Afternoon Briefing Monday 24th August

0:00This episode of the Times Radio News Briefing is sponsored by PwCWC. Staying competitive means getting ahead, not just keeping up. So how do business leaders cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. PwC takes you further with tech, from optimising the systems that put your data to work, to scaling AI from proof of concept to competitive edge. PwC helps you meet tomorrow's tech demands, so you can compete at a speed that rewrites the rules. Discover more at pwc.co.uk. Welcome to the Times Radio afternoon briefing on Monday, the 24th of August. Andy Burnham's in Kiev today on his first international trip as Prime Minister.

0:44The UK has given Ukraine the blueprints of a long-range missile known in Britain as Storm Shadow and in France as Scalp. Local assembly lines are being set up. Speaking to Times Radio, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said Britain will not be intimidated by Russian threats of retaliation. We've already seen Russian activities against the United Kingdom. We've seen them loitering over our critical undersea cables. We've seen cyber attacks on our systems. We've also seen them prosecute an illegal war against one of our close friends. And so am I surprised that Russia doesn't like people supporting Ukraine?

1:18No, I'm not. Will that stop us from supporting our friends in Ukraine? No, it won't either. Reform UK says it would prioritise British-born workers under 35 for social housing. Married couples with children would also be favoured as well as veterans. Those on benefits would be given a lower priority. Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice has been talking two times radio. Preference is being given to those based on need as opposed to suitability. And it's just unfair that people should come from overseas with large families, one person on a working visa, and they go up the queue. It's simply unfair.

1:55We think actually those who are doing the right thing, working hard, leading by example, they should be given preference. Two former Home Secretaries say Harry and Meghan should be given security when they come back to the UK. But it should be limited and temporary until it's clear what their long-term plans are. Lord Blunkett says a happy medium should be struck. Royal biographer Tom Bowers told Times Radio the Sussexes should remain private citizens. They opted to leave Britain and not to be working royals and they've come back to worm their way back into the royal family and our lives. And I think that if they do try to act as royals, they will be given short shrift, not least on the orders of Prince William, that he doesn't want them interfering in the monarchy.

2:41The number of former MPs with parliamentary passes has risen from 330 to 464 in two years. Some have had access to parliaments for 10 times longer than they were an MP. Times Radio's political editor Anna Mihailova got the story. There are a lot of former Conservative ministers, including almost the entirety of Liz Truss's cabinet, including Liz Truss herself. She is the only Prime Minister with such a pass. Criticism is that Parliament should not just be essentially a members club for people who serve one time and can use it whenever they want. You can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

3:22This episode of the Times Radio News Briefing is sponsored by PwC. AI is everywhere. In the news, in our hands, but return on investment, not so much. So how do you get beyond the hype and deliver AI that powers reinvention and growth across your business? Strong foundations unlock AI's potential. That's why PwC takes you further with tech, strengthening the data quality, processes and workflows that shape how well AI performs. PwC turns innovation into implementation so you can accelerate from experiment to scale. Discover more at pwc.co.uk I'm Hannah. I've lost 75 pounds in 20 months with GLP-1s, plus diet and exercise.

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