The Leader | Evening Standard daily

The UN estimates 1.6 million refugees and displaced people in Syria will endure the cold in makeshift tents, without proper clothing. The UK government has agreed to bring a number of orphans to the United Kingdom. It’s a decision taken after months of consideration – The Standard says it’s the right one. The Leader Podcast spoke to the Evening Standard’s Home Affairs Editor Martin Bentham. 27 days of strikes on the South Western Rail network are going ahead over Christmas and New Year. The Evening Standard editorial says it’s unjustifiable.  On Sunday it’s the Evening Standard Theatre awards – one of the biggest events in London’s showbiz calendar. This year, it’s at the Coliseum and will be hosted by the Good Fight actress Cush Jumbo. The Evening Standard’s digital arts editor Jessie Thompson joins The Leader Podcast to reveal what’s in store.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today’s ES Magazine features an exclusive interview with Jeremy Corbyn, by journalist Lynn Barber. The Leader podcast spoke with Lynn for her account of the interview and why she believes Jeremy Corbyn is not expecting to be Prime Minister on December 13th. It’s emerged that Prince Charles advised the Queen to effectively sack Prince Andrew in the wake of his disastrous Newsnight interview about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Evening Standard’s Royal Editor Robert Jobson joins The Leader podcast from New Zealand where he is following the Prince of Wales’ tour of the islands, to explain why the heir to the throne made his intervention.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today the Evening Standard has launched its most ambitious campaign ever: a two-year commitment to tackle the homelessness epidemic in our city. In total some 170,000 people are now believed to be homeless in London. For the last six months we have worked with 23 of the capital’s frontline homeless charities to develop a strategy for how we can help address the homeless crisis in London. The campaign will start by working with some of the most vulnerable people — women who tonight have no place of their own to call home. The charities know that no one organisation can tackle this alone. That is why they have joined together to form a united body, the London Homeless Collective, to co-ordinate activities and fundraising efforts. This is a crisis that will be addressed by all of us joining together — the Evening Standard, London's charities and you, the people who live and work in this city. Together we can help address this issue. The Leader podcast spoke to the man behind our most ambitious campaign ever, Oliver Poole. Londoners will pay an extra £70 million for travel next year despite The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s efforts to freeze prices.  Rail fairs are expected to be confirmed on Friday. Spurs have hired Jose Mourinho – the manager who “wins at all costs” – replacing Mauricio Pochettino. The Evening Standard’s Chief Football Correspondent James Olley joins The Leader podcast to discuss the Tottenham Hotspur gamble…  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this election all major parties are talking about cutting down carbon. The Greens aim for net-zero by 2030, the Labour conference voted for the same, although its manifesto may have a later date. The Tories already have it in law for 2050, and the Lib-Dems think it can be done five years earlier. Associated editor Julian Glover explains why this is “the first climate change election” and why making real change will mean making harder choices that aren’t really being talked about. Rose Hudson-Wilkin is the Church of England’s first black woman bishop. We’re celebrating the sign of a changing church, and ask where it goes next? The Tate Modern launches an exhibition on photographer Dora Maar, its curator Emma Lewis on how an extraordinary female artist’s talent was overlooked because of her male lover – Picasso  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The public reaction to Prince Andrew’s interview for the BBC’s Newsnight has been described as “catastrophic”. There’s been nothing from the Prince or the Palace since it was released on Saturday. But others are talking – the Standard columnist Rohan Silva, a former government adviser, has written about a meeting with The Queen’s second son, in which he claims the N-word was used. That has been denied by Buckingham Palace. The Evening Standard’s Jonathan Prynn joins The Leader podcast to talk about our front page exclusive. The Wallace Collection has agreed to lend its Titian, Perseus and Andromeda to The National Gallery, for the first time in 400 years. For 300 years, six canvases by Titian have been kept apart. When last attempted to be brought together, they were blocked by an obscure 19th century clause. Robert Dex our Arts correspondent joins the podcast to tell us why these pieces are so special and why they were kept apart for so long. Subscribe to The Leader podcast on Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify or wherever you listen. New episodes every weekday at 4pm GMT  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Labour have pledged to make broadband free for all by renationalising BT Openreach if they win the General Election. The idea has been labelled a “fantasy plan” by The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nicky Morgan. We spoke to the Evening Standard’s Consumer Business Editor Jonathan Prynn who explains why this plan would harm us all. London is home to eight wonderful Royal parks which create 5,000 acres of green space in one of the busiest cities in the world. Now Royal Parks bosses are set to ban “rat running” traffic in some areas in a bid to improve air quality. The Leader podcast left the newsroom to take a walk with our City Hall editor Ross Lydell to discuss why the Evening Standard believes this is a great idea. England's emphatic 7-0 victory over Montenegro last night brought qualification for next summer’s Euro 2020 tournament. The Leader podcast spoke to Evening Standard Deputy Digital Sports editor Tom Dutton on why we have good reason to look forward to the competition.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Conservatives have dumped Theresa May’s 100,000 goal for net immigration. Home Secretary Priti Patel says the new plan will bring overall immigration down but give skilled workers preference under a points-based system and expert recommendations. Evening Standard associate editor Julian Glover joins The Leader podcast to explain why this is ‘impossible’. The RMT have announced another 24-hour strike, this time on the Victoria line - one of London’s busiest - on the 27th and 28th November. The Leader explains why we think the union is being “childish”. The Science Museum is devoting its first-floor galleries to telling the history of medicine. Exhibits include the first MRI scanner, a Victorian pharmacy and a padded cell. Evening Standard Arts correspondent Robert Dex joins the podcast to tell us more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today’s episode: Loyal, dependable and now… independent, thanks to having the Conservative whip removed after voting against the government – Tory bastion David Gauke has announced he’s running as an independent in his previously safe Tory stronghold of South West Hertfordshire. The 2019 election campaign so far is the kind satirists live for. So today’s Leader podcast speaks to Evening Standard cartoonist Christian Adams takes us through the skill of satire – and why Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are such a gift to cartoonists. Donald Trump, who prides himself on his TV ratings, is furious that impeachment proceedings against him are being televised. The Evening Standard’s US Political Columnist Philip Delves Broughton tells The Leader whether the democrats are likely to succeed in ousting him – and what their plan might be otherwise. Also, Greta Thunberg’s in a transatlantic race against time to sail from the US to Spain for a climate change conference after the location changed at the last minute. Will she make it? We wish her the best of luck!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today’s episode: Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed a ‘very serious’ cyber attack on the Labour Party, meanwhile the PM is under pressure to release a report about alleged Russian interference in British politics – and even Hillary Clinton has weighed in. The Evening Standard’s deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil joins the podcast to discuss the latest dramas from the campaign trail as we head toward the 2019 General Election A draft report into HS2’s been leaked – and says it should go ahead. We say: Good. Our Associate Editor Julian Glover explains why. And a city worker’s been fined 750 pounds after launching an “aggressive” tirade at a fellow commuter who was eating boiled eggs on a train to London.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today the Office for National Statistics says GDP grew by 0.3 percent in the third quarter of the year. But that’s still the lowest since 2010 – and there are plenty of reasons for concern about what comes next. Our political editor Joe Murphy joins us to tell us more. Next month, RMT union members will hold strike action on South Western Railway services into Waterloo for 27 days. They says it’s about safety. But a video of one its bosses Steve Hedley making allegedly anti-semitic remarks has re-emerged. Julian Glover asks why the union’s not taking action about that. On Armistice Day 2019, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn broke off from campaigning to observe two minutes silence for the fallen. Mr Corbyn was in Islington, Mr Johnson in Wolverhampton. And the Standard believe’s the Queen’s emotion at the Cenetaph on Sunday speaks for us all.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today Transport for London announced that Crossrail will not open until 2021. The line should have opened last December. TFL have admitted that the final cost of the project could be £18.5 billion. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has was said to be “deeply frustrated” We speak to Joanna Bourke from the business desk about the many businesses banking on Crossrail that are understandably angry, and how much this delay will cost them. We also spoke to City Hall editor Ross Lydall about the delay and what this means for commuters.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sajid Javid’s turning on the money tap, but where is he getting the cash? Associate editor Julian Glover explains why the Chancellor’s plans announced on Thursday will mean higher taxes in the long-run. Londoner editor Ayesha Hazarika explores the options for disillusioned Labour voters. Deputy Leader Tom Watson has resigned and former Labour MP Ian Austin has said voters should choose Johnson over Corybn – but will some switch to the Liberal Democrats instead? We spoke to a shell-shocked Death of a Salesman star Wendell Pierce just after part of the roof in the London theatre he was performing in collapsed – presenter of The Leader podcast, David Marsland, happened to be in the audience and witnessed the event. He asks our critic Nick Curtis whether London’s famous theatres are safe.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The election campaigns have barely started and Boris Johnson is already having to deal with trouble in the conservatives. Our editorial explains, it’s a bad start for Boris. Political editor Joe Murphy joins The Leader podcast to discuss what we should expect next from our Prime Minister.   Also, retail giant Marks and Spencer’s is in crisis again, with profits plunging by 17 percent. Business news editor Alex Lawson explains why – and what it means for the British high street.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not enough people are registering to vote for the upcoming UK General Election, which means marginal seats could be swung. We sit down with our home affairs editor Martin Bentham to discuss the importance of voting on December 12th – and how to register well in advance.  School children are protesting against pollution in London by installing aeroplane-style breathing masks at their bus-stop. Selma star David Oyelowo tells the Evening Standard today that he believes Netflix is having a positive impact on diversity both on and off screen. With this month’s launch of both Apple TV+ and Disney+, Features writer Lucy Tobin joins The Leader podcast to discuss the streaming wars – and the boost it’s giving to the creative industries in London.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a new speaker is installed to the House of Commons, we sit down with Ayesha Hazarika to talk about the important role they could play in one of the most turbulent times in UK politics.   Mikhail Gorbachev is warning the world that he believes tensions between Russia and the West put u in “colossal danger” – why we think world leaders should listen   And we talk to our digital arts editor Jessie Thompson about the women dominating major categories at this year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.