The Standard

Her Majesty’s Passport Office is suffering huge delays following Brexit and the pandemic.

Now amid the cost-of-living squeeze, the prime minister is threatening to privatise the service if bosses can’t get a grip on the backlog.

Passport Office phone lines are jammed, and even its £142-a-go fast-track website has crashed - so holidaymakers are understandably getting very nervous their travel documents will be returned in time.

So what is the solution for getting the service back on an even keel?

The Evening Standard’s deputy political editor, David Bond, joins the Leader to discuss the latest.

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Twitter has a new boss… none other than the richest man on the planet, Elon Musk.

With the $44 billion takeover confirmed, it has many people concerned about the ethical issues involved with a man of Musks’ power owning such an influential platform. Also, there are worries about the Tesla and SpaceX founder being a self proclaimed ‘free speech absolutist’ and what that could mean moving forward. 

Professor Charlie Beckett, Director of Polis, the independent journalism think tank at the London School of Economics explains what the future of Twitter could look like. 

Today we talk about:

• Should the richest man in the world be able to own one of the most influential social media platforms (01:44)
• What are some of the biggest ethical issues involving this takeover (03:04)
• What does the future of Twitter look like? (07:25)

For the latest news follow us on Twitter @EveningStandard

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Misogyny in Parliament… it's still happening. An anonymous Tory MP has made an outrageously offensive allegation to the Mail on Sunday that Labour front bencher Angela Rayner ‘crossed and uncrossed her legs’ during PMQs, in an attempt to ‘distract’ the Prime Minister. 

The PM himself has written to Rayner and posted on social media condemning the outrageous allegation and showing his support for her. 

Claire Reynolds, Director of the Labour Women’s Network, gives her reaction and tells us exactly what women are still dealing with in Westminster.

Today we talk about:

• Claire’s reaction to the allegation in the Mail on Sunday article (00:58)
• What the Labour Women’s Network did to help prepare Angela Rayner for public life and the training it offers members (03:26)
• How often are there reports of misogyny in Westminster? (04:23)
• How should the situation be handled now (07:20)

For the latest news follow us on Twitter @EveningStandard

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This week we talk to Andy Shovel, co-founder of vegan food brand THIS about his business, and how he swapped a burger brand for his new plant-based venture.

THIS has become one of the fastest-growing vegan brands in the UK, and this year it’s targeting £20 million pounds in annual revenue and launching what a “huge” range of products.

Andy discusses why he swapped a beef burger business for a plant-based brand, what life is like going up against other plant-based food brands, and the future of vegan food.

You can listen to the full interview in our An Invitation To Meet series here.

For more business news, interviews and analysis go to standard.co.uk/business

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Figures from the Office for National Statistics show online shopping has taken a hit, as the cost of living crisis worsens.

Online sales dropped by 7.9% in March according to the ONS, following on from a 6.9% fall in February.

Meanwhile fuel sales volumes fell by 3.8% as petrol and diesel prices remain high.

Rachael Burford, the Evening Standard’s political reporter discusses the drop in online shopping sales, how the cost of living crisis is changing people's behaviours, and what impact it will have on the economy.

In this episode:

• Why figures are worse than some had expected (0.47)
• Are people cutting down on trips in the car? (1.50)
• Cost of living crisis impacting all business (2.42)
• Will people give up their subscriptions? (3.51)
• How will the economy cope? (5.02)
• Inflation rising and risk of energy price gap rising (5.56)
• How can the government ease the crisis even further? (7.13)

Follow us on Twitter for more news, features and interviews @EveningStandard

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Donald Trump has accused Piers Morgan of “doctoring” footage from their latest interview, to make it look like he stormed out.

The TV presenter posted a dramatic trailer for his interview with Mr Trump, which is part of a new talk show called Piers Morgan Uncensored.

In a statement, Mr Trump alleged the clip was doctored to make him look bad, which Piers denied.

The row caused quite a stir in the press and on social media.

The Evening Standard’s Arts Correspondent Robert Dex discusses the ‘beef’ between Piers Morgan and Donald Trump, and explains why the publicity is only a good thing for both parties.

In this episode:

• How the Piers/Trump row started (0.50)
• What to expect from the full interview (2.15)
• How will this row impact Trump's re-election hopes? (3.01)
• Who got the better deal out of the interview? (4.07)
• Nigel Farage's role in the row (5.20)
• How will Piers be received by the UK on his return to TV? (6.52)
• Will people continue to buy into publicity stunts in future? (8.08)

Follow us on Twitter for more news, interviews and features @EveningStandard

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Netflix has lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of the year, sending the company’s shares plummeting.

The streaming giant reported a drop in subscribers for the first time in a decade, causing shares to plunge 27% in pre-market trading.

Market research firm Kantar claims it’s partly down to the cost of living crisis in the UK, as people try to save money by cutting out subscription services.

The Evening Standard's Consumer Business Editor Jonathan Prynn discusses the drop in subscribers, how big a part the cost of living crisis has played in that drop, and what other factors are at play.

In this episode:

• Why has Netflix suffered this loss in subscribers? (0.57)
• How the cost of living crisis has impacted the streaming service (1.45)
• How volatile the market is for streaming giants (2.47)
• Has the Netflix price hike caused people to unsubscribe? (4.07)
• Will this boost the competition between streaming giants? (5.01)
• Could streaming services drop their prices to claw back customers? (6.11)

Follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard

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A London doctor has described the NHS as ‘hitting rock bottom’, as the number of people in England on NHS waiting lists for pre-planned care hit a record 6.1 million this year.

Before coronavirus hit the UK, the number of people waiting for planned treatment was already at 4.2 million.

Press Association figures show a patient in England has waited almost six years for hospital care and dozens have waited for more than three years.

In response, the NHS has planned new measures to try and tackle the backlog, including sending people home the same day they receive treatments like hip replacement surgery, and setting up mobile scanners in supermarket car parks.

Dr Sonia Adesara works as a GP in the capital, and explains how patients are struggling with the long waiting times, how the backlog is affecting doctors, and why a staffing crisis in the NHS needs to be addressed.

In this episode:

• Dr Adesara's reaction to the 6.1million waiting list record (1.13)
• How patients are coping with the long waiting times (2.14)
• What impact the backlog is having on doctors and GPs (3.28)
• Will the NHS's new measures be effective? (4.30)
• Will the government spend money wisely to help the NHS? (6.04)
• Are you confident action will be taken to better support the NHS? (7.03)
• How the NHS is struggling in other areas (7.45)

Follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard

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The UK government’s plans to send refugees to Rwanda have been described as a ‘human rights calamity’ by Amnesty International.

On Thursday Boris Johnson set out the plan to send some of the migrants who cross the channel into the UK, more than 4,000 miles away to the African continent.

It’s been met with a huge backlash from opposition MPs, public figures, and human rights organisations.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director shares his reaction to the plan, explains why it won’t solve the UK’s immigration problems, and discusses his hopes that the government will be pressured into a u-turn.

In this episode:

• Steve’s reaction to the Rwanda migration plans (1.14)
• What happened to similar schemes by Australia and Isreal (2.13)
• How the plan impacts human rights laws (3.45)
• Is Rwanda as safe as Boris Johnson claims? (5.05)
• What other options could the government take? (6.06)
• Could the government be forced into a U-turn? (7.06)
• Are there concerns that more countries could opt for similar schemes? (8.10)

Follow us on Twitter for all the latest news @EveningStandard

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Canary Wharf is set to be transformed into a new attractive destination, with new waterways for paddle boarding, floating pontoons, public parks and a huge boost to its greenery.

They’re the plans put together by the Eden Project and the Canary Wharf Group, to improve the area’s offering to locals and visitors, but also increase the biodiversity of the area.

The Eden Project hopes to demonstrate how a dense urban environment can “live and work in harmony with nature”.

We spoke with Chief Executive of Eden Project International David Harland about their plans, how they could benefit the local environment and economy, and whether their vision represents the future for our cities.

In this episode:

• The 'vision' for Canary Wharf (0.52)
• How they plan to boost biodiversity (1.42)
• The Eden Project's plans to bring nature back to the city (2.37)
• The benefits of wild flowers (3.33)
• How the project could help improve air quality (4.43)
• Plans to bring water sports to the area (5.42)
• The benefits of the Eden Project's own London base (6.51)
• Could they make more of these green areas in London? (7.29)

Follow us on Twitter for the latest news, interviews and features @EveningStandard 

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