The Standard

As the UK’s heading for what could be a record heatwave, UK government officials have declared the first ever national heatwave emergency in England.Temperatures are set to soar above 30 degrees celsius between Sunday and Tuesday prompting a Met Office ‘Amber Alert', warning that exceptionally high temperatures “could lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.”It’s the latest reminder that global warming is escalating, and has provoked fresh calls for a focus on cutting emissions and using green energy.Met Office Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst explains what exactly is causing this week’s heatwave, and why models suggest more are likely to occur in future.And Climate Scientist at the University of Bristol Dr Eunice Lo explains the health concerns behind the heatwave, and tells us more action is needed to cut back on carbon emissions.Follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thirty years after being illegally trafficked into the UK under the wrong name, Sir Mo Farah has finally revealed the story of how he came to the country.In a BBC documentary the four-time Olympic gold winner revealed that he was trafficked from his home in east Africa to the UK at just nine years old and forced to work as a domestic servant.He explains how he confided in his PE teacher, who helped him eventually move in with another family.The story has prompted a lot of reaction, and we speak with Social Worker Lauren Starkey from anti-trafficking charity Love 146 and the charity’s Director of Services Imogen Spencer-Campbell about the impact his story will have.And refugee and asylum specialist Louise Calvey explains the problems with processing those who’ve been trafficked into the country, and her hopes for change following Mo’s story.For more information about child trafficking visit charity Love 146 here.Follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A total of eleven Conservative MPs have officially launched campaigns to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.In various campaign videos from the likes of Tom Tugendhat, Sajid Javid, Suella Braverman, and Rishi Sunak we have seen promises around tax cuts, delivering Brexit and tackling immigration.On Monday Environment Secretary George Eustice said he expected the number of candidates to be whittled down to just two within a fortnight.The Evening Standard’s Deputy Political Editor David Bond discusses his ‘top 5’ candidates; those most likely to become our new PM, and the most important policies during their campaigning.Plus we speak with Tory MP for the Isle of Wight Bob Seely about his views on the candidates, who he believes are most likely to win, and what the conservative party is looking for in a new leader.Follow us on Twitter for more news - @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Euan Blair’s company Multiverse, which offers apprenticeships as an alternative to University, has been valued at $875 million. The son of former PM Tony Blair has built an enormous, multinational, firm that’s disrupting how companies like Morgan Stanley and Microsoft are finding, and keeping, the best staff. To listen to the full episode click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Queen’s had a working relationship with 14 prime ministers during her 70-year reign, beginning with Sir Winston Churchill from 1952 to 1955.Now, this week as the Downing Street psychodrama unfolded, the monarch and her staff will have keenly followed developments.After all, our monarchy remains woven into matters of state happening just down the road from Buckingham Palace in Whitehall and the Palace of Westminster.Could the Queen get dragged into the fallout from the Johnson premiership, and what was her relationship like with the outgoing prime minister? We look at the Queen’s role in times of national political flux and has the latest on the race to succeed Boris Johnson after his resignation speech.It comes as Johnson defies calls to leave No.10 immediately as the hunt for his successor hots up, with senior Tories looking to September for getting a new prime minister installed following shortlist selection, voting by party members and Parliamentary summer recess.To give us a glimpse into the protocols and legal practicalities of the Queen’s rapport with Boris Johnson, we’re joined by the Evening Standard’s royal editor Robert Jobson.The Leader also discusses whether there’s appetite for constitutional reform under future monarchs Charles and William. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than 50 MPs’ resigned in a painful 24 hours for Boris Johnson, he’s going, going...gone.At about 12.30pm, the ominous Downing Street lectern was carried out into the road, for a speech marking the end of two years and 348 days since Johnson became resident of Britain’s most famous address - the same as Neville Chamberlain.And while his innings weren’t as long as Theresa May or David Cameron, he does beat the likes of Gordon Brown and Sir Anthony Eden.So what, or who, did for the scandal-ridden PM in the end?The knife was certainly twisted by Nadhim Zahawi, who called for Johnson to go just a day after being made Chancellor - with the request made on Treasury-headed notepaper.The pound had a small bounce and while the Conservatives seek to anoint a successor, Labour are calling for an election to let the British public decide.So, who’s the best person to get our country back on an even keel?We’re joined by the Evening Standard’s deputy political editor David Bond and ES columnist Ayesha Hazarika to examine today’s bombshell developments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prime Minister’s nightmare day started with more resignations following the shock news that chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid had quit.Nadhim Zahawi, the former education secretary, was parachuted in to the chancellor’s role at number 11 Downing Street, and was promptly dispatched to defend the Johnson administration on breakfast news.As the Chris Pincher groping scandal marked a watershed moment for Boris Johnson's leadership, a stream of ministers handed in their red brief cases.The exodus includes children’s minister William Quince and party vice chairman Bim Afolami.For increasing numbers of Conservative politicians, poor judgment in the appointment of Pincher as deputy chief whip was just another embarrassment following Partygate, the Downing Street flat refurbishment, the Arcuri scandal and the curious case of the disappearing Times news story.Now the vultures are circling and one newspaper this morning suggested this government was one “destined to devour itself”.Johnson's tumultuous day also included prime minister's questions and a session before MPs on the liaison committee.So can the PM hold on for a few more months, weeks, days - or even hours?To make sense of an intense week full of intrigue in Westminster, the Leader’s joined by Evening Standard deputy political editor David Bond.We also look at what the pollsters are saying about Johnson's popularity, or lack of it, and whether Sunak's suggestion his government was not “conducted properly, competently and seriously” offers Labour a political advantage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An estimated 117,000 people have died while on NHS waiting lists as the devastating knock-on effect of Covid-19’s many waves on hospitals is revealed.Now the treatment backlog stands at 6.5 million people, as coronavirus rates spike and the health service struggles with staffing problems.It came as Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North and shadow health secretary, returned to Hampstead’s Royal Free Hospital to thank medics who spotted a cancerous tumour during a routine kidney scan.To make sense of the shocking new death rate figures, revealed in Freedom of Information requests by Labour, we’re joined by Evening Standard health editor Ross Lydall.We discuss how London’s waiting times compare to the trusts elsewhere in the country, and which surgical specialisms have been hardest hit.At the same time, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s been speaking about how his government prepared for the wrong sort of pandemic.The Department of Health and Social Care called the data “deeply misleading” and said the deaths “may be completely unrelated” to the treatment for which the patient was waiting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The entire 38th floor of the City’s ‘Cheesegrater’ skyscraper is set to be turned into an escape room game for stressed office workers to blow off steam.The building’s owner, CC Land, says the idea is for co-workers to better collaborate and “have fun” together as they compete to win Crystal Maze-style tasks. Meanwhile at 22 Bishopsgate, the Square Mile’s newest tower, bosses are offering “puppy yoga” - stretches plus dog cuddles - to try and boost colleagues’ serotonin between IRL meetings and crunching spreadsheets.They are among strategies to try and tempt working-from-home staff back to the Covid-era physical office.That’s on top of street food stalls, ice cream deliveries, craft classes and massages in what’s the Times reports is the “hotelification” of workplaces, or “office 2.0”.It’s no longer tech giants bringing high-end freebies to blur the lines between nine to five - now, many of traditional City firms are spending big on renting space with wellbeing extras.But does these techniques actually improve productivity or job satisfaction, and does anyone really want boss-approved good times in a “vertical village”?To find out more about stress-busting ideas being designed into offices of the near future, The Leader’s joined by workplace wellbeing consultant Emma James, chief operating officer at Kamwell, an employee wellbeing company. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a bonus episode with Sarah Friar, CEO of Nextdoor.Sarah told the Evening Standard's How to be a CEO podcast us about the challenges of building a multinational company whose entire purpose is keeping things local. To listen to the full episode click here.For all the latest business news, features and analysis go to standard.co.uk/business.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.