The Leader | Evening Standard daily

The Evening Standard's Amira Hashish was one of thousands of tourists caught out when the government suddenly decided to impose lockdown restrictions on travellers returning from Spain and the Balearics. She joins the podcast to tell us how the news went down where she was staying in Ibiza. She also gives us the latest advice from Downing Street as senior minister Helen Whately tells people to "look very carefully" before going abroad.  Also, a new book about Harry and Meghan, which claims a rift between the couple and William and Kate, is reported to have upset the Queen. The Sussex's have denied any involvement with the publication, but our Insider editor Lucy Pavia says it's causing consternation in the palaces, and has overshadowed Prince William's work highlighting mental health awareness.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Singer KT Tunstall joins the Leader for a special episode looking at the resurgence of culture as lockdown eases. Along with the Evening Standard's showbiz journalist Lizzie Edmonds we ask does the launch of Taylor Swift's new album and the opening of the Tate galleries next week show that the arts are coming back alive after months of lockdown? We also talk about Kanye West's controversial Presidential run and his own apparently delayed new record. KT also tells us how the loss of live gigs is damaging emerging bands, and her own attempts to keep fans engaged despite having to cancel a string of concerts this year.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The full scale of the battle to save central London’s economy has been laid bare with an Evening Standard survey finding many workers in Britain’s top companies are set to stay away from the office for months. We've spoken to FTSE 100 firms and found a series of the UK’s largest listed businesses have no immediate plans to return many staff to offices. City journalist Simon English says tens of thousands of employees will continue to work remotely, with some not going back at all this year. But how will that affect the city centre's crumbling economy? Also, they resent wearing masks, think lockdowns are unlawful, and say that safety measures are an attack on their civil liberties.The Covid Contrarians are a wide group of virus refuseniks, who say their numbers are growing as pandemic politics divides the country. Feature writer Katie Strick's taken a deep dive into the community, and tells us what she found.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Labour Party has agreed to pay "substantial damages" to seven ex-employees following a BBC Panorama investigation into anti-Semitism within the party. The whistleblowers, who were responsible for the probe into alleged misconduct by party members, sued Labour over “defamatory and false allegations”. Evening Standard columnist Ayesha Hazarika tells us why it's an important move for Sir Keir Starmer, but reveals Jeremy Corbyn's not thought to be backing down. Also, driving tests have re-started and used car sales are back to pre-lockdown levels. Are commuters being driven back to cars as offices prepare to re-open? How do we encourage people onto trains and busses after months of messaging telling us to stay off them? We speak to environmental psychologist Dr Ian Walker who fears the beginnings of a "green recovery" are in jeopardy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A long-awaited report into Russian interference in the UK has made a bombshell claim: the Government ‘actively avoided looking for evidence’ of a threat from the Kremlin. MI5 is also criticised for its response to the Intelligence and Security Committee as it investigated whether Moscow sought to sway the outcome of the 2016 Brexit vote. The Evening Standard’s Julian Glover says the big question now is: whose decision was it not to look for Russian influence? And, Boris Johnson has assembled his Cabinet face-to-face for the first time since Spring. Ministers were socially distanced and had easy access to hand sanitiser - measures we’ve become familiar with to stop the spread of Covid-19. But they were under no obligation to wear face masks, despite them becoming mandatory in shops and on public transport. Oxford University Professor Melinda Mills and director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science says these confusing messages could lead to a second spike in cases.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Offering a glimmer of hope in the fight against coronavirus, the UK has secured 90 million ‘promising’ Covid-19 vaccine doses being developed globally. That’s on top of 100 million doses of a vaccine developed by Oxford University, that today announced its phase 2 trials had been successful. The Evening Standard’s Nicolas Cecil says now we need an army of 500,000 to put their hand up for further trials so we can find out whether any of them will work.   Kanye West kicked off his presidential campaign with a chaotic rally in Charleston, South Carolina. But, nothing at the unconventional event clarified whether his bid for the Oval Office is genuine. While it's unlikely he’ll be the 46th President of the United States, could he have an impact on the election result? Natasha Lindstaedt from the Department of Government at the University of Essex tells us what we can expect from West as the election nears.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Boris Johnson's told the UK he hopes the country will return to "normality" by Christmas. But the Prime Minister's also admitting it's a "hope" and he has to prepare for the worst. Mr Johnson's been outlining the further lifting of restrictions, including allowing theatres to stage indoor performances with live audiences. He also revealed draconian new laws that will allow ministers to impose stay at home order. Our political editor Joe Murphy says behind the scenes, there are doubts over whether Mr Johnson will hit his targets, and concerns we will be dealing with coronavirus for years to come.  Also, it was a unique ceremony for a unique man. Colonel Sir Tom Moore has been knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle. But what challenges did our 94 year old monarch face in honouring the 100 year old veteran? Was she able to tap him on the shoulder with her sword, as is tradition, while still keeping 2 metres apart from him? The Evening Standard's Lizzie Edmonds tells us about that and other complications that come with a knighting ceremony during lockdown.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Almost a third of London commuters who are working from home say they do not expect to return to their offices before Christmas, according to poll findings seen by the Evening Standard. The results suggest that the struggling central London economy faces a huge challenge for the rest of the year and beyond, with tens of thousands fewer workers spending their wages in shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs. It comes as Boris Johnson's expected to announce that people should return to their desks after months at home. But our consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn says that's going to be easier said than done.  Also, was the Twitter hack an inside job? Evening Standard tech journalist Amelia Heathman talks to us about rumours one of the company's employees was allegedly paid to change the passwords of major account holders like Kim Kardashian, Barack Obama and Bill Gates. They were among several high profile users who found their feeds hijacked with posts asking followers to send them bitcoins. Despite a rapid response from Twitter, it looks like a lot of people were duped in what's being called a "smash and grab raid".   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wildlife experts have alerted the Evening Standard that a global conservation “crisis” is unfolding as the disruption caused by Covid-19 causes a surge in the poaching of species for the illegal wildlife trade. India, Nepal, Pakistan and several African countries have all reported a poaching spike. A number of wildlife protection programmes have been curtailed due to the abrupt halt of tourism revenue as a result of Covid-19, leaving endangered animals more vulnerable to slaughter. In this special edition of the Leader podcast we speak to some of the world's leading conservation experts, who also warn that the booming poaching trade may have been the cause of coronavirus - and could do it again. You can also find out about the Evening Standard and Independent's joint Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade campaign, which you can donate to here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the day the government announced it's introducing mandatory face masks in shops, Michael Gove's been seen walking into a coffee shop without one. Meanwhile, his cabinet colleague Liz Truss had one on when she went into the same place. Is the message getting muddled already? And why is the law not going to come in effect for another 10 days? We get answers from the Evening Standard's deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil.  Also, unemployment could soar to more than four million by the end of the year as “disappointing” GDP figures dash hopes of a rapid V-shaped recovery. Britain’s economy watchdog,the Office for Budget Responsibility, has laid bare the damage being wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown in a major new report. Economist Stephen King takes us through its findings, and warns uncertainty over Brexit could make things worse.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Central London is facing the biggest economic crisis in generations with tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses at risk of being wiped out in Britain’s most vibrant economic powerhouse. An Evening Standard investigation has unearthed the true scale of the problem, revealing predictions that 50,000 jobs in the vulnerable retail, tourism and hospitality sectors could disappear in the West End alone this year with total spending down by half — a loss of revenue of about £5 billion — as a direct result of the coronavirus lockdown. Our consumer business editor Jonathan Prynn tells the podcast why it's the worst outlook since the Second World War. Also, Andy Byford earned the nickname "Train Daddy" when he turned around New York's failing transit system. Now he's back in London, where he started as a trainee on the underground, having been picked as TfL's commissioner by Sadiq Khan. The Evening Standard's City Hall editor Ross Lydall takes him for a walk around the city to find out what the new boss's plans for the future are. Is Crossrail among them? And how will he get reluctant commuters back on the tube?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Evening Standard's revealed how thousands of Londoners are missing urgent checks for cancer as the full impact of the coronavirus lockdown emerges. Those seeking a two-week hospital referral from their GP fell by almost 18,000 in May — 53 per cent lower than the same month last year, and worse than the rest of the country. The number of Londoners starting life-saving or life-extending treatment also fell by about 1,000 — 35 per cent lower than last year. Health editor Ross Lydall tells us how health campaigners fear cancer has become "the forgotten C" during the Covid-19 pandemic.  And, Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird is turning 60, but is the race relations story told through the eyes of young white girl still relevant in a Black Lives Matter world? We speak to best-selling author Lauren Wilkinson, whose novel American Spy, about a black female FBI agent in a white male dominated field, was named by Barack Obama as one of the best of last year.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The government's announced that gyms and swimming pools will reopen within weeks, but office blocks around the country remain empty as the coronavirus lockdown limps on. It follows the Chancellor unveiling a discount meal scheme, and help for homebuyers. Our associate editor Julian Glover asks if ministers are doing what's popular instead of making the hard decisions that will restart an economy lumbering towards recession.  Also, Labour's Jess Phillips speaks to the Leader podcast about a gap in the new Domestic Abuse Bill. It's being hailed as "landmark legislation" after passing the Commons earlier this week, but Ms Phillips says it doesn't cover migrant victims who are being denied public money and shelter support. She tells us why that's putting people's lives at risk.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rishi Sunak's given everyone in Britain a discount voucher for half price meals at restaurants, pubs and cafes during August in an unprecedented move to boost the battered economy. He's also slashed VAT from 20 per cent to just five per cent on leisure and nights out and cut Stamp Duty. We ask city journalist Mark Shapland and Prudence Ivey from the Evening Standard's Homes and Property if the Chancellor's done enough to get the economy moving.  Also, Lauren Bravo, writer of How to Break Up with Fast Fashion joins us to talk about Boohoo. The retailer's launched an independent investigation after one of its suppliers was accused of paying staff below the minimum wage, and allegedly making them work in unsafe conditions during the coronavirus lockdown. But is Boohoo the only player in the fashion industry with questions to answer over how workers are treated?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Boris Johnson has been blasted for an "absolute travesty of leadership" after saying that "too many" care homes did not properly follow procedures during the coronavirus pandemic. Care providers have branded his comments as "cowardly" while the head of the National Care Forum said they were "frankly hugely insulting". But Downing Street's neither apologising nor backing down. Instead, our political editor Joe Murphy says Number 10's claiming the PM's words "didn't mean what we think they mean”.  Three pubs which reopened their doors for the first time on Saturday have had to close again after customers tested positive for coronavirus. The Evening Standard's Go London editor, David Ellis, says it proves landlords are taking the Covid-19 threat seriously, and it shouldn't put people off heading out at the weekend.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.