The Standard

In the blink of an eye, the year is almost over - and that means only one thing: Christmas is upon us once more. Alongside all the playing of board games, eating of turkey and unwrapping of presents, there’s one other thing that remains a mainstay in most British festive households: the telly. Nothing quite beats the feeling of sitting in front of the TV, sliding into a post-feast food coma and drowsily watching the year’s collection of festive specials.And this year, there’s plenty to look forward to on TV over Christmas, from Will Sharpe donning a white wig to Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell reuniting. The Standard's Commissioning Editor and Culture Writer Vicky Jessop joins us to discuss the best Christmas TV to watch this festive season.

A special preview from our sister podcast Brave New World, which has just launched Season 4. Host Evgeny Lebedev sits down with Steven Bartlett to talk ambition, mindset, burnout, and the lessons failure can teach us — including one learned on a padel court. Listen to the full conversation on the Brave New World podcast here.

A damning inquiry into sex crimes against women and girls in public places has been published, concluding that too many perpetrators are slipping through the cracks and that prevention schemes are often “just words”.Four years after the murder of Sarah Everard in Clapham by a Metropolitan police officer, the second part of the Angiolini Inquiry found that there is a “critical failure” to answer basic questions about sexual violence, including how many women are raped by strangers each year. It said that urgent action is now needed to prevent further violent, sexual attacks against women and girls, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would carefully consider the recommendations. The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford is here with the latest.

Paddington the Musical has opened at London’s Savoy Theatre in time for the festive season - and has already proven to be a resounding hit in the capital. Inspired by the beloved children’s books by Michael Bond, as well as the films, it’s directed by Luke Sheppard, the man behind hits such as the Starlight Express, with a music score written by McFly’s Tom Fletcher. So is this the West End’s hottest ever family show? We’re joined by actors Amy Ellen Richardson and Adrian Der Gregorian, who play Mr and Mrs Brown. Plus, theatre critic Tim Bano is here to share his 5-star review of the production.

High street pubs, hotels and shops face “catastrophic” hikes in business rate bills that will force widespread closures and job losses, the Government has been warned. Less than a week after Rachel Reeves’s Budget speech, thousands of business owners in the retail and hospitality sector have learned their bills will rise by tens of thousands of pounds from April next year as a result of a “broken business rate system". The damage is being done by a combination of huge increases in rateable values, and the end of 40% relief for the sectors most harmed by the pandemic lockdowns. The Standard’s Business Correspondent Jonathan Prynn is here with the latest.

The government could soon come close to scrapping the right to trial by jury, it’s been revealed, with Justice Secretary David Lammy proposing to massively restrict this ancient right, as the criminal justice system is on the verge of collapse. There are plans to create a new tier of courts in England and Wales, removing guarantees to a jury trial for all except those accused of the most serious crimes. But could this still result in a fair trial? The Standard’s Courts Correspondent Tristan Kirk joins us to discuss why the jury system is a treasured and historic commodity that fosters a level of trust in our courts.

Yesterday Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a Budget that will hike taxes by £26 billion and bring a huge change to personal finances up and down the country.More than 1.7 million people will face paying more income tax after the Chancellor froze thresholds, meaning people will be dragged into paying the tax for the first time or shifted into higher bands as earnings increase. While there is a new “mansion tax” on £2 million homes and above, a pay-per mile charge for electric vehicles, a new national insurance tax on salary sacrifice pension contributions above £2,000 and changes to ISA rules.Some levies placed on energy bills will go - lowering bills for millions of households by £150 a year, the Chancellor said. While the two-child benefit cap has been scrapped. Increased tax rates on dividends, property and savings income by two percentage points will all be introduced.We’re joined by The Standard’s Political Editor Nic Cecil with the latest. 

Ahead of the autumn budget, support for Labour in London is at a record low, according to a new poll, as Rachel Reeves is set to clobber the capital with a wave of tax rises. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged to 23 per cent in the capital, ahead of the Tories on 20 per cent, with Labour on 32 per cent. The Chancellor faces a backlash from voters, particularly those on high and middle incomes, ahead of London local elections next May. London has for many years been a Labour stronghold but the party’s support has plunged since the general election last July, according to the latest Savanta poll for Centre for London. The Standard’s Political Editor Nic Cecil is here with the latest. 

Today we’re tackling one of the capital’s talking points - should kids be allowed in pubs? The William the Fourth pub in Leyton, East London, announced a policy change on social media, barring children from 7pm, saying that the move was necessary to maintain a “comfortable and enjoyable environment” for everyone as it had recently come to “resemble a creche”. The new rules mean the pub will be an “adults-only space” from 7pm onwards.The move has proved somewhat controversial, with comments on the pub’s social media announcement switched off.Whether pubs should ban children has been a long-running debate, and we’re joined by The Standard’s News Reporter Megan Howe, and The Standard’s Food & Drink writer Josh Barrie, to discuss.