The Standard

Shops are reopening across Britain but with a new look. Hand sanitizing stations have been installed, caps on the amount of people allowed through the doors have been imposed. During lockdown, the Office for National Statistics shows non-food shops have been losing £1.7 billion a week and now they’re trying to draw customers back in. But how will they innovate to survive post-pandemic? T...

Britain’s crippled lockdown economy smashed all records in April when the nation’s output plummeted by more than a fifth. The remarkable 20.4 per cent dive in GDP — even deeper than most City forecasts — came in the month when Boris Johnson’s strict “stay at home” order was in force for all 30 days. But our consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn tells us there is some hope for a recovery as...

After months of pleading from restaurants, bars, theatres and cinemas, the government could be about to reduce the two metre social distancing rule. Communities minister Simon Clarke's been giving interviews suggesting it's under review. Some other countries have set the distance to as little as one metre, so why can't the UK? Restaurateur Jack Stein, son of celebrity chef Rick Stein, tells us how...

Coronavirus has never been so prevalent. Although cases are dropping in Europe, they're soaring in both north and South America, while Africa is struggling to control the infection. Data suggests the peak of the global pandemic is still to come. Among those battling Covid-19 across borders is Save the Children . Their executive director of global programmes Gwen Hines tells us about the challenges...

The government's announced all primary school children in England will not be sent back to classes before the summer break. It follows a backlash from teachers and unions who warned it would be impossible due capacity issues, staff shortages and social distancing requirements. In this episode of the Leader Podcast we look at an alternative to using classrooms for pupils with the launch of a new fo...

New Zealand is declaring itself covid-19 free and lifting almost all of its lockdown restrictions . It follows the recovery of a woman in her 50s who was the last known person in the country to have the infection. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admits she "had a little dance" when told the virus appeared to have cleared, 101 days after the first case was reported. We speak the New Zealand Herald po...

Why has it taken the UK so long to introduce mandatory face mask wearing on public transport? In this special edition of the Leader podcast, we speak to a physician who has been campaigning for the change since the pandemic began, Dr Babak Javid. The Evening Standard's health editor, Ross Lydall, tells us how the law will be enforced, and we hear from Kerry Macphee, the Commonwealth Games competin...

Police have identified a new suspect in the disappearance . The man, known only as Christian B, is currently in jail in Germany for the rape of a woman in the same Portuguese resort where Madeleine vanished when she was just 3 years old. Her parents have welcomed the development. The Evening Standard's home affairs editor Martin Bentham tells us how the new suspect was identified, and why it'...

Despite thousands packing into Hyde Park organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest tried to enforce social distancing measures, aware of concerns about the virus' spread in a mass gathering. Yet, around the UK many appear to be ignoring the rules, with a poll suggesting one in five gave up on them after the Dominic Cummings affair. Labour says the government is losing the people's tru...

There are concerns US police tactics against George Floyd protesters is increasing the risk of coronavirus infecting demonstrators. The use of tear gas on mass gatherings is being highlighted, because it causes coughing which can spread the bug. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's threatening to send the army into cities to "dominate the streets". Evening Standard columnist Philip Delves Broughton...

Schools are re-opening for more pupils in England, but many classes are all but empty. It's thought around half of parents have decided to hold off on sending their children back to their teachers. That's despite schools implementing social distancing measures, including keeping desks apart and enforcing more hand washing. Warnings from some scientists that the lockdown is being lifted too early m...

The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has written in the Evening Standard warning the UK needs to “massively speed up” its coronavirus testing system. He says it needs to be a 24 hour turnaround time, it’s currently of median of 48, and he’s been told a care home in his constituency had to wait a week for results for some of its residents. It comes as the country prepares to ease out of loc...

Dominic Cummings "might" have broken lockdown rules when he visited Barnard Castle, according to Durham Police. They're not taking any further action for what they're calling a "minor breach", but their conclusion is fuelling further calls for the Prime Minister's adviser to resign or be fired. Downing Street says that's not going to happen, but our deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil says...

Boris Johnson calls it the “whack-a-mole” strategy. An enormous operation to test and trace everyone in the UK showing symptoms of coronavirus, as well as those they have been in contact with. Our political editor Joe Murphy tells us how it’s supported by an army of 50,000 doctors and data gatherers, and why the government changed the name from “track and trace”. But the Evening Standard’s editori...

After a rose garden Downing Street press conference, Dominic Cummings remains a special adviser with the backing of Boris Johnson. But now approval polls show the public is unhappy with the Prime Minister, and a junior minister's resigned, can the architect of the Conservatives' election win really hold on much longer? In this special edition of the Leader podcast, the Evening Standard's political...

Three months late and riddled with exemptions, the government is introducing quarantine rules for those who fly into the UK. They'll force people to self-isolate for 14 days, with exceptions including fruit pickers and possibly racing car drivers. Those who break the rules could be fined up to £1,000, but the Metropolitan police say it's not their job to enforce them. Our associate editor Julian G...

The NHS surcharge that sees some non-EU migrant health and care workers paying £400 for access to services, whether they use them or not, is supposed to go up this year, but could it instead be scrapped? Several Tory backbenchers are joining calls for the government to dump the fee as the country recognises the importance of overseas staff in the health system. Our political editor Joe Murphy...

The UK's track and trace app, which was due to launch around now, appears to be being delayed . It's supposed to form a major part of the country's fight back against coronavirus, by alerting people who have come into contact with someone infected by Covid-19. But following trials on the Isle of Wight, the government now says it could be "several weeks" away from being rolled out nationwide. We sp...

Standing on the South Bank, the Globe theatre is one of London’s most iconic landmarks, as well as being an international cultural giant. Now it’s under very real threat . It says the coronavirus pandemic has left it “critically vulnerable” and urgently needs 5 million pounds just to keep running. Evening Standard Arts Editor Nancy Durrant joins the podcast to explain what is at risk. Air Bridges...

John Law was a 17th century banker who murdered a rival in London, escaped jail and ended up in Paris where he bankrupted France, arguably causing the revolution. How can his story influence decisions over the UK economy as the country attempts to recover from coronavirus? Economist Stephen King tells the podcast about the lessons still being learned from that fiasco, and explains how a "bad bank"...

Horrific figures revealing 12,000 deaths from coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales since the crisis began have re-ignited appeals for staff and patients to get better protection from the infection. The numbers are from the Office for National Statistics who are warning they're still "looking into" it and could announce an even higher figure soon. The Evening Standard's deputy politi...

 A new antibody test for covid-19 's been called a "game changer" by the Prime Minister, but is he overstating its impact? It can tell if someone's had the virus, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're immune. One of the UK's top scientists, Professor Danny Altmann from the British Society for Immunology, tells the podcast the public shouldn't raise its hopes too high.  Circus ten...

Why are some people so badly affected by Covid-19 while others barely notice they're sick at all, and how can we use that to fight the virus? That's what teams of scientists are trying to find out as they attempt to map the genomes of 35,000 people who have been through the disease. Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, head scientist at Genomics England, tells us what they're doing and how you can get in...

The country is being told to get ready to go back to work, but no-one seems to know how people are supposed to get there. Social distancing appears impossible on trains, cycling or walking is impractical for many, and although the Prime Minister is encouraging cars he has no suggestions on where to park. The Evening Standard's associate editor Julian Glover says commuting in the new world needs ne...

The government is facing a backlash after changing its coronavirus messaging f rom "stay at home" to "stay alert”. But could ministers really have done any better? Marketing consultant Neil Taylor, who counts coming up with the name 'Ocado' in his credits, tells us how the country is entering a much more complicated phase of the coronavirus strategy that needs more nuanced public messagi...