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From the Evening Standard, a daily podcast that sets the evening's agenda. Taken from the newspaper's influential editorial column, hear exclusive insights and analysis from one of the most trusted...
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From the Evening Standard, a daily podcast that sets the evening's agenda. Taken from the newspaper's influential editorial column, hear exclusive insights and analysis from one of the most trusted newsrooms in the UK.
show less
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
27 AUG 2021 · As the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden writes for the Evening Standard to persuade Londoners to spend money at attractions in the city, our Business Consumer Editor Jonathan Prynn tells us why. He says this weekend is the last chance tourist traps that have been shut for the last 18 months have to bring in cash before everything closes again for the winter. We also discuss the dire straits of Theatreland, which is trying to battle back with a series of blockbuster openings like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Cinderella’. And we look ahead to the Festive season, when the city’s shops will be making the same appeal as they try to finish a horrendous 2021.
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25 AUG 2021 · A plea from Boris Johnson and other world leader for the US to extend its deadline for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has been rebuffed by Joe Biden. To explain what’s happening, the Leader podcast spoke to Dr Julie Norman, deputy director of UCL’s Centre on US politics. She tells us that the White House’s decision is the first example of Biden’s foreign policy in action, in which he wants to work with allies but “basing the tough decisions on how he views US interests”. We also discuss whether Afghanistan will become an issue in the US midterm elections next year, and how the situation is playing out in neighbouring countries.
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20 AUG 2021 · Marzia Babakarkhail is a former Afghan judge who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban targeted her for assassination during their first time in power in 1996.
In this edition of the Leader podcast, she tells us why she was targeted for her work helping divorced women and how she hid for five hours while nine Taliban soldiers ransacked her house looking for her.
In an extraordinarily powerful interview, she tells us how she fled that night in a terrifying nine hour car journey across the country and into Pakistan.
She now lives in the UK and says she fears for the friends she still has in her home country, but has hope that the people of Afghanistan will overcome “the darkness of this time.”
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5 MAR 2021 · Deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil joins the podcast following his story revealing how several Tory MPs have joined the backlash against the government's once percent pay rise offer for NHS workers. Among
them is former health minister Dr Dan Poulter MP, who as a doctor has been working on the frontline in a central London hospital during the pandemic. He told The Standard the Government should consider an
inflation-matching pay rise and a one-off payment of at least two percent of salary to recognise the extraordinary work done by NHS staff in the last year.
Meanwhile, rumblings of industrial action are beginning to mount, and current health minister Nadine Dorries has suggested the government might "move" on the pay issue.
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18 FEB 2021 · Talks have started between Britain and Greece which could pave the way for holidays this summer in the Mediterranean country. Greek tourism minister Harry Theoharis has revealed preliminary discussions are taking place including on “vaccine passports”. Our Deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil says Athens has been impressed by the UK's vaccine rollout, but the discussions may have been prompted by their dire economic situation.
He also warns the cost of a trip to Greece may be prohibitive for many, with it likely families of four facing an additional £1000 bill to cover quarantine costs on their return. Meanwhile, Covid-19 infection rates are tumbling in Britain but Boris Johnson's still resisting pressure to speed up the lifting of lockdown. Nicholas tells us that may be down to variations in the rate of infection across the country, and lingering fears of as yet unknown mutations.
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3 FEB 2021 · London’s public health director, Professor Kevin Fenton, reveals the findings of his study into the spread of coronavirus in London through the pandemic so far. He’s discovered that the capital’s Asian community was hardest hit in the second wave of the infection’s spread, and in this special edition of the podcast he explains why that may have happened.
Speaking to our deputy political editor, Nicholas Cecil, he also reveals that more cases have been found in women than men, and discusses the ‘South African’ and ‘Kent’ variations of Covid-19.
He also tells us about when he hopes lockdown restrictions might start to be lifted, and pays tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore, the Second World War Veteran who raised millions for the NHS and has died after testing positive for Covid.
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1 FEB 2021 · Political editor Joe Murphy’s back on the podcast as it’s revealed the more contagious ‘South Africa’ variant of coronavirus has been found in parts of London and Sussex. More than 100 cases have been discovered so far and surge testing is underway in eight postcodes, with everyone over the age of 16 being encouraged to get one whether they’re showing symptoms or not. It comes as the government announces its secured 40 million doses of a vaccine from French firm Valneva. Joe says the Prime Minister’s confident the UK will be the first country in the world to stockpile jabs for use next year.
Also, our home affairs editor Martin Bentham discusses his interview with the Met’s deputy commissioner Stephen House, who says officers will continue “disproportionate” stop and searches of young black Londoners in an attempt to save lives. The robust defence of the Met’s approach came during a chat in which he also disclosed that around 300 knives a month were being seized during searches.
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29 JAN 2021 · Our deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil joins us as the EU dramatically ramps up a vaccines row with demands jabs made in the UK are sent to them. It follows European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen demanding AstraZeneca publish its contract with the EU to deliver 300 million doses. The company’s done that, with redactions, but Nicholas tells us the fine print contradicts Ms von der Leyen’s claim that the agreement was “crystal clear.” He also says the UK government’s trying to stay out of the battle, which Brexiteers claim shows the country was right to leave Europe.
Also, economist and former trader Gary Stevenson explains what’s happening with Wall Street after struggling US retailer GameStop suddenly saw its share price rocket. He tells us how investors have been hit by a “classic short squeeze” and warns it will happen again as the effects of the covid pandemic start to hit economies.
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27 JAN 2021 · A special edition of the Leader looking at the decisions made by the government and others that have taken the UK past the 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths figure. Adapted from an Evening Standard article by Jonathan Prynn, we use interviews and archives to piece together what happened over the last 12 months and where things went wrong.From face mask controversies to the country’s obesity problem, we uncover a litany of issues that conspired together to pass that grim milestone. But we also highlight the progress being made including the new vaccines and the effect of the most recent lockdown to show there may be signs of hope emerging.
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26 JAN 2021 · After vaccination minister Nadhim Zahawi advised millions of us to delay booking a summer holiday, the Leader podcast speaks to travel consultant Paul Charles about the state of the industry. He tells us there is “no plan” from the government to help a sector already struggling after last season was cancelled by Covid, and predicts more airlines and travel agencies will collapse.
Paul also says so-called ‘quarantine hotels’ will be less effective in the UK than they have been in other countries and could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds being lost to the economy.
Also, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, joins the show as pressure grows on the government to deliver a blueprint on how schools will re-open. He says there appears to be a division between the Department for Education and Downing Street over the best way forward, which is causing confusion for teachers and parents.And he warns further delays risk harming young people’s confidence, as they wonder if there will be any classes at all this year.
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From the Evening Standard, a daily podcast that sets the evening's agenda. Taken from the newspaper's influential editorial column, hear exclusive insights and analysis from one of the most trusted...
show more
From the Evening Standard, a daily podcast that sets the evening's agenda. Taken from the newspaper's influential editorial column, hear exclusive insights and analysis from one of the most trusted newsrooms in the UK.
show less
Information
| Author | chris.stone@standard.co.uk |
| Organization | chris.stone@standard.co.uk |
| Categories | News |
| Website | - |
| - |
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