The Standard

Boris Johnson is calling for the nuclear pact with Iran to be replaced with a new “Trump deal”. In an interview with the BBC, he says it’s time to “dial down” tension in the Middle East, after the US assassination of Iranian general Quasem Soleimani. The Evening Standard’s deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil’s covering the story and joins The Leader podcast.   Harry and Meghan’s possible f...

Rory Stewart writes in today’s Evening Standard that he ‘guarantees’ to reduce knife crime deaths in London if elected mayor – and has volunteered to resign if he fails. The Leader podcast speaks exclusively with the London Mayoral candidate to grill him on his claims.  The Sandringham Summit: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle faced a crunch summit today with the Queen, the Prince of Wales, The...

International pressure is bearing down on Iran, who are accused of shooting down the Boeing 737 Ukrainian Airlines plane that crashed minutes after take-off from Imam Kohmeini airport in Tehran. Several of the Western nations’ intelligence services believe that Iran may have accidently shot the plane down . Iran has invited manufacture Boeing to investigate the crash of the Ukrainian Airlines plan...

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent shockwaves around the world when they announced their desire to step back from ‘senior’ roles in the royal family . It has since emerged that Prince Harry defied both the Queen and Prince Charles in releasing the statement when he did. The move is dramatic, unprecedented, and controversially-timed with the Duchess of Cambridge’s birthday. Was it the right thing...

Iran has launched rocket attacks on two Iraqi bases housing US troops. The missile strikes came in retaliation to the US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Iran’s supreme leader has said the missile attack was “not enough” . As tensions continue to rise between the two nations, The Leader podcast speaks to the Evening Standard’s Defence editor Robert Fox.   £1 million...

A British teenager has been sentenced to a four month suspended jail sentence accused of lying about being gang-raped in Cyprus. Judge Michalis Papathanasiou told her he was giving her a "second chance". The teenager has maintained that she was raped and said she was forced to change her account under pressure from Cypriot police.​ The Leader podcast spoke to courts correspondent Tristan Kirk on w...

As thousands gathered in Iran for the funeral of General Qasem Soleimani, The Leader podcast speaks to the former chair of the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugenhadt, and ask if there’s a way out of the crisis without conflict. UK drug crime and knife violence: Over last six months, The Evening Standard has been examining the damage caused by permanently excluding pupils from school . Our r...

Iran have vowed to respond with ‘harsh revenge’ after United States forces killed Iran’s most powerful military leader, General Qasem Soleimani, in the early hours of Friday morning. Leaders around the world have weighed in on the attack, with Joe Biden comparing President Donald Trump’s attack order to ‘dynamite in a tinder box’. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged “all sides to de-escalate”....

It’s a bleak start to the year for London’s commuters travelling in on South Western Rail networks as more delays are to continue due to lack of staff . The guards who took part in the 27-day strike have been off duty for so long that they need to retrain for safety requirements. This put hundreds of trains out of action on Thursday and delays will continue into Friday. The Evening Standard’s...

After a ground-breaking investigation by the Evening Standard into the UK’s painkiller use, drug companies will now publish addiction warnings on opioid packets . The Leader speaks to the paper’s Investigations Editor David Cohen about how this small change will save lives for decades to come. Also, we welcome Andrew Bailey as the next Governor of the Bank of England. Our Business News Editor, Ale...

The Queen has delivered her speech , can Boris Johnson now deliver on his promises? Our political editor Joe Murphy looks at the government’s agenda. Brexit is the predictable priority, but why is there an overhaul of espionage laws, and what happened between the Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn ? Also, there’s been a dip in the number of people using public transport i n London, but car use has g...

There have been 135 violent deaths in London since the start of 2019. That's a high not seen for eleven years. The city is in the grip of knife crime epidemic that authorities appear powerless to stop. The Evening Standard’s crime correspondent Anthony France talks to the Leader podcast about what efforts have been made, and what more can be done.    Also, the 45th Pr...

Who can beat Boris Johnson? It’s the question the Labour party has to answer, but will it make the hard decisions the Evening Standard thinks are necessary to make it a genuine competitor in a future election? Our Londoner Editor Ayesha Hazarika, once a Labour spin doctor herself, thinks Jeremy Corbyn’s leaving behind a mess that could take a decade or more to repair.   Also, with traditional...

The BBC is under fire again, with the government apparently boycotting the Radio 4 Today programme, and critics accusing it of bias. The Evening Standard’s reporting BBC bosses are planning a big expansion of broadcasts outside of London to show the broadcaster’s listening to the whole of Britain, but with attacks also being lobbed at the license fee, is this now the time for a much wider modernis...

In today’s election special we bring you the latest from our newsroom, analyse the results and discuss the Prime Minister’s next steps after winning a massive Commons majority. Boris Johnson has led the Conservatives to victory , crushing Labour , breaking the ‘red wall’ and securing his position as Prime Minister. The Conservatives now have the largest majority of any government in the last...

An convicted murderer named John Crilly challenged the London Bridge terror attacker with a fire extinguisher despite knowing that Usman Khan was wearing what he believed was a live explosives vest. John Crilly told the BBC he was prepared to die to protect others and insists he is not a hero . The Leader podcast spoke to our Crime Correspondent Anthony France to discuss what John Crilly shows us...

In the Evening Standard’s editorial today the paper urges voters to support Boris Johnson’s Conservatives on Thursday.   George Osborne – himself a veteran of multiple elections as both senior politician and editor of the Evening Standard – joins The Leader podcast to discuss why the paper supports Mr. Johnson for Prime Minister.   In the podcast, George Osborne reveals who he will be vo...

Boris Johnson has written for the Evening Standard warning of “profound” economic damage if Jeremy Corbyn wins the election. But what about the Conservatives own plans? The Leader podcast ask the Evening Standard’s associate editor Julian Glover to take us through the Prime Minister’s proposals . A big accountancy firm called Grant Thornton has been hit with a fine of £650,000 over mistakes made i...

Boris Johnson is hitting Labour strongholds in the final days of this election. He says he’s taking nothing for granted despite a Survation poll showing him with a 14-point lead. In the Evening Standard, pollster Ben Page says a late swing from the Conservatives can’t be ruled out – and neither can a hung parliament. The Standard’s political editor, Joe Murphy, joins the Leader podcast from W...

Dany Cotton's departure: London’s Fire Commissioner, Dany Cotton has been forced out of service by Mayor Sadiq Khan over her “insensitive” response to the tragedy in which 72 people who died. The Evening Standard’s Ross Lydall broke the story and spoke to The Leader podcast about the meeting with Grenfell families that forced the Mayor to act. Tackling extremism: The Evening Standard has been inve...

Boris Johnson has made a big election pitch for London, in an exclusive interview with the Evening Standard’s political editor Joe Murphy. Joe joins The Leader podcast to reflect on his conversation with the Prime Minister who, Joe says, was ‘laser focused’ ahead of the election which will decide the country’s fate beyond Brexit.  M&G fund hits trouble  The City regulator is facing a...

Nato is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a summit in Watford, but after all these years, are the threads of the alliance starting to fray ? Donald Trump's cancelled a press conference after Canada's PM Justin Trudeau was caught on camera apparently gossiping about the US President. France is asking questions about America's commitment. The Leader Podcast speaks to the Evening Standard's US co...

Trump’s in town Donald Trump arrived in the UK on Monday night. He’s here for a NATO summit and will enjoy a reception at Buckingham Palace – but will not meet Boris Johnson. Our editorial today says Mr. Johnson is right to tread carefully this close to a general election, and Deputy Political Editor Nic Cecil joins The Leader podcast to explain why. Hope for brain cancer Glioblastoma Multiforme (...

Flowers lay on the corner of London Bridge Walk this morning where on Friday two lives were lost due to the terror attack. Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were attending the Learning Together programme when they were fatally stabbed by convicted terrorist Usman Khan. Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan joined the vigil at Guildhall Yard this morning to honour the victims , fam...

Several people have been injured in a suspected terror attack and a man has been shot by police at London Bridge in London. For more information as the story develops visit https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/london-bridge-news-live-gunshots-reports-station-a4300626.html   Met police officer, Superintendent Novlett Robyn Williams could be taken off the force after being sent, without asking...