The Standard

Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda Bill was today brought into stark focus following the deaths of at least five migrants - including a child - who were packed into a small boat with more than 100 people trying to cross the English Channel.

French police and coastguard said the fatalities included three men, a woman and a seven-year-old girl.

The Channel tragedy came after late-night votes in Parliament, as Sunak finally saw his Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill getting voted through, which will set in motion plans for deporting asylum seekers who entered the UK "illegally" to east-central Africa .

But what’s next, what are the legal hurdles - and what happens to the legislation if Labour wins power?

With the latest from Westminster, Mark Blunden is joined in the House of Commons by the Evening Standard’s political editor Nicholas Cecil.

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Mayor Sadiq Khan started the week in hot water over river safety - after his manifesto stated he planned to make the capital’s waterways, including the Thames, so clean they would be “swimmable” within a decade.

At the same time, Thames Water, which is battling a budget black hole, warns customer bills could rocket by almost half.

The Standard podcast is joined by Evening Standard business editor Jonathan Prynn and former lifeguard Brendon Prince, founder of Above Water, a water safety and drowning awareness charity.

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Today’s bonus episode is from our How to be a CEO business podcast. David Marsland meets with Octopus Money CEO Ruth Handcock.

To hear the full episode search How to be a CEO wherever you find your podcasts, or hit this link.

Ruth will also be appearing at the Watercooler Event, which is being held alongside the Evening Standard’s SME Expo at Excel London on the 23rd and 24th of April.

Tickets are free. Click the links to find out more.

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There’s less than two weeks to go until Londoners cast their ballots and a new exclusive YouGov poll for The Standard has revealed the gap is closing between Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall. 

The Tory contender is on 27 per cent, up three points from February, and her Labour rival is on 46 per cent, down three points. 

Ross Lydall, our City Hall Editor & Transport Editor, explains the significance of the polls and discusses the candidates' latest announcements as election day draws near.

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An exclusive poll by Ipsos for The Standard has revealed Rishi Sunak’s rating as Prime Minister has slumped to the worst ever for a leader of a major party.

It comes as pressure piles on the PM to call a date for the next general election, with the survey finding more than half of Britons want one held by the end of the summer. 

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos, explains the key findings from the poll and gives his analysis.

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This year marks the 33rd edition of the awards, with categories ranging from best house and best flat, through to best regeneration projects and low carbon homes. The longest serving judge on the panel, Stephen Lee, explains what the awards are all about, which categories he’s most looking forward to this year, and describes some of his favourite entries from previous years.

You can enter this year’s New Homes Awards here.

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A high court judge has ruled that a prayer ban at one of the highest-performing state schools in England - run by ‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ - was not unlawful.

Following the decision, Katharine Birbalsingh, who founded Michaela Community School, a free school in Brent, posted on social media saying it was a "victory for all schools".

It comes on the same day that primary school places are announced. Almost 10,000 children failed to get a place at their first choice primary school despite a drop in applications partly caused by families fleeing London.

The Evening Standard’s Education Editor Anna Davis shares her insight & analysis.

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Sadiq Khan’s expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone out to the capital’s outer roads is one of his most controversial policies.

The Mayor says the charging scheme will improve air quality and health, but critics claim it's a stealth tax on Londoners hampering their choice to drive.

In this episode of the Standard’s series focussing on the 2024 race for City Hall, Hamish MacBain explores both sides of the argument at two of London’s busiest traffic locations.

Hear interviews with Imperial College London pollution expert Professor Frank Kelly by the A501, Marylebone Road, and motoring journalist Shahzad Sheikh - AKA YouTuber the BrownCarGuy, by the A10, Shoreditch High Street.

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In a special episode taken from our business show, How to be a CEO, the Evening Standard's business editor Jonathan Prynn speaks with 2011 The Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau, whose business is thriving, 13 years later.

To hear the full interview just search How to be a CEO wherever you find your podcasts, or via this link: lnk.to/TAWjEL

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Independent candidate Andreas Michli evicted from hustings. Disruption halts debate for 20 minutes. Sadiq Khan & Susan Hall’s feisty exchanges. Our City Hall Editor Ross Lydall explains the drama at the first hustings in the race for City Hall, and discusses which of the candidates came out on top.

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