Royce. So, as the cost of living crisis bites and the recession’s forecast to last...