Local councils nationwide are preparing to reveal the bad news to residents about this year’s council tax rises . So, why are our rates rocketing, how much more can we expect to pay - and which authorities are impose the biggest hikes? The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford discusses local government finances and policy for the year ahead. In part two, as millions of Britons reach the halfway mark for Dry January , we look at the benefits and challenges of quitting a...
Jan 14, 2025•14 min
The Prime Minister has unveiled the government’s AI Opportunity Action Plan in a bid to make Britain a world leader in the artificial intelligence sector. Sir Keir Starmer’s will take forward all 50 recommendations made by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, who was commissioned by Science Secretary Peter Kyle to identify AI opportunities. It will see the creation of AI “growth zones” to accelerate planning approvals for data centres, build a new supercomputer and - controversially - allow tech fir...
Jan 13, 2025•13 min
Welcome to The Standard podcast’s round-up special edition. In this episode: How does Sir Keir Starmer plan to cut NHS waiting lists? Golden Globes 2025 : Demi Moore, Zoe Saldana & Adrien Brody among winners Child grooming gangs : government plans new safeguarding law but no public inquiry What must be done about London knife crime after boy, 14, killed in stabbing HMPV : what we know about virus risk, symptoms & spread LA wildfires : future risks of climate change Why did the pound hit ...
Jan 11, 2025•15 min
London’s £2.2 billion Silvertown Tunnel beneath the Thames is set to open in the spring - but how will this impact traffic flow on the capital’s roads? There are concerns the crossing, set to impose a toll along with the Blackwall Tunnel, could push vehicles to other points along the river as drivers seek to avoid the charge. And what about cyclists? It’s this week’s ‘The London Question’ posed by the Standard in a comment piece by our transport editor and City Hall editor Ross Lydall, who joins...
Jan 10, 2025•13 min
A state of emergency and a toxic air alert have been declared in Los Angeles after huge wildfires killed at least five people and swept through hillsides that are home to many celebrities. Now, 130,000 Angelenos have been forced to evacuate their homes as the city became blanketed in a thick cloud of smoke and ash. Thousands of firefighters are battling to contain the original LA fire in Pacific Palisades, which spread to destroy more than 20 square miles in just two days and is believed to have...
Jan 09, 2025•15 min
The mother of a 14-year-old boy stabbed to death on a London bus fears her son had been groomed by gangs and exposed to drugs before he was killed. Kelyan Bokassa was attacked on a Route 472 double-decker on Woolwich Church Road just before 2.30pm on Tuesday. His mother, Mary, 50, fought back tears as paid tribute to her “polite” and “caring” son, telling MailOnline he had spent time in care and lived rough on the streets for a year, where she feared criminals took advantage of him. Kelyan is th...
Jan 08, 2025•11 min
The government has announced new safeguarding legal guidelines as part of a crackdown on child exploitation in the wake of the grooming gangs scandal. Measures revealed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper include criminal sanctions for professionals working with children if they don’t report sexual abuse claims. The recommendation is among those within Professor Alexis Jay’s 2015 child sexual abuse inquiry - she also told Radio 4’s Today programme “enough of inquiries” and that instead victims need ...
Jan 07, 2025•14 min
Sir Keir Starmer aims to cut the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment by 450,000 within two years. Amid his hopes of a New Year government reboot, the Prime Minister said by the end of 2026 two thirds of patients would be getting treatment in that timeframe. Latest figures show 59 per cent of patients are currently having to wait longer than 18 weeks. Labour’s Elective Reform Plan, published by NHS England, aims to deliver half a million more appointments a year throug...
Jan 06, 2025•11 min
The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber ‘cold-health alert’ warning for London amid plunging temperatures and a forecast for snow at the weekend. London plunged below zero overnight, with a ”feels-like” temperature of -4C on Friday morning - and more low single-digit chills forecast next week. Nationally, the cold weather blast has seen temperatures drop to -5C overnight with warning of -8C next week. It comes just weeks after devastating floods caused by Storm Darragh. The Standard po...
Jan 03, 2025•11 min
What does the future hold for the evolution of artificial intelligence in 2025? Professor David Shrier, an futurist and artificial intelligence expert at Imperial College Business School, discusses what’s to come. You can hear the full version of this interview on The London Standard’s Tech & Science Daily podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 02, 2025•15 min
Welcome to The Standard podcast’s pop culture review of 2024. In this episode, Mark Blunden is joined by The London Standard’s culture and lifestyle writer India Block to muse on moments that, maybe, drifted across our shared consciousness in the past 12 months. You’ll hear about Euro 2024, Kate Middleton conspiracies, the Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury split, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Megan Boni’s ‘Looking for a man in finance’, Willy’s Chocolate Experience debacle and Brat summer. Plus, Olympi...
Dec 31, 2024•13 min
As part of The Bigger Life Festival, brought to you by Masterclasses from The London Standard, host Nicola Barron is joined by life and career coach Selina Barker. In this special Twixmas episode, Selina shares practical tips for reflecting on the past year, recharging your energy, and redesigning your life with purpose. From asking the right questions to turning dreams into reality, it’s the perfect conversation to inspire your 2025 plans. The Bigger Life Festival kicks off on January 27th with...
Dec 30, 2024•13 min
Welcome to The Standard podcast transport news highlights of 2024 In this episode, you’ll hear some of the best bits from our news podcast that's focussed on transport - from four to two wheels, rail and Tube. There’s been plenty of passenger news and a steady stream of news scoops, courtesy of The London Standard’s transport and City Hall editor, Ross Lydall, who you’ll hear through this special edition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 27, 2024•14 min
In this preview edition of our Brave New World series, Evgeny meets Wim Hof to learn more about the Dutch athlete’s ‘Method’; a combination of breathing and cold-water immersion that he claims can have health and psychological benefits. Rita Ora also joins the show and talks about her own experience using Wim’s techniques as part of her wellness routines. To hear the whole show, and listen to previous episodes, search 'Brave New World Evening Standard' in your podcast provider. Hosted on Acast. ...
Dec 26, 2024•19 min
Rachelle Abbott joins acclaimed British author and comedy writer John O’Farrell. From his favourite Christmas tales to the art of storytelling, John shares insights from his illustrious career, including the inspiration behind his witty novel, Family Politics . As an award-winning author, lead writer for Spitting Image , scriptwriter for Have I Got News For You , and co-author of Chicken Run and its sequel, he’s also the co-host of the hit podcast We Are History and the creative mind behind musi...
Dec 24, 2024•14 min
As part of The Bigger Life Festival , brought to you by Masterclasses from The London Standard, host Nicola Barron is joined by Josh Smith—celebrity interviewer, podcast host of Reign , and author of Great Chat: Seven Lessons for Better Conversation s . With the festive season in full swing, Josh shares his expert tips on navigating tricky family dynamics, handling small talk at parties, and making meaningful connections during holiday gatherings. The Bigger Life Festival kicks off in January wi...
Dec 23, 2024•15 min
The London Standard’s crime editor Anthony France reports a phone is now stolen in the capital every six minutes amid a 150 per cent increase in device snatches. As part of an investigation into this crime epidemic, he interviewed phone theft victims and spent time with a City of London Police team to examine the work of the force’s anti-phone theft squad. Anthony joins The Standard podcast to discuss his findings. In part two, writer and director Susie McKenna on how a new pantomime production ...
Dec 20, 2024•10 min
Thames Water bills will rise by more than a third to an average of £588 over the next five years despite its dismal record on pollution and leaks. Water regulator Ofwat said the UK’s biggest water company, which supplies London and was recently fined £18 million for breaking share dividends rules, will be allowed to hike its bills by an inflation-busting £152, or 35 per cent - that’s an average £31 a year. The charges are being hiked to fund a £104 billion spending plan, with other water compani...
Dec 19, 2024•11 min
The government has confirmed London’s new HS2 station at Euston will have just six platforms . The London Standard’s transport editor Ross Lydall reports rail commentators fear this could result in a lack of capacity should HS2 ever be extended north of Birmingham. Ross joins us to discuss what the reduced number of platforms could mean for passenger journeys and also an update on the mega-project’s price tag . In part two, Dr Enrico Amico, assistant professor in applied mathematics at the Unive...
Dec 18, 2024•12 min
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for an e-scooter bomb that killed a top Russian general in Moscow on Tuesday. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, and his assistant were killed by an explosive hidden inside the electric transport device outside Kirillov's apartment as they exited the building. We’re joined for analysis of this developing story with The London Standard’s defence editor, Robert Fox. In part two, a High Court jud...
Dec 17, 2024•13 min
Royal Mail has been cleared to be taken into foreign ownership for the first time in its 508-year history. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky was given the green light by ministers to buy Royal Mail’s parent company International Distributions Services in a £3.6 billion deal, likely to be signed early next year. What will it mean for Britain’s postal service and the price of sending a letter? In part two, planning consent has been approved for the Square Mile building known as 1 Undershaft , whi...
Dec 16, 2024•10 min
Welcome to The Standard podcast’s round-up special edition. In this episode: Assad flees Syria : what now for Middle East after rebels topple regime ? Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione charged with UnitedHealthcare boss NYC murder Silvertown & Blackwall tunnel tolls : future cost of London driving revealed Farmers’ new London protest against Labour ‘tractor tax’ Fabric 25th anniversary: new book on east London superclub Marie Antoinette’s £24 million ‘smartwatch’ & first moon map Hosted...
Dec 14, 2024•13 min
Transport for London has announced fare increases for Tube travellers next year at more than double the rate of inflation. Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed the cost of travelling on the Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth line would increase at double the rate of inflation - but bus fares remain frozen, stay tuned for details. The London Standard’s transport editor, Ross Lydall, interviewed the mayor following Friday’s announcement, and joins us to examine cost, policy and politics. In part t...
Dec 13, 2024•12 min
Host Evgeny Lebedev meets Dr. John Krystal, professor of neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine, to discuss Ketamine, what it is, and how it can solve a mental health epidemic. This is a special preview taken from our sister podcast, Brave New World. To hear the interview in full just search: Brave New World Evening Standard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 12, 2024•17 min
Thousands of farmers converged on Westminster as tractors made a slow drive through central London on Wednesday afternoon in the second protest against Labour’s inheritance tax reforms. Farmers travelled from across the country amid anger about the plans against the so-called ‘tractor tax’ announced in last month’s Budget, which will see farms lose inheritance tax relief on assets over £1 million. The Standard podcast has analysis of the issue with Simon Smith, a land agent and senior lecturer a...
Dec 11, 2024•11 min
New York prosecutors have filed a murder charge against an Ivy League graduate suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel last Wednesday. Luigi Mangione, 26, was apprehended after a quick-thinking McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, allegedly recognised him from a surveillance photo. Police said he was found with a gun believed to be of the same 3D-printed kind used in the killing of Thompson, as well as a fake New Jersey dri...
Dec 10, 2024•11 min
Syrians awoke on Monday to hope - but also uncertainty - after the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seized the capital Damascus . Dictator President Bashar al-Assad reportedly fled to Russia , following 13 years of civil war and more than 50 years of his family’s brutal rule. As rescuers search for tens of thousands of prisoners held in the regime’s underground torture prisons in horrific conditions, what now for post-Assad Syria? Plus, how will the weekend’s events impact the wider Middle East ...
Dec 09, 2024•11 min
Welcome to The Standard podcast’s round-up special edition. In this episode: President Joe Biden pardons son Hunter , sparing him a possible prison sentence for gun and tax convictions British drivers will see a shake-up of the road tax rules in the spring , with a new emissions-based charging system and EV drivers paying for first time Victims of the crime of stalking are to be given better protection including the right to know the identity of their online harasser as part of new legal protect...
Dec 07, 2024•14 min
As part of The Bigger Life Festival , brought to you by Masterclasses from The London Standard, host Nicola Barron is joined by manifestation expert Salarah Starre, who’s leading a special workshop at the event. With 'm anifest' named Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024, Salarah explains why it's gaining so much attention, the fundamentals behind it, and how you can start applying manifestation techniques to your life. The Bigger Life Festival kicks off in January with a series of l...
Dec 06, 2024•14 min
The prime minister has pledged every neighbourhood in England and Wales will have a named, contactable police officer, as part of his “plan for change” outlined on Thursday. In a speech billed as setting out the “next phase” of Labour's government, Sir Keir Starmer detailed ambitious “milestones” for achieving the five missions laid out in Labour’s manifesto - also including targeting hospital backlogs, domestic energy creation and giving children a better start in life. Sir Keir's new officers ...
Dec 05, 2024•10 min
