The Standard

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

Education for All is a project which builds and runs girls’ boarding houses near secondary schools, so girls from rural families can complete their education.

The Evening Standard’s Alex Goldsmith finds out how EFA is helping girls from remote areas, giving them opportunities and changing social attitudes. 

In the #LetGirlsLearn series, we’re aiming to shine a light on innovations and solutions that are helping girls to fulfil their right to education and healthy, productive futures around the globe.

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

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Energy price cap extended beyond April, windfall tax hiked to 35%, more money for schools and the NHS. Following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, our Deputy Political Editor David Bond deconstructs today’s medium-term budget announcement. Plus economist Fran Boait from Positive Money gives her reaction to the fiscal plans. In this episode:

• Jeremy Hunt’s tax rises explained
• How will the public react to more tax rises?
• Where has spending been cut?
• The ‘grim’ mood at Westminster
• Why the government should have focussed more on wages
• People feeling the impacts of the economy ‘from all directions’

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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Classrooms of 60 pupils, teachers not being replaced, and no more school trips. Headteachers are preparing to vote for strike action, warning that underfunding schools risks some being forced to close. Our Commissioning Editor and Feature Writer Katie Strick explains why schools are struggling so much, as Richard Slade, headteacher of Plumcroft primary school in Greenwich explains the issues he’s dealing with. In this episode:

• Why are schools struggling?
• How ‘underfunding’ of schools impacts staff and extracurricular studies
• Schools not replacing teachers
• How the work stress is pushing teachers to the edge
• Will the Autumn Budget provide some respite for schools?

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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How will the Chancellor fill the £55billion black hole? Concern as the energy price cap ends in April. Could changes be made to VAT? Our Deputy Political Editor David Bond discusses the potential moves Jeremy Hunt could make. Plus Tina McKenzie from the Federation of Small Businesses discusses why many firms in the UK face closure if things get worse. In this episode:

• Which taxes could the Chancellor target?
• Where might spending cuts be made?
• Will benefits be brought in line with inflation?
• Small businesses hoping for help from the government
• Why SMEs are key to economic growth

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast 

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Why the UK-France Immigration deal is ‘an incremental improvement’. Will drones and night-vision cameras make a difference? Could smugglers move operations into Belgium? Our Home Affairs Editor Martin Bentham discusses the details of the new deal, and how significant the new measures are. Plus, former Head of UK Border Force Tony Smith explains why he's hopeful the deal will deliver results. In this episode:

• How the deal compares with previous immigration agreements
• Are the measures more or less extreme than was expected?
• How effective will these measures be?
• The risk that smugglers will move operations elsewhere
• How new drone tech could make a difference

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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David Tennant in ‘Good’ at the Harold Pinter Theatre and why it’s an important watch. Plus, does ‘Mary’ at Hampstead Theatre need a trigger warning? This week the Evening Standard's chief theatre critic Nick Curtis is joined by Nancy Durrant, our culture editor, as they unpick two more interesting shows from London’s stages.

In this episode:

Part 1: ‘Good’ at the Harold Pinter Theatre

• The very ‘good’ German man who gradually changes to Nazism
• David Tennant’s "best friend" personality, his performance and career choices
• Elliot Levey and Sharon Small, plus the various roles they play
• Why the play was revived and why it still feels current two years on
• Why it’s an important watch, rather than enjoyable

Part 2: ‘Mary’ at Hampstead Theatre

• Does Mary need a trigger warning?
• What is Rona Munro’s queen’s tale about?
• The representation of Mary Stuart's terrible treatment
• The playwright Rona Munro and Mary as the sixth part of the trilogy
• Gangs of London’s Brian Vernel
• Why it "utterly failed to spark", and left Nick & Nancy feeling "flat"

What shows are on in London in December?

Well, this is your weekly Theatre Review from the Evening Standard.

Visit standard.co.uk/culture or find us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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Sarah Willingham is the founder and CEO of Nightcap, a company with the aim "to build Britain's biggest bar group". The former Dragon's Den star set it up in 2020, when the country was in lockdown, and describes how her broker asked if she'd "gone mad". 

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

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Britain’s shaky economy is on the brink of recession as Office for National Statistics data reveals a fall in GDP.

It comes as former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng popped up in his first interview since being sacked, and criticised his former boss and political soulmate, ex-PM Liz Truss.

He says they are still “friends” but has not returned her missed call from several days ago.

It comes as Office for National Statistics data shows output dropped 0.2 per cent from July to September.

Now there’s an increasing likelihood the fourth quarter will see another dip after the surge in interest rates triggered by Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-Budget in September.

Those ONS figures follow Bank of England forecasts could be the longest recession since records began.

The Leader’s joined by Alfie Stirling, director of research and chief economist at the New Economics Foundation, and Evening Standard deputy political editor David Bond.

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Nurses forced to look after up to 18 patients at a time, skipping meals during shifts, nurses leaving the profession, how daily struggles are compromising patient care. The Royal College of Nursing announces the first ever nurses strike over pay. A&E nurse Lucy Shapcott explains why NHS staff have voted to strike. Plus, in Part Two - politics! Our Deputy Political Editor David Bond discusses how Gavin Williamson’s resignation will impact Rish Sunak and the Conservative party. In this episode:

Part 1:

• Why have nurses voted to strike?
• The day-to-day struggles nurses face
• How pay and conditions are causing staff to leave the NHS
• Could nurses compromise on a payrise?

Part 2:

• Is Gavin Williamson’s resignation a big blow to the Tory party?
• Will his appointment impact Rishi Sunak’s reputation?
• How will the public respond to this latest debacle?

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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