The Standard

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...

Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley has apologised after serving officers called for immigrants to be shot, revelled in the use of force and were dismissive of rape claims in an undercover BBC documentary , which was aired on Wednesday night. He said the behaviour of some at Charing Cross Police exposed by Panorama is “reprehensible and completely unacceptable” - but he denied that the Met Police...

Today, on the final day of the Labour Party Conference, Sir Keir Starmer has signalled that his government is planning to change the way human rights laws are applied to tackle the challenge of “mass migration” . The Prime Minister says he won’t ‘tear down’ international laws but says a rethink is needed on how they are applied. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford is here...

Today Donald Trump’s newly unveiled peace plan for Gaza has already been hailed by some world leaders as the best chance to end Israel’s war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threw his support behind it at a joint press conference with the US President - and it has been backed by a number of Arab nations including Qatar and Egypt. But is it a viable solution to ending the conflict? David...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has branded Nigel Farage’s agenda the “single greatest threat” to British people’s livelihoods at her Labour Party Conference speech in Liverpool. She vowed to stand by Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on working people - but has left the door open to changing VAT rules. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford is here with the latest. ...

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said plans for a new digital ID held on people’s phones will be an “enormous opportunity” for the UK and make working illegally tougher. Digital ID will become mandatory as a means of proving the right to work under the plans, which will come into place within the next few years. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford joins us with the late...

In this week’s special report, in the first of an exclusive three-part series, Noureddin Bongo tells The Standard’s Claudia Cockerell about his hell after his family were ousted in a coup in Gabon, Central Africa.  And in part two, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is back with a period drama that applies his tried and tested formula to 19th-century Ireland . The Standard’s Culture Writer...