The Standard

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...

If you’re a big supporter of Labour winning the Christmas election then buckle up as it really isn’t looking too good for them. According to a survey based on YouGov polling they are headed towards a huge defeat. Things might change if there is a late surge in voter registration but so far so it looks as though they are set to lose both Kensington in London, Dagenham and Rainham which have been a...

It has been up and down journey for Jo Swinson and the Lib Dems who are pushing hard for the party to win its first election. In the Evening Standard Michael Heseltine is giving his backing to two Lib-Dem candidates in the upcoming election and he doesn’t care if he gets thrown out of the Tories because of it. Last weekend Alistair Campbell was campaigning for the Lib-Dems too, as part his own “ta...

The UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has said that Jeremy Corbyn is unfit for high office over his handling of anti-Semitism in the Labour party. Rabbi Mirvis said that "The way in which the leadership has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud - of dignity and respect for all people. It has left many decent Labour members both Jewish and non-...

In today’s podcast: This morning Transport for London stripped Uber of its licence to operate in London. The news will shock the 45,000 drivers, and the many users who rely on the service. However, TFL insists that Uber is not a fit and proper company to hold an operating licence . The Leader podcast spoke to The Evening Standard’s City Hall editor Ross Lydall on why Uber should keep its license....

The UN estimates 1.6 million refugees and displaced people in Syria will endure the cold in makeshift tents, without proper clothing. The UK government has agreed to bring a number of orphans to the United Kingdom . It’s a decision taken after months of consideration – The Standard says it’s the right one. The Leader Podcast spoke to the Evening Standard’s Home Affairs Editor Martin Bentham. 27 da...

Today’s ES Magazine features an exclusive interview with Jeremy Corbyn , by journalist Lynn Barber. The Leader podcast spoke with Lynn for her account of the interview and why she believes Jeremy Corbyn is not expecting to be Prime Minister on December 13th. It’s emerged that Prince Charles advised the Queen to effectively sack Prince Andrew in the wake of his disastrous Newsnight interview about...

Today the Evening Standard has launched its most ambitious campaign ever: a two-year commitment to tackle the homelessness epidemic in our city. In total some 170,000 people are now believed to be homeless in London. For the last six months we have worked with 23 of the capital’s frontline homeless charities to develop a strategy for how we can help address the homeless crisis in London. The...

In this election all major parties are talking about cutting down carbon . The Greens aim for net-zero by 2030, the Labour conference voted for the same, although its manifesto may have a later date. The Tories already have it in law for 2050, and the Lib-Dems think it can be done five years earlier. Associated editor Julian Glover explains why this is “the first climate change election” and...

The public reaction to Prince Andrew’s interview for the BBC’s Newsnight has been described as “catastrophic”. There’s been nothing from the Prince or the Palace since it was released on Saturday. But others are talking – t he Standard columnist Rohan Silva, a former government adviser, has written about a meeting with The Queen’s second son, in which he claims the N-word was used . That has been...

Labour have pledged to make broadband free for all by renationalising BT Openreach if they win the General Election. The idea has been labelled a “fantasy plan” by The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nicky Morgan. We spoke to the Evening Standard’s Consumer Business Editor Jonathan Prynn who explains why this plan would harm us all. London is home to eight wonderful Royal...

The Conservatives have dumped Theresa May’s 100,000 goal for net immigration . Home Secretary Priti Patel says the new plan will bring overall immigration down but give skilled workers preference under a points-based system and expert recommendations. Evening Standard associate editor Julian Glover joins The Leader podcast to explain why this is ‘impossible’. The RMT have announced anoth...

In today’s episode: Loyal, dependable and now… independent, thanks to having the Conservative whip removed after voting against the government – Tory bastion  David Gauke  has announced he’s running as an independent in his  previously safe Tory stronghold of South West Hertfordshire . The 2019 election campaign so far is the kind satirists live for. So today’s Leader podcast s...

Today the Office for National Statistics says GDP grew by 0.3 percent in the third quarter of the year. But that’s still the lowest since 2010 – and there are plenty of reasons for concern about what comes next . Our political editor Joe Murphy joins us to tell us more. Next month, RMT union members will hold strike action on South Western Railway services into Waterloo for 27 days. They says it’s...

Today Transport for London announced that Crossrail will not open until 2021. The line should have opened last December. TFL have admitted that the final cost of the project could be £18.5 billion. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has was said to be “deeply frustrated” We speak to Joanna Bourke from the business desk about  the many businesses banking on Crossrail that are understandably angry...

Sajid Javid’s turning on the money tap, but where is he getting the cash? Associate editor Julian Glover explains why the Chancellor’s plans announced on Thursday will mean higher taxes in the long-run. Londoner editor Ayesha Hazarika explores the options for disillusioned Labour voters. Deputy Leader Tom Watson has resigned and former Labour MP Ian Austin has said voters should choose Johnson ove...

The election campaigns have barely started and Boris Johnson is already having to deal with trouble in the conservatives . Our editorial explains, it’s a bad start for Boris. Political editor Joe Murphy joins The Leader podcast to discuss what we should expect next from our Prime Minister.   Also, retail giant Marks and Spencer’s is in crisis again, with profits plunging by 17 percent.&n...

Not enough people are registering to vote for the upcoming UK General Election, which means marginal seats could be swung. We sit down with our home affairs editor Martin Bentham to discuss the importance of voting on December 12th – and how to register well in advance.   School children are protesting against pollution in London by installing aeroplane-style breathing masks at their bus-stop...

As a new speaker is installed to the House of Commons , we sit down with Ayesha Hazarika to talk about the important role they could play in one of the most turbulent times in UK politics.   Mikhail Gorbachev is warning the world that he believes tensions between Russia and the West put u in “colossal danger” – why we think world leaders should listen   And we talk to our digital arts ed...

Sadiq Khan called for a rethink on cannabis laws and policing today, to cut violent street crime. This follows a report showing that 63 per cent of Londoners think the Class B drug should be legalised for recreational and medicinal use for adults. So with opinions changing, David Cohen our investigations editor tells us why this conversation is so important. A report by the coroner on th...