The Standard

Boris Johnson is hoping that housing can save him. The Prime Minister is counting on his new policy to win over the rebel Tory MPs who voted to oust him earlier this week.Under the plans, lower-paid workers will be able to use housing benefits to buy their homes and there will be an extension of the right to buy for housing association tenants. Sounds like a good idea on paper right? Well, it might not be that simple, as Dr Niko Szumilo, Associate Professor at University College London and Director of The Bartlett Real Estate Institute explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The biggest rail strike since 1989 is imminent unless an agreement can be reached. It comes as the RMT union has announced a new Tube strike that will coincide with it, adding to what is already set to be major disruption.The union confirmed 10,000 of its members are set to walk out on Tuesday, 21st June as part of a dispute over pensions and job losses. Workers are already preparing to shut down the country’s rail network with strikes on 21st, 23rd and 25th June.The Evening Standard’s Political Reporter Rachael Burford explains just how bad this could all be for London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boris Johnson won the no-confidence vote but not by as much as he thought he would. Meaning there’s more MPs in his own party who want him out of office than he’s actually aware of…The Prime Minister hasn’t got too long to recover either, there are by-elections on the horizon and his next steps are being watched closely. The Evening Standard’s Deputy Political Editor, David Bond, discusses the PM’s strategy moving forward, whether or not he can bounce back or if his days at number 10 are numbered.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even when they win, Tory party leaders should be wary of confidence votes.Much of the process is done in secrecy. We don’t know the names of those who hand in their letters to the chair of the 1922 committee, calling for a vote.Some of those who publicly support a Prime Minister could be privately plotting against them. Meanwhile, negotiations take place in quiet offices. Deals are made. Promises, too. And sometimes not just by the person in charge. Challengers can be negotiators as well.The Evening Standard’s Political Editor, Nicholas Cecil, joins us from our Westminster office, to explain how it works, the significance of this one in particular and what this means for the future of the Conservatives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode we're giving you an interview with Fiona Cannon OBE from the Lloyds Banking Group.Fiona is the Director for Sustainable Business at Lloyds and she's responsible for inclusion and diversity.To hear the full episode from our business podcast How to be a CEO, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Queen Elizabeth celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, becoming the first British monarch to mark 70 years on the throne, we are taking a look back at her reign, and exploring the significance of this jubilee.We speak with Royal Historian and Author Dr Edward Owens about Queen Elizabeth’s history, significant moments during her reign, and what she’ll be remembered for.Historian and Curator Charles Farris from Historic Royal Palaces takes us through the history of jubilees, and how this platinum event will compare to those throughout history.Also, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Tim Waters discusses Her Majesty’s relationship with the attraction, and how her models were created.And we hear from the CEO of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant Rosanna Machado about what is in store for the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London.In this episode:A look back at the Queen's 70-year reign (1.13)Cultural changes over the last 70 years (2.17)Queen Elizabeth's role in keeping the Commonwealth going (5.21)The history of Jubilee celebrations (7.24)How will today's jubilee compare to those of the past? (9.28)PART TWOQueen Elizabeth's relationship with Madame Tussauds (11.28)The process of modelling royalty (12.40)The royal family models coming together for the Jubilee (15.03)What's in store for the Platinum Jubilee Pageant? (15.58)How the pageant has been put together (16.48)Remember to follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A group of teaching unions and other organisations are calling on the government to expand the free school meals scheme.The group, claiming to represent one million school staff, have sent a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi asking for an “urgent” expansion, to include all children in families receiving universal credit or equivalent benefits.  It’s as recent figures from the Office For National Statistics show the lowest priced items at UK supermarkets went up by around 6 or 7% in the year to April.Richard Bettsworth from the Association of School and College Leaders explains why they're asking the government for an expansion of free school meals, why it would be a 'modest' investment, and how families, including those not on universal credit, are struggling.In this episode:How the current free school meals scheme works (1.27)What’s prompted calls for an expansion of the free school meals scheme? (2.07)Levels of poverty in schools (3.28)Is there a case for all children to get free school meals? (4.43)PART TWOWill the government bow to the pressure and expand the scheme? (6.15)Is the government’s current support enough? (7.19)Some families who don’t quality for universal credit are struggling (7.58)How free school meals can benefit children’s education (8.59)Follow us on Twitter for more news and interviews @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend there are fears holidayers will be hit with travel problems, after a series of delays and cancellations to flights and ferries abroad.Hundreds of flights were cancelled in airports across the UK over the weekend, while passengers travelling abroad via Dover have reported being ‘stuck for hours’.We speak with the Evening Standard’s Crime Correspondent Anthony France about what problems passengers have been facing, and why there have been so many issues.Plus Travel Journalist Lisa Francesca Nand explains what compensation is available to travellers hit by disruption, and how to claim it.Remember to follow us on Twitter for more news and interviews @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erik Torstensson, co-founder and creative director of denim designers FRAME, invites us to their brand new store in London.To hear this episode in full click here.In this episode we talk about FRAME's 'pure' range, the issue with making Jeans, producing sustainable and environmentally-friendly fashion, and behind the scenes of their flagship store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we’ve already taken you on the first passenger journey on Crossrail, but what else is going on beneath us in the capital?London's new £4.2 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel, or ‘super sewer’, is due to open in 2025 to help cope with capital's overflowing waste water.With the existing system, when there’s heavy rain, sewage overflows into the River Thames, polluting the water and killing marine life, which happens up to 60 times a year.We take a trip down into one of the 70-metre deep project’s cavernous bores, at its Battersea riverside access shaft, to meet project manager Ignacio Tognaccini - and hear some surprising subterranean music.In today’s episode we’ll also be looking at the challenges of digging through London’s damp clay while avoiding hundreds of years of other infrastructure projects, and making sure these huge bores don’t collapse in on themselves.Plus we’ll look at the top secret stuff below the pavements, where maps show only a grey void and government telephone number.The Leader speaks with Martin Knights, a tunnelling engineer who chairs construction firm London Bridge Associates, about modern digging processes and the challenges of avoided existing, centuries-old buried infrastructure.We also meet infrastructure expert Liz Reynolds, an urban planner for Hackney-based studio called Tapestry and former town planning advisor for Crossrail’s central stations.She discusses why it’s so tricky to find the best spot to dig and looks at early tunnels, such as the Brunel-built Thames Tunnel linking Wapping to Rotherhithe in the early 1800s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.