The Standard

The Evening Standard’s political editor Joe Murphy tries to explain the government’s conflicting advice over countries on the coronavirus amber list. Some ministers say you shouldn’t go to them for holidays, while others say it’s more of a guideline than a rule. Meanwhile, thousands of people are snapping up bargain flights to places like Greece, which is on the amber list.Also, arts correspondent Rob Dex tells us how the Evening Standard has joined forces with Netflix to launch a storytelling festival and give a new generation the chance to find their voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prime Minister’s urging everyone eligible for a coronavirus vaccine jab to get one, as the Indian variant continues its spread in parts of England. The government doesn’t appear to be ruling out local lockdowns to stop the mutation, and Boris Johnson would only say he’s still looking at the data when asked if the June 21st “freedom” date could be delayed.Meanwhile, there’s confusion over the new traffic light foreign travel system following health secretary Matt Hancock advising people not to go to countries on the amber list for holidays. The Evening Standard’s deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil joins the show to decipher what’s going on, and give medical expert’s advice on the Indian variant’s spread in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some of the Evening Standard’s top culture, restaurant, bar and travel critics join the podcast to give their advice on where people should go in London as lockdown restrictions are eased further. Nancy Durrant tells us what the Theatre Royal Drury Lane’s doing to entice people back with not just a show, but an all day experience. Suzannah Ramsdale says some of the city’s best hotels have revamped their offerings to lure staycationers in with incentives like ‘Sleep Concierges’ for those struggling with insomnia. Our Reveller editor David Ellis reveals how pubs and restaurants have been using the outdoor restrictions to get staff back up to speed and ready for indoor service. And the Evening Standard’s consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn details how the economy’s expected to get a jump start as those who have been stuck in the house for so long can finally venture outside.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deputy Political editor Nicholas Cecil joins the show as it’s confirmed four people in the UK who had the Indian variant of Covid-19 have since died. He discusses how concerned public officials are about the bug which appears to be capable of spreading faster than the Kent mutation which fuelled the second wave in Britain. We also look ahead to the planned next stage of the re-opening of the country, with people allowed to drink inside pubs and many theatres re-opening. Will a surge of Indian variant cases put that at risk? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.