The Standard

Steve O'Hear is Strategy VP at Zapp, one of the earliest quick commerce companies that bring snacks and groceries to your door.

This is a cut-down version taken from our How to be a CEO podcast. To hear the full episode click here.

In this episode we talk about: 

• The complex supply chain that powers instant grocery services 
• Opportunities for disabled people in the post-pandemic remote work environment 
• The “make the moment or save the moment” problem solving of philosophy of Zapp 
• Why they limited discounts when rivals were “throwing money” at customers 
• How quick commerce developed before the pandemic made it so popular 

Find us on Twitter at #TheLeaderPodcast and #HowToBeACEO

For more business interviews, news, analysis and commentary go to standard.co.uk/business or pick up the Evening Standard newspaper.

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Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is the new Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Kwasi Kwarteng is out after spending barely enough time in Number 11 Downing Street to measure up the curtains.

The former Chancellor has been ditched along with another cornerstone economic policy from his mini-Budget, the corporation tax freeze, signalling another u-turn by the Prime Minister.

Kwarteng was in post for only 38 days - the second shortest tenure in British history.

It comes after turmoil in the markets sparked by billions in tax cuts that the Bank of England has been racing to shore up this week.

To analyse the latest developments, their historical context and what the political future holds for PM Liz Truss, we’re joined by Evening Standard political editor Nic Cecil and Dr Jeevun Sandher, head of economics at the New Economics Foundation and a political scientist at King’s College London.

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While millionaire minister Jacob Rees-Mogg moans about his mortgage repayments going up, how about us mere mortals - are there any silver linings to this financial Gordian knot the government’s got the country into?

The inverse impact of the Bank of England interest rate hikes mean savers are being offered fairly decent deals after years of paltry offers.

Savers are also now being encouraged to refresh any old accounts languishing with poor rates of return, and get their money working for them at better rates.

All this comes as foreign secretary James Cleverly refused to rule out another economic u-turn by the government, this time over corporation tax, when pressed over the fallout from Kwasi Kwarteng’s calamitous mini-Budget.

So, if you’re a saver trying to put aside a few quid this winter, how to find the best deal?

The Leader’s joined by Anna Bowes, co-founder of Savings Champion, to discuss finding the best bank and building society savings deals - and the pitfalls to avoid.

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Data released by the Office for National Statistics shows the UK economy shrank by 0.3 per cent in August, meaning we’re on the brink of a recession.

ONS figures also showed GDP - a measure of the health and size of a country’s economy - fell more sharply than had been predicted.

While the majority of experts expected a flat August, news of the 0.3 per cent shrinkage follows growth of just 0.1 per cent in July.

It comes after Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey warned its emergency intervention to shore up UK debt will end on Friday, leading to increasing worries about pension funds, which are significant holders of UK government debt and index-linked bonds.

Now business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, also complaining about his own mortgage increase, is pointing the finger at the Bank’s interest rate policy and global markets for the whole sorry situation, trying to deflect blame away from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget.

All these toxic economic ingredients made for a particularly fractious Prime Minister’s Questions as PM Liz Truss faced off against Sir Keir Starmer at the dispatch box.

So, what kind of a financial mess are we in, and how are Londoners coping on the ground ahead of bleak winter?

To help us navigate the latest economic small print and discuss the challenges ahead, the Leader’s joined by Evening Standard business editor Jonathan Prynn.

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As commuters headed for morning trains, the Bank of England made a bombshell announcement - it’s stepping in again to try and restore market conditions following the chaos after the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget.

The Bank announced at 7am it would expand buying emergency gilts, amid “material risk” warnings to the UK economy’s stability caused by “dysfunction” from the mini-Budget fallout.

Bank chiefs say the institution would buy up to £5 billion of index-linked debt, known as ‘linkers’, alongside its previously announced purchase of up to £65 billion worth of conventional long-dated government bonds.

It comes after the Bank’s first emergency intervention when the mini-Budget sparked a tumble in the pound - leading to fears some pension funds could collapse.

All this follows wage figures showing a gulf between earnings and inflation, and shoppers face paying £643 more a year for food.

So, what’s on Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey’s mind, how safe are pension funds and why are we still not being told what the Office for Budget Responsibility thinks?

Deputy Prime Minister Thérèse Coffey responded to the move that she was “confident” that people’s pensions are safe.

To find out what all this means for the pound in your pocket and the winter ahead, we’re joined by Dr Grace Lordan, a labour economist at the London School of Economics.

We discuss gilts, personal finance, government stalling and hopes for Kwarteng’s forthcoming Halloween budget.

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The scale of the hunger crisis facing Londoners is revealed in a joint investigation by the Evening Standard and the Independent.

As winter approaches, headteachers and youth workers tell how the cost of living crisis is leading many families in London and other parts of the country to increasingly desperate measures.

There reports of the teenager who didn’t want to worry his heavily indebted mum asking for lunch money, hungry pupils stealing from the canteen and one headteacher telling how a mother broke down in tears saying she was arrested after being caught shoplifting spaghetti, tomato sauce and a small loaf of bread at the supermarket to feed her family.

Child Poverty Action Group data shows there are up to 800,000 children in England living in homes receiving Universal Credit who breach the £617-a-month government threshold for free school.

So, with the energy bills crisis biting now the nights are drawing in, how are London’s families coping?

Adding to the distress, there are now fears a decent Christmas will be beyond the reach of many Londoners hit by the cost-of-living crisis.

The Leader’s joined by Sara Ogilvie, CPAG policy director.

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Ann Francke is the Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute, which is celebrating 75 years raising management standards in Britain.

This is a cut-down version taken from our How to be a CEO podcast. To listen to the full thing click here.

On this episode, we talk about:

• What Ann would tell the first CMI CEO and why today's business world isn't so different
• The huge gulf in those who say they follow diverse practice and those who actually do it
• How homeworking has changed from "skiving" to being recognised as productive
• The impact of having five generations in the workforce for the first time in history
• "Reverse mentoring" and how the young can teach the old a few tricks

For the best news, interviews and analysis, go to standard.co.uk/business or pick up the Evening Standard newspaper.

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

In the first episode of the Evening Standard’s year-long series of monthly specials called ‘Let Girls Learn’, we’re going to Zimbabwe. 

Street Set Football Club in Bulawayo, equips girls not only with skills in dribbling and passing, but also helps them to navigate adolescence in an environment where early marriage, teen pregnancy and drug abuse are rife. 

Journalist Farai Shawn Matiashe finds out from those involved and families who have benefited from the organisation about the difference it’s making to the community. 

You can find out more about this story online at www.standard.co.uk/optimist/let-girls-learn

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Nurses paid ‘a pittance’. Staff leaving the NHS ‘in their droves’. Many moving to Australia for better pay and conditions. How will the government respond to the Royal College of Nursing’s first ever ballot for strike action? Our Health Reporter Daniel Keane explains what has led to this ballot, and how the Prime Minister might respond. And practising Nursing Associate Maxine Wade explains why wages don’t stack up for nurses, and how badly the health service is struggling. In this episode:

• Are we facing a staffing crisis in the NHS?
• Staff moving to Australia for better pay and conditions
• How nurses wages compare with supermarket workers
• Patients will be looked after properly during any potential strikes
• Will the government respond to this call for strike action?

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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Halifax has raised interest on its average mortgage deals to almost 6% as Liz Truss admitted the UK faces ‘tough times’. So how bad could things get? And are we looking at a serious mortgage crisis? Our Business Editor Jonathan Prynn examines how the latest mortgage rate increase will impact the market, and how high rates could get over the next year. In this episode:

• Reaction to Halifax mortgage rates increase
• Are there any signs of the housing market slowing down?
• London’s housing market vs the rest of the country
• Will we see a drop in first-time buyers?
• Are we on the verge of a serious housing market crisis?

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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