In his speech to the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump has made a fresh attack on Sir Sadiq Khan, and claimed London wants to “go to Sharia law”. A spokesperson for Sadiq, London’s first Muslim mayor said: “We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response." The US president also appeared to change his stance on Ukraine, speculating that Kyiv could win back its land due to Russia’s economic troubles. For analysis, we join The Standard's defence editor Ro...
Sep 24, 2025•15 min
Economists are warning that the UK could face one of the highest inflation rates of any major economy this year. New data from the OECD predicts Britain will see the sharpest price rises among G7 nations - a huge blow to the cost of living and a key challenge ahead of the Government's autumn budget in November. In today’s episode, Rachelle Abbott is joined by the Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford to discuss how the UK compares with other G7 nations, and how Chancellor Rach...
Sep 23, 2025•13 min
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has approved Gatwick’s plans for a second runway . UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the privately financed £2.2 bn project will create thousands more jobs. To find out everything, we're joined by the Standard's business editor, Jonathan Prynn.What are the plans, and is this a win-win for the government in the long-run? Plus, fancy eating like a mobster? Despite its price-tag, The Standard's Josh Barrie tells us all about the latest New York import to open ...
Sep 22, 2025•14 min
London has made huge strides in cleaning up its air – with nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter levels dropping sharply thanks to bold policies, investment in public transport, and the rise of electric vehicles. But proposed changes to the Cleaner Vehicle Discount could see EV drivers paying the congestion charge from Christmas Day, raising questions about the city’s next steps. It’s why the Electric London coalition, following The Standard’s Leading the Charge campaign, is calling on London ...
Sep 20, 2025•11 min
The second deportation under the government’s ‘one in, one out’ deal with France took place early this morning, as hundreds more migrants risked their lives trying to reach the UK. An Eritrean man, who arrived in the UK on a small boat last month, was on an Air France flight to Paris, which left London Heathrow at 6.15 am. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump suggested Sir Keir Starmer should use the military to tackle the small boats crisis. The Standard’s News Editor Michael Howie is here with...
Sep 19, 2025•17 min
ABC has pulled late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off air indefinitely over comments he made about the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. US President Donald Trump celebrated the decision, whilst media figures, unions and free speech organisations have expressed anger and alarm. The entertainer, drag artist and commentator Colin Seymour, who recently won a libel battle against the rightwing activist Laurence Fox, joins us to share his perspective. And in part two, The Standard’s Celebrity...
Sep 18, 2025•17 min
Food and drink prices are rising at their fastest rate since January last year, whilst the overall headline rate of inflation remains unchanged at 3.8 per cent. Food prices are expected to peak in December as hot weather has led to a poor harvest and higher industry costs. According to ONS figures, the biggest price rises in food and drink include beef and veal, butter, coffee, chocolate and milk. Martin Lines, CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, and an arable farmer in Cambridgeshire, j...
Sep 17, 2025•15 min
US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in the UK for his unprecedented second state visit to the country . The trip has sparked controversy and thousands are expected to take part in a series of anti-Trump protests. He will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for talks on trade, investment, Ukraine and Gaza. Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now and spokesperson for the Stop Trump Coalition is here to discuss what’s at stake for the UK. And in part two, Transport for London (TfL...
Sep 16, 2025•17 min
Today Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that he will be ousted unless he changes course . Labour MPs are reeling over high-profile sackings and resignations in recent weeks, including Angela Rayner who quit as Deputy Prime Minister following a tax scandal and Peter Mandelson being fired a British Ambassador to the US over his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein . It comes as Labour is trailing behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in opinion polls. The Standard’s Chief Political...
Sep 15, 2025•15 min
Lord Peter Mandelson has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US. Mandelson was sacked on Thursday after emails emerged showing he offered support to Jeffrey Epstein even as the financier faced jail for sex offences against minors. Why was he seen as important for UK relations — and who will replace him? To walk us through the fallout, we’re joined by the Standard’s chief political correspondent, Rachael Burford. In part two, the Standard’s chief theatre critic Nick Curtis reviews Cow/Deer ...
Sep 12, 2025•15 min
In this week’s special report, journalist and editor Charlie Brinkhurst Cuff reports on the IUIC religious organisation , thought to be the the largest Hebrew Israelite group in the world. Despite being described as a cult, the group still operates as a church in Ilford, east London. In 2019, an innocent black woman named Joy Morgan was murdered by a fellow member of this radical religious group, at the age of just 20 - and Joy’s story is the subject of The Missing Sister, a new six-part investi...
Sep 11, 2025•17 min
Poland is the closest to open conflict it has been since World War Two , the country’s Prime Minister has warned after the country shot down drones that entered its airspace during a widespread Russian attack in western Ukraine . Defence Secretary John Healey accused President Vladimir Putin of ‘testing’ Western allies with the attack, and said UK Armed Forces are looking at options to bolster NATO’s air defence over Poland. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent is here with the latest. A...
Sep 10, 2025•15 min
League tables of the best and worst-performing NHS trusts in England have been published by the Department of Health and Social Care for the first time. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the tables would help inform the public and allow them to exercise choice, but critics are less certain. Sebastian Reese, Head of Health at the Institute for Public Policy Research think tank, is here to discuss the pros and cons. And in part two, as Prince Harry visits the UK , speculation mounts over whether...
Sep 09, 2025•16 min
Today London’s tube workers are on strike . Thousands of commuters in the capital have experienced nightmarish journeys during rush hour, in the first of four days of staff walkouts, with hardly any London Underground trains operating. The Standard’s City Hall and Transport Editor Ross Lydall has the latest from the RMT Union picket line. And in part two, The Standard’s Food and Drink Writer Josh Barrie joins us to discuss the opening of the new restaurant Liverpool Street Chop House & Taver...
Sep 08, 2025•16 min
Today the Reform Party Conference kicked off in Birmingham, just as Angela Rayner quit as Deputy Prime Minister following an investigation into tax dealings surrounding the purchase of her new home. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford joins us from the conference itself to discuss Nigel Farage’s speech. And in part two, The Standard’s Culture Writer India Block is here to analyse the new trailer from Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights film , which is released on Valenti...
Sep 05, 2025•17 min
The Standard’s Campaigns Editor David Cohen joins us on the launch of Destination Unknown , a new campaign in partnership with The King’s Trust to tackle London’s youth unemployment crisis. With one in six young Londoners unemployed, The Standard wants to get young London working again - and CEO of The King’s Trust, Jonathan Townsend, is here with the latest. Click here to donate. And in part two, The Standard’s Head of Culture Martin Robinson joins us to discuss the return of Radiohead , who ha...
Sep 04, 2025•16 min
As PMQs kick off today after the summer recess, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has admitted that she did not pay enough tax when buying her new flat and has referred herself for investigation. She said she received incorrect legal advice that led to her paying less stamp duty. In other news, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced when this year’s autumn budget will happen - and is under pressure to improve public finances. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford joins us wi...
Sep 03, 2025•17 min
Commuters in the capital face a four-day Tube shutdown next week and disruption from Sunday until Friday if a union presses ahead with threatened strike action , Transport for London has warned. Talks held between TfL and the RMT union today have attempted to avert what will be one of the worst strikes in years - but no resolution has been found. The Standard’s City Hall & Transport Editor Ross Lydall is here with the latest. And in part two, as second-hand September kicks off, The Standard’...
Sep 02, 2025•14 min
Today Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner continues to face criticism regarding the purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove . She has been accused of ‘hypocrisy’ for avoiding tax on her new seaside home, as she allegedly saved £40,000 in stamp duty, by declaring that it was the only property she owns. The Conservatives are calling for her to face an ethics inquiry, and The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford is here with the latest. And in part two, food and drink writer Amira ...
Sep 01, 2025•16 min
An NHS vaccine for chickenpox will be rolled out in England from January, in the biggest expansion of the childhood immunisation programme for a decade. It will be offered as part of a new combined MMRV vaccine, for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, by GPs. Professor Helen Bedford, from the UCL Institute of Child Health joins us with the latest. And in part two, The Standard’s Culture Writer India Block joins us to discuss pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, Man’s Best Friend. Hosted on...
Aug 29, 2025•17 min
Today Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been accused of running “the economy like Baldrick”, from the Blackadder sitcom, and risking rising rents, amid reports that the Treasury is considering hiking tax for landlords . Ahead of this autumn’s budget, Reeves is desperately trying to find ways to raise revenue and improve the UK’s public finances. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford is here with the latest. And in part two, freelance writer Kyle MacNeill joins us to discuss the...
Aug 28, 2025•16 min
Campaigners are calling for free public transport in London , as travel fares are set to rise above inflation until 2030 - but is it feasible? The Standard’s City Hall and Transport Editor Ross Lydall joins us to discuss the issue, alongside his latest reporting on the worrying rise of fare evasion across London’s transport network. And in part two, why the Bifana, a traditional Portuguese sandwich , is proving popular with diners in the capital. Sandwich aficionado and food writer Sam Wilson of...
Aug 27, 2025•17 min
Today, a record 6.5 million Britons are claiming out of work benefits - a jump of 500,000 since Labour came to power. It comes despite Sir Keir Starmer’s election campaign promise to “get Britain working” and achieve the highest employment rate in the G7. In some parts of the UK, like Blackpool, Liverpool and Glasgow, more than a quarter of working-age adults are now on out-of-work benefits. The Standard’s Business Editor Jonathan Prynn has the latest. And in part two, freelance entertainment ed...
Aug 26, 2025•14 min
A wave of protests outside hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers is set to take place over the weekend. It comes as the latest figures showed there were more than 32,000 asylum seekers in hotels , marking a rise of 8 per cent during Labour’s first year in office. Kolbassia Haoussou, Director of Survivor Empowerment at Freedom from Torture shares his own experience of fleeing from Chad to the UK as a refugee. And in part two, Londoners are welcoming the 58th edition of Notting...
Aug 22, 2025•16 min
It’s GCSE Results day - and London is further ahead of any other region in the country, when it comes to students achieving at least a 7 or an A grade. We’re joined by Efua Poku Amanfo, a researcher at The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) to discuss. And in part two, freelance writer and editor Olive Pometsey joins after interviewing the South African pop superstar Tyla , who is performing at this weekend’s All Points East festival in the capital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Aug 21, 2025•15 min
UK inflation has risen more than expected to 3.8 per cent today, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. It’s the highest since January 2024 , and when Labour came to power last summer, inflation was just 2.2 per cent. We’re joined by Jaya Sood, a senior economist at the New Economics Foundation to discuss. And in part two, The Standard’s Culture Writer India Block joins us to talk about the frenzy caused by Labubu collectibles - and the growing backlash against blind box toys...
Aug 20, 2025•17 min
The Treasury is considering a new tax on the sale of homes worth more than £500,000 as a step towards a radical overhaul of stamp duty and council tax - although no final decision has been made. With half of all home sales over £500,000 in London, it would have a disproportionate impact on the capital. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford has the latest. And in part two, male-scepticism is rife among straight female daters , with many women giving up on relationships enti...
Aug 19, 2025•16 min
The Government is working “at pace” to bring sick and injured children from Gaza to the UK for urgent medical treatment , Downing Street has said. We’re joined by Dr James Smith, a British emergency physician and expert in humanitarian studies based at University College London. He worked in Gaza for 2.5 months, and assisted with the medical transfer and evacuation of patients. And in part two, author Julia Smith joins us to share her favourite walks which are close to the capital , from her boo...
Aug 18, 2025•15 min
Later today US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska for a highly anticipated summit on the Ukraine war. Ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was "counting on America” and Trump has called the summit “high stakes”. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford joins us to explain more. And in part two, The Standard’s Comedy Critic Bruce Dessau shares his top recommendations so far from this year’s Edi...
Aug 15, 2025•16 min
Today A-Level results have reached record highs since the Covid pandemic, with London students achieving the best grades in the country. However, experts say the gap between the best and worst performing regions appears to be widening, with the North-South divide becoming further entrenched. Efua Poku-Amanfo, a researcher at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), joins us to discuss. And in part two, John Darlington, director at the World Monuments Fund, joins us to explore the history...
Aug 14, 2025•15 min
