The Standard

The Evening Standard’s political editor Nicholas Cecil takes a look at the stats as one of the country’s leading epidemiologists says the pandemic will be “largely over by October”. Professor Neil Ferguson, who was one of the scientists behind the UK’s first lockdown in March 2020, was talking to BBC Radio 4 as figures show another tumble in cases – in London it’s down 57% in six days. But the Pri...

As a huge clean-up begins following a night of flooding in parts of London, people are wondering how one of the world’s leading cities can be hit so badly by rainfall. Evening Standard reporter Rachael Burford’s been looking at that for the newspaper and tells the podcast there are “numerous” reasons behind it. London Fire Brigade had taken more than 1,000 calls by the early hours of Monday mornin...

We know it can order groceries when your fridge is empty, turn on the lights in your house, even drive a car but could AI ever be smart enough to become an author? Computing pioneer Ada Lovelace thought it wouldn’t happen because machines can only work with programming inputted by humans, but writer Jeanette Winterson disagrees. Her new book 12 Bytes is an exploration of AI and the journey humans...

Our Political Editor Nicholas Cecil reveals how shoppers are being urged not to panic buy as staff at supermarkets are forced to self-isolate after being alerted by the NHS app. The “pinging” crisis is growing with Boris Johnson being urged to hold a meeting of Whitehall’s Cobra emergency committee to consider deploying the Army if necessary as a “last resort” to ensure supermarket shelves ar...

As the Evening Standard reveals a 7-year-old was caught taking a knife into his primary school to “stab another boy at afterschool club,” our investigations editor David Cohen tells us how we here. In a special report, he’s identified five reasons why knife crime has become such a problem in London, and what measures can be taken to reverse it. This year, 22 young people have met violent deaths in...

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has made history with the successful launch of his New Shepard rocket in West Texas. Among those onboard with him was the flight pioneer Wally Funk, who at 82 has become the oldest person to ever venture into space. On the Leader podcast her biographer Sue Nelson tells us how it’s been a lifelong ambition for the woman who was once told she’d never be an astronaut because...

The Evening Standard's political editor, Nicholas Cecil, tells us how the response to 'Freedom Day' has been more muted than ministers expected. Although nightclubs opened up at one minute past midnight, when most social distancing restrictions were lifted, a mass return to work hasn't happened.    Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's being criticised for initially not self-isolating fol...

Health editor Ross Lydall tells us why health chiefs in London are so concerned about the lack of young people coming forward to get the coronavirus vaccine. With ‘Freedom Day’ approaching, an enormous effort’s underway to encourage older teens and twentysomethings including the Tate giving up its Turbine Hall for a vaccine event with a DJ. It comes as Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty says the p...

The Evening Standard’s Jack Kessler tells the podcast why Transport for London fares are set to rise by around 5 percent from January, and what that could mean for efforts to bring people back to the city centre. Normally TfL fares are set each year by the Mayor. But the terms of its third bail-out, agreed by Sadiq Khan with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in May, state: “TfL will continue with i...

Do you need to wear a face mask on a train in London or not from July 19th? Our city hall editor, Ross Lydall, says it depends on what train you’re on and even which station you’re arriving at. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is changing the conditions of carriage for TfL services that will make a covering mandatory. But he doesn’t have the power to enforce that on other operators running service...

The Evening Standard’s Nicholas Cecil joins the show as the Prime Minister is criticised by scientists over ‘mixed messages’ ahead of lockdown restrictions being lifted. Boris Johnson’s ditching mandatory face coverings on public transport and in enclosed public spaces, but telling the public he ‘expects’ them to wear them anyway. Meanwhile, some nightclub owners are flatly refusing to ask custome...

The Evening Standard’s Jonathan Prynn was at Wembley for the England v Italy Euro 2020 final. He tells the podcast there was a “dark atmosphere” even before the game began and it was clear there were more people than seats in his area, suggesting a security lapse. Gareth Southgate has been praising his players, saying the team was a ‘beacon of light’ that ‘brought the country together’. But the FA...

Our Home Affairs editor Martin Bentham joins the show to explain how new powers to stop children as young as 12 will work. They’ve been announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel and will allow the courts to ban children from having knives and impose restrictions on their movements and use of social media. Ignoring an order could carry a sentence of up to two years, but critics says the use...

Ross Lydall takes us 42 metres underground as TfL unveils its gigantic new Crossrail station beneath Liverpool Street Station. We also hear from London Underground’s MD Andy Lord and Crossrail’s Chief Executive Mark Wild who tell us how the huge engineering project was completed, and when it might be opening. And Ross reveals plans to minimise the cost of using the line to get to and from Heathrow...

The Evening Standard's political editor Joe Murphy tells us what's happening now 'freedom day' looks set for July 19th. There's already a row over the use of face masks with the legal requirement to wear them being lifted, despite doctors saying it "makes no sense"? The Mayor of London's also opposed and could insist on their use on public transport, but Joe tells us why he's not likely...

Our political reporter Sophia Sleigh examines the fallout from Labour’s narrow victory in the Batley and Spen by-election. The party threw everything it had into holding onto the seat, with rumours Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership was at risk. But even he admits they secured the win by just 323 votes because some traditional Conservative supporters switched sides. Is that because of the resignation o...

Evening Standard health editor Ross Lydall speaks to the Mayor of London who says “remarkable” progress with the vaccine roll-out has put London in prime position to reopen safely on July 1. Official NHS England figures suggest that, at current rates of 42,000 jabs a day, London could fall short of the Prime Minister’s national target by about 1.5m jabs. But Mr Khan’s insisting the official tally...

The Evening Standard’s revealed health workers and volunteers on the front line of the vaccine roll-out in London are being physically and verbally abused by anti-vaxxers. Council leaders and the capital’s top nurse shared details of a number of incidents in the wake of the attack on Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, at the weekend. Our health editor Ross Lydall says these range from vaccin...

Around 375,000 pupils in England were at home last week because someone in their school bubble had tested positive for coronavirus. From that number, the Department for Education says just 4% of those affected had the infection. Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders, tells the Leader podcast it’s time to re-consider how we manage coronavirus in clas...

Political editor Joe Murphy joins the show to look into the questions mounting following the resignation of Matt Hancock as health secretary. He tells us senior Conservative and Labour MPs are calling for answers over how often Mr Hancock used a private email account, and whether he used it to discuss NHS business with family members and a friend who went on to win public sector contracts. And he...

Health editor Ross Lydall says a huge effort’s underway this weekend to get more Londoners vaccinated, especially younger adults. About 1.8m first doses and 1.2m second doses have to be administered over the next three-and-a-half weeks to bring London in line with the Government’s targets to lift lockdown on July 19. Boris Johnson wants all people over 18 to have been offered a first jab and for t...

Compulsory mask-wearing in England will be ditched within weeks but the Evening Standard’s deputy political editor, Nicholas Cecil, says you may want to hold onto one for a while yet. Environment Secretary George Eustice says the Government’s aiming to remove the legal requirement to wear a face-covering in many indoor public places on July 19. But he’s conceding that the Tube may be one area wher...

We’re joined by the CEO of PinkNews, Benjamin Cohen, to talk about Alan Turing appearing on the Bank of England’s new £50 note. The scientist and wartime code-cracker is the first LGBT+ person to ever be given the honour, and he’s also being remembered at GCHQ with a giant artwork. It’s a huge turnaround for the reputation of a man who despite being a hero of the Second World War was prosecuted in...

Travel consultant Paul Charles joins the podcast to discuss reports that the government’s considering giving double-vaccinated Britons the go-ahead for summer holidays in Mediterranean resorts without having to quarantine on their return. The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, says he wants to relax the restrictions on foreign travel, with millions of people still eager to head abroad to “amber” list...

Our deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil tells us how health secretary Matt Hancock has raised the hopes of people who have had two doses of a Covid vaccine. He says wants to see a new system where the double-jabbed won't have to self-isolate if they've come into contact with a coronavirus carrier.    It comes amid suggestions that the government might bring so-called 'Freedom Day...