The Standard

Restaurant critic David Ellis and food writer Josh Barrie take over the podcast to celebrate British Pie Week (March 3-9). This year’s celebration comes with a twist as ministers recently urged the government to grant pies protected status. David and Josh discuss whether some restaurants are cashing in on nostalgia, the closure of traditional pie and mash shops, and how modern interpretations are...

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan meets city hall and transport editor Ross Lydall to discuss the news of a public consultation and his plans to take control of Oxford Street. CALM CEO Simon Gunning joins us to discuss recent figures revealing that 50% of London-based adults believe the government should do more to prevent youth suicide. Plus, lifestyle and culture writer India Block visits Dennis Seeve...

This episode includes explicit language. Our restaurant critic David Ellis interviews the famed chef Gordon Ramsay at the glass-walled dining room of Lucky Cat , his new restaurant on the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate - London’s highest dining spot. Gordon discusses pricing, breaking America, and his reputation in the UK. To read the full interview, pick up a copy of this week’s edition of The Lond...

Following Wednesday’s PMQs, the Government has responded in full to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, setting out what they call tough new reforms to fix building safety and strengthen accountability. 58 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick when he published his long-awaited report in September are to be accepted in full. Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some of the bereaved, said it...

Was T.S. Eliot telling the truth when he wrote “April is the cruellest month”? Perhaps he had foreseen today, as news broke that millions of people are facing a perfect storm of rising bills on or around April 1 - including energy, water, council tax, train fares, mobile, and broadband bills. Helena Wadia is joined by The London Standard’s Business Editor Jonathan Prynn, to explain the predicted e...

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, millions of children have had their education disrupted.  To mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine , we’re joined by Sarah Brown, Chair of charity TheirWorld, to discuss how the organisation is supporting education and children throughout the conflict. Sarah has been working at Ukrainian President Zelensky's request direc...

Thousands of patients across London will now have access to urgent dental appointments as the Government begins efforts to rebuild NHS dentistry . However, leaders in the profession insist ministers should have “fired the starting gun” last summer. To learn more, we’re joined by Len D’Cruz from the British Dental Association, a practice owner and dentist in Woodford Green, East London. He explains...

Why do Koreans live longer than the rest of us? According to research from Imperial College London, South Korea is on track to lead the world in longevity, with average life expectancy set to exceed 90 years. So what’s their secret? In today’s episode, Nicola Barron is joined by Michelle Jungmin Bang, author of  Sun and Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, and Longevity . Michelle...

Rachelle Abbott joins The London Standard’s business editor Jonathan Prynn as the rate of UK inflation jumped to 3% in January , in a blow to hopes of early further interest rate cuts. The rise on Wednesday exceeded expectations, with City forecasters predicting inflation to be 2.8%.  The Conservatives have accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of being 'out of her depth' .  So why have we se...

Talks today in Saudi Arabia saw the US and Russia discussing a peace deal to end Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine . Helena Wadia is joined by The London Standard’s Political Editor Nicholas Cecil, to discuss the aims of the talks and what we can expect going forward. The meeting was the first face-to-face discussion between the two countries since the war began in 2022. But who was involved in...

Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced he'll raise penalty charge notices meaning some fines could hit £160. But why the hike? How will the money be used? And where do the fines apply? Rachelle Abbott's joined by The London Standard's City Hall and Transport Editor Ross Lydall, to break down all you need to know. In part two, we explore the scents of ancient Egypt. Researchers from University College...

Birth rates are falling faster in London than the rest of the UK since the 2000s . To find out why, whether it’s a concern, and what can be done, Rachelle Abbott sits down with Kate Wills , who has been investigating the topic for The London Standard . Plus, we continue to celebrate some of the capital’s hidden gems. This week we turn to The Hill Garden and Pergola in Hampstead with John...

In today’s episode, Nicola Barron is joined by Will Storr—an acclaimed journalist, bestselling author, and storytelling guru. Will is widely regarded as one of the leading experts on how stories shape human behaviour, decisions, and relationships. In his latest book,  A Story is a Deal , Will uncovers the hidden psychological contract between storytellers and their audiences. He explains why...

Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye has announced the airport’s multi-billion pound investment to accelerate plans for a controversial new runway that began two decades ago. The privately-funded plan would see the airfield’s layout reconfigured, Terminals 2 and 5 enlarged, plus increased bus and coach capacity. The Labour government backed commencement of digging by 2029 to drive economic growth - but ma...

Are you ready for next generation agentic artificial intelligence? The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined from the AI Action Summit in Paris  by Andrew Strait, associate director at the Ada Lovelace Institute and former ethics researcher at Google’s DeepMind AI spin-off. We look at the self-thinking technology’s  latest developments , concerns over replacement of human workers, qu...

Labour party officials are investigating alleged racist and sexist comments in leaked WhatsApp group chat messages that culminated in the sacking of health minister Andrew Gwynne. Following the latest messaging-based scandal to hit the authorities, The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined by Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, to discuss the public’s right to...

Hospital admissions data suggests a growing proportion of patients admitted to wards in England after being stabbed are under 18 years old. It comes amid growing calls to finally crack down on online blade sales and London actor Idris Elba backing the blunting of sharp tips on kitchen knives. The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined by Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust...

What is London’s heartbeat? Rachelle Abbott joins Emma Strain, customer director at Transport for London, to discuss how important diverse communities are to the capital.  Emma also reveals their award-winning animated moquette design, titled ‘Fabric of London’, which tells real stories shared by Londoners, reflecting the vital role TfL plays in bringing people from all backgrounds together.&...

Research by the London Cycling Campaign has found more than half of the capital’s official cycleways include sections that are unsafe for women to use at night. The London Standard’s transport editor Ross Lydall joins Mark Blunden to discuss his report on the LCC’s Women’s Network study, which found 52 of the 89 cycleways had at least one “socially unsafe” section after dark - and that seven cycle...

Half a dozen cash-strapped local authorities in England have been told they will be allowed to raise council tax by more than five per cent this year in a bid to stave off bankruptcy. The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford reports the government signed off its final funding settlements for town halls and announced six authorities have been given permission to increase...

Britain rejects Donald Trump’s claim that trade between the US and UK is “out of line” . The president has hit several other countries with hefty tariffs. It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Brussels to meet with EU leaders on Monday - a first for a British leader since Brexit. Has Trump sparked a trade war? We're joined by The London Standard's political editor, Nicholas Ceci...

Join host Nicola Barron in conversation with  Hayley Quinn , the London-based dating coach who has helped thousands of singles break out of dating ruts, build confidence, and enjoy meeting new people again. In this insightful episode, Hayley shares expert advice on how to approach dating in real life, avoid common first-date mistakes, and create genuine connectio...

It has been half a decade since the United Kingdom exited the European Union. But now, on Brexit’s fifth anniversary, a YouGov survey suggests 53 per cent of adults in Britain support going back into the European Union, with 36 per cent opposed - which in London grows to 64 per cent of respondents backing rejoining versus 25 per cent opposed. To discuss the UK’s national circumstances five years o...

Officials say there are no survivors after a plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided mid-air with a US Army helicopter over Washington DC. American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into the Potomac River following the collision. The plane, a Bombardier CRJ700, was approaching Reagan Washington National Airport 9pm local time on Wednesday (2am GMT), when the co...

Rachel Reeves confirmed the government will support building a third runway at Heathrow in a major speech aimed to boost economic growth and jobs. But she is expected to face fierce opposition to expanding the west London airport from senior Labour colleagues, including Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan who posted immediately on X after the chancellor’s speech in Oxfordshire he remains against the plan. Also a...