The Standard

Londoners will head to the polls next week to choose their local councillors. Since 2021, Labour has held the majority across the capital, but new polling suggests that even Sir Keir Starmer’s local borough of Camden may fall to the Greens.In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to Tony Travers, a professor in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics about the results of the latest London council election poll by JL Partners for LSE. They discuss possible outcomes for the upcoming elections, including which parties might join forces, and the messages Londoners may send to Westminster through the ballot box.

This week, many Londoners will gain new powers as the Renters' Rights Act comes into force. So what do tenants and landlords need to know?In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to The Standard’s Homes & Property editor, Prudence Ivey, about the upcoming changes to rental agreements. The two discuss what renters should look out for in the small print, whether the new bill might inadvertently cause a housing shortage, as well as consider if the bill is enough to convince Londoners to vote for Labour in the upcoming council elections.Photograph: Getty Images

It’s wisteria season — and flower-filled streets in Notting Hill and Kensington have become littered with visitors keen to take a picture in front of pastel coloured houses, with the viral flowers in shot. In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to Standard journalist Niva Yadav, to discuss whether it is fair to take pictures of people’s homes, and whether security measures will be taken to curb the anti-social behaviour of some wisteria enthusiasts in London.Clips: Universal Pictures, ITV News (Faye Barker)

The repeated attacks on Jewish infrastructure over the past few weeks has led to the opening of a Met police counter terrorism investigation into whether the events are linked. In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to Jonathan Hall KC, the senior barrister responsible for reviewing the UK government’s terrorism and state threats legislation. The two discuss how the law distinguishes hate crimes from terrorist acts, why the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military wing of the Iranian regime, is not currently proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK government, and whether the normalising of extremism is more worrying than extremism itself.

Small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 99.9% of the UK’s 5.7 million new companies last year. So what does it really take to build a business from scratch today, and how easy is it to secure funding?In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick sits down with Raphael Sofoluke, the founder of the UK Black Business Show and UK Black Business Week, and Izzy Obeng, the founder and CEO of Foundervine. Both guests are on the judging panel for the AXA Startup Angel Competition from AXA Business Insurance - in partnership with the Standard - and in a couple of months they will select impressive entrepreneurs to win top prizes, including £25,000, expert mentoring, plus business insurance for a year. Together, they discuss what it takes to be a founder, including the most common mistakes, tips on how to impress investors, and how to build a supportive business network that pays dividends in the long run.Competition entries close on 21 June 2026. For more information and to enter this year's AXA startup Angel competition, visit https://axastartupangel.standard.co.uk/

London is about to be brought to a standstill as a result of planned tube strikes. So why have TFL and the RMT not reached a deal, and will the disruption change how Londoners vote in upcoming council elections?In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to Standard journalist, Megan Howe, for a detailed breakdown of all how the strikes will affect Londoners, as well as the deal that sparked the tube strikes. Plus, Tamara also speaks to The Standard’s political editor, Nic Cecil, for his insights on the position politicians across the party spectrum are taking on the tube worker’s strikes, and to what extent the strikes will impact the upcoming local council election results.

A new social media phenomenon, Londonmaxxing, is growing in popularity. This 2026 viral trend is about experiencing the essence of the city, and packing in the best activities London has to offer. In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to the senior social features editor at the London Standard, Katrina Mirpuri, for a breakdown of this trend, plus her methods for exploring London like a curious local.Photograph: Getty Images

This Saturday, the Victoria and Albert museum will open its latest outpost, V&A East. So, what can London expect from its new museum?In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to Dr Madeleine Haddon, the senior curator of V&A East, for a sneak peek of the new museum. Together they discuss the opening exhibitions, the museum's connection to its home in East London, as well as the museum's inspired cafe offering.Image: V&A East Museum © Hufton+Crow

A group of Londoners are coming together in Soho this Saturday to call on the government to introduce rent controls. But, with the renters rights act about to come into force, would freezing rents send the private rental market into chaos?In this episode, host Tamara Kormornick speaks to Joe Beswick, a member of the London Renter’s Union, about the upcoming protest. Tamara asks Joe about the feasibility of rent controls, how introducing this policy might interact with the Renters Rights Act, and whether housebuilding is the answer to London’s affordability crisis.