The energy of London is nowhere more reflected than in the shifting balance of power among its thoughtmakers, trendsetters and leaders.

Every week, Gideon Spanier looks at who's in and who's out.

NEW ON THE LIST

FILM
PHYLLIDA LLOYD, 51
DIRECTOR
Theatre director who successfully adapted her production of Mamma Mia! for film - and what a hit it's been. Her debut movie has grossed more than £45 million in a month in the UK and many times that figure worldwide, with reports of fans returning to cinemas to watch it a second time. She can now take her pick of Hollywood films to direct. Named as one of the 100 most influential gay and lesbian Britons.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

POLITICS
JEREMY PAXMAN, 58
PRESENTER
Still a brilliant political interviewer but, in his guise as Grumpy Old Man, his latest complaint is that British TV is overrun by women executives. Most of his bosses (and his other half, a TV producer) are female but at the very top it remains an almost all-male clique. Paxo's knack for hitting a nerve - famously attacking a decline in M&S pants - means he's in danger of becoming a national treasure.

MAKING MOVES

PROPERTY
MICHAEL GUTMAN, 51
WESTFIELD EUROPE'S MANAGING DIRECTOR
The London-based boss of the Australian shopping centre giant is gearing up for the opening of his £1.7 billion site in Shepherd's Bush next month. Despite the credit crunch, Gutman has signed up designer brands such as Prada, Gucci and Dior - so he has high hopes it will be a cut above other retail malls.

BUSINESS
SIR RICHARD BRANSON, 58
VIRGIN MOGUL
The boss of Virgin Atlantic can cheer as he reported pre-tax profits up 38 per cent, claiming premium passengers were defecting from his old rival British Airways because of the T5 fiasco. Branson's appetite for publicity and promoting the Virgin brand appear to have no limits. Still Britain's best-known business face internationally.

WOBBLING

TV & RADIO
TRINNY WOODALL, 44, AND SUSANNAH CONSTANTINE, 46 PRESENTERS
Rumours abound that the makeover queens will lose their primetime slot on ITV following their latest series, which has just ended with uninspiring ratings. The well-connected duo, who started out as a newspaper column double-act, have discovered their brutal no-nonsense commentary has fallen out of fashion.

ON THE MONEY

POLITICS
VINCE CABLE, 65
LIB-DEM TREASURY SPOKESMAN
Yet again ballroom dance fan Cable is making the Treasury look leaden-footed over its handling of the credit crunch. The Lib-Dems' best-leader-they-never-had was first to back a mortgage rescue scheme to help the ailing housing market.

Cable, former chief economist of Shell, is highly regarded in the City and was proven right on the nationalisation of Northern Rock.

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  Lenny Henry: 'Maybe one day we can have a black Doctor Who'

  Shortlisted at today's Evening Standard theatre awards for his role as Othello, Lenny Henry has come a long way from black and white minstrels

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  Spread of the Jedhead

  Jedward, voted off the X-Factor this weekend, are the most obvious proponents of the sticky-uppy look - but the style crosses boundaries of age, gender, sexuality and taste, says Nick Curtis

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Sky in plot to hire students on the cheap

Sky News is currently recruiting students as reporters for its coverage of next year's general election. However, the opportunity doesn't quite seem so appealing

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