The Standard

Political editor Joe Murphy’s back on the podcast as it’s revealed the more contagious ‘South Africa’ variant of coronavirus has been found in parts of London and Sussex. More than 100 cases have been discovered so far and surge testing is underway in eight postcodes, with everyone over the age of 16 being encouraged to get one whether they’re showing symptoms or not. It comes as the government announces its secured 40 million doses of a vaccine from French firm Valneva. Joe says the Prime Minister’s confident the UK will be the first country in the world to stockpile jabs for use next year.

Also, our home affairs editor Martin Bentham discusses his interview with the Met’s deputy commissioner Stephen House, who says officers will continue “disproportionate” stop and searches of young black Londoners in an attempt to save lives. The robust defence of the Met’s approach came during a chat in which he also disclosed that around 300 knives a month were being seized during searches.

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Our deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil joins us as the EU dramatically ramps up a vaccines row with demands jabs made in the UK are sent to them. It follows European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen demanding AstraZeneca publish its contract with the EU to deliver 300 million doses. The company’s done that, with redactions, but Nicholas tells us the fine print contradicts Ms von der Leyen’s claim that the agreement was “crystal clear.” He also says the UK government’s trying to stay out of the battle, which Brexiteers claim shows the country was right to leave Europe.

Also, economist and former trader Gary Stevenson explains what’s happening with Wall Street after struggling US retailer GameStop suddenly saw its share price rocket. He tells us how investors have been hit by a “classic short squeeze” and warns it will happen again as the effects of the covid pandemic start to hit economies.

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After vaccination minister Nadhim Zahawi advised millions of us to delay booking a summer holiday, the Leader podcast speaks to travel consultant Paul Charles about the state of the industry. He tells us there is “no plan” from the government to help a sector already struggling after last season was cancelled by Covid, and predicts more airlines and travel agencies will collapse.

Paul also says so-called ‘quarantine hotels’ will be less effective in the UK than they have been in other countries and could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds being lost to the economy.

Also, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, joins the show as pressure grows on the government to deliver a blueprint on how schools will re-open. He says there appears to be a division between the Department for Education and Downing Street over the best way forward, which is causing confusion for teachers and parents.And he warns further delays risk harming young people’s confidence, as they wonder if there will be any classes at all this year.

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The Evening Standard’s political editor Joe Murphy tells us what the government’s planning with proposed ‘quarantine hotels’. Under plans being decided by ministers over the next 24 hours, some travellers will be put on buses and driven directly to isolation centres where they’ll stay for 10 days. Joe says there are divisions within the government over how stringently the rules should be applied, with some ministers wanting a blanket ban on all countries but others arguing it should only be applied to places known to have new dangerous mutations of the virus.

It comes as Boris Johnson warns he’s concerned about as yet undiscovered “vaccine-busting” variations of Covid making their way into the UK.

Also, the Michelin Awards are being held… but why? With restaurants across the country closed because of lockdown restrictions, some are wondering if the prestigious ceremony’s been rendered pointless by the pandemic.But our chief food critic, Jimi Famurewa says the prizes could bring a welcome spotlight to a beleaguered industry.  

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To mark the launch of our YoungLondonSOS campaign, we’re joined by investigations editor David Cohen whose reporting has revealed how badly the pandemic has affected schoolchildren. 500,000 teenagers and children who had no mental health problems before the lockdowns will now need support in 2021 – that’s on top of the 1 in 6 already identified by the NHS.

The Evening Standard’s teaming up with Place2Be, a charity providing mental health support to schools. It currently works with 150 primary and secondaries in London. David tells us the campaign will help them “turbo-boost” expansion plans to double that figure by 2025, and how that will help the capital’s younger generation in a unique crisis.

The Standard is calling on its readers, as well as corporates and charitable foundations, to give generously. Every £100 you donate could deliver a whole school service to one vulnerable child for one year.

Go to standard.co.uk/YoungLondonSOS for more.

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The top speechwriter for the Obama administration, Cody Keenan, says he would give Amanda Gorman a job at the White House after astonishing the world with her inauguration poem.The 22-year-old’s “The Hill We Climb” was a highlight of the ceremony marking the start of Joe Biden’s presidency, and has been hailed by critics for its themes of unity and togetherness. The advisor, who was director of speechwriting at the White House between 2013 and 2017, also gives us a behind the scenes glimpse of how to write a great political speech.

Also, The Hill’s Capitol reporter, Juliegrace Brufke, joins us to discuss a lightning fast first day at the Oval Office with 17 executive orders dispatched from the Resolute Desk.

Joe Biden’s already begun dismantling his predecessor’s work, signing off on the US re-joining the Paris climate change agreement, and halting construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.

But will the pace slow down as the White House slogs through what it calls “four converging crises:” the Covid-19 pandemic, an economic crisis, climate change, and racial inequality?

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Evening Standard columnist Ayesha Hazarika says new US vice president, Kamala Harris, “represents the two things Donald Trump hates the most: women and people of colour”. She tells the Leader podcast, the Trump administration was “founded on racism” and Ms Harris’s arrival at the White House is “karmic justice” for four years of turbulence.

It comes as Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States at a ceremony in Washington. But how will he work with a woman who attacked him, including over issues of race, when she was an opponent in his run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination?

Ayesha believes it was Ms Harris’s strength in those debates that most impressed Mr Biden, and the two of them have their work cut out to restore faith in the United States across the globe.

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