The Leader | Evening Standard daily

St Paul’s Cathedral is in financial dire straits, with its Dean, the Very Rev Dr David Ison, admitting “very big decisions” are needed. The nearly 400-year-old building relies on international tourists to raise the cash needed for the millions of pounds worth of renovations and repairs required to keep it open. The Evening Standard’s arts correspondent Robert Dex says during the pandemic those visitors have not been coming, leading to a 90% drop in revenue. He argues that the building is so important to London and the United Kingdom that the government and Church of England will have to find a way to keep it open – but other landmarks will not have the same protection.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Showbiz reporter Lizzie Edmonds was among the 4,000 to be at the Brit Awards, the biggest live event since the pandemic began. She tells us how organisers managed to get so many people into the O2 arena safely, and the exhilaration of seeing real performers on a stage again. We also talk about the on-stage calls for more support for NHS workers, and was it a good idea to open the largest “live” music event since the pandemic with a Coldplay video?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Evening Standard’s Jack Kessler breaks down the Queen’s Speech from tax rises for the better off to those controversial voter ID plans. What does the government actually mean by “level up” and will it hit cities like London in favour of shoring up the Conservative’s new found votes in former ‘Red Wall’ Labour heartlands like Hartlepool. We also discuss how the great ceremonial tradition behind the state opening of parliament was curtailed by the pandemic, with the Queen wearing a simple outfit and her audience in facemasks.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our city hall editor Ross Lydall’s spoken to Sadiq Khan who has now been signed in as mayor of London for the second time at a ceremony in the Globe Theatre at the Southbank. They talk about his priorities for a new term in office, including the “Let’s do London” campaign which is encouraging people to staycation in a capital desperate to get visitors back into its attractions. Ross also gives us his analysis of the election, which proved more dramatic than many polls had predicted although ended with a clear victory for the Labour candidate.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Brit Awards will be held on May 11th with a live audience of 4,000 heading to the O2 arena to watch acts like Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Pink on stage. And no-one will be wearing a face mask. How are they going to do that safely? We speak to Genarro Castaldo from the BPI, which organises the annual showcase, who takes us through the enormous logistics of putting together a massive live event under pandemic restrictions. We also look ahead to some of the performances, how music has become more important during lockdown, and the importance of recognising diversity in the UK music industry.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Don Thompson, President of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association, tells us how the French blockade of St Helier harbour could lead to the island running out of food and fuel within two days. Tensions are escalating between the UK and France, with Britain sending two Royal Navy vessels to the Channel island to keep watch over the protest. Paris has responded by sending the military ship Athos to the harbour on a “patrol mission”. Mr. Thompson tells the podcast the row is over a post-Brexit fishing deal, and he’s concerned “physical confrontations” between vessels could break out at sea if a resolution isn’t found.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our City Hall editor Ross Lydall tells us how a delay to the London mayoral election has affected the vote. The public’s going to the polls tomorrow, a year after the pandemic forced the ballots to be closed. Ross says candidates like independent Rory Stewart dropping out changed the way the campaign was fought, and will probably have some effect on the vote for both Labour’s Sadiq Khan and Conservative Shaun Bailey. We discuss the latest polls and look back at an extraordinary five years since the last vote.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our City Hall editor Ross Lydall joins the podcast to discuss the Evening Standard’s third and final poll of voting intentions in the London mayoral election. The Opinium survey shows Mr Khan on 48 per cent, down three points on last month, and Mr Bailey unchanged on 29 per cent of first-preference votes. The first of our three polls, in March, had Mr Khan on 53 per cent and Mr Bailey on 28 per cent of first preferences. Ross says the latest survey finds crime remains the most important issue to Londoners, having replaced health/the NHS in the second poll. We also hear about Mr Khan’s claim that he’ll try to bring the Olympics and Paralympics back to London in 2036 or 2040.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Features writer Katie Strick’s been looking at how the redecoration of 11 Downing Street by Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds reportedly hit the £200,000 mark. She reveals the costs of hiring one of London’s top interior designers, Lulu Lytle, whose fabric prices start at £100 a metre. And she’s been looking into how much of the flat’s furnishings were really from John Lewis when the Prime Minister and his fiancée arrived, such as the £100 chrome table lamp left by Theresa May. But is £200,000 a lot of money for a Downing Street refurbishment anyway? We also talk about the cash spent by previous occupants.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Evening Standard columnist, Anne McElvoy takes us through the changing role of the Duchess of Cambridge as we mark the 10th anniversary of her fairy tale wedding to Prince William. Has royal life turned out the way Kate Middleton wanted it to? We discuss how she’s taken on a “centrist” role, acting as a kind of peacemaker during a time of disruption in the family. And we talk about what the future holds for her, and how her influence within Buckingham Palace and the United Kingdom will change when Prince Charles becomes King.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our political editor Joe Murphy tells us why the Electoral Commission’s launched a “bombshell” investigation into the redecoration of 11 Downing Street. The watchdog says it’s “now satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred.” The announcement came shortly before Prime Minister’s Questions, during which Boris Johnson was also asked again if he said he’d rather “let the bodies pile high” than have a third lockdown. The Prime minister gave a strong denial in the Commons, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer appeared to suggest he would return to it later saying: “I’ll leave that there for now.” Joe tells us that’s sparked speculation the Labour party has more information that’s not yet been revealed to the public.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Susannah Butter joins the podcast to look at Boris Johnson’s finances. As the cost of the Prime Minister’s flat refurbishment comes under scrutiny - why can’t he afford to pay for it? We learn how the UK PM’s salary is much lower than some other countries’ and Mr Johnson has actually taken a considerable pay cut to take over at Downing Street. But he also has considerable outgoings, including the cost of a divorce estimated at £2 million, and childcare costs. We also look at the Evening Standard’s exclusive poll showing Boris Johnson is regarded as “untrustworthy” by six in 10 Britons. The Ipsos Mori survey suggests Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is regarded as trustworthy by 42 per cent and not to be trusted by 41.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Scotland Yard’s launching Operation Sceptre in another attempt to tackle London’s horrific knife crime problem. The Evening Standard’s John Dunne details how it will use technology, like knife detectors at train stations, as well as sending officers into schools to educate young people about the dangers of blades. The operation comes after a weekend of violence in which Fares Maatou, 14, was stabbed to death in Newham and a 16-year-old-girl suffered life-changing injuries after a double knife attack in Lambeth. Columnist Natasha Mwansa tells us how growing up in Newham she saw friends of friends get caught up in gang culture and very little seems to have changed. She says the issue is a city-wide one, and increased police patrols will not be enough to beat it.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil discusses the Downing Street lobbying row that won’t go away. One of the government’s own ministers, Caroline Dinenage, revealed she doesn’t have Boris Johnson’s mobile phone number, saying it’s not given out “willy-nilly”. But that’s led to some asking why a businessman like Sir James Dyson has the ability to text the Prime Minister when some ministers themselves can’t. He also discusses speculation that former advisor Dominic Cummings is behind the leak of the text conversation between the billionaire businessman and Mr Johnson. Elsewhere, international travel will be legal again from the middle of next month, but where will you be able to go? Travel consultant Paul Charles joins us from a major tourism summit in Mexico, and reveals the 30 destinations that are believed to be on the so-called “green list”.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Evening Standard’s City Hall editor Ross Lydall joins the podcast with two weeks to go until London hits the ballot box for the mayoral election. He’s been speaking to both Sadiq Khan and Shaun Bailey who have been campaigning in the city, with the Conservative candidate making up some ground in the polls although the Labour incumbent is far ahead. We also hear from the Greens’ Sian Berry and Lib Dems’ Luisa Porritt who are trying to pick up votes as the big day looms. And Ross tells us what happened when both Mr Khan and Mr Bailey asked to borrow his bike.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.