Afternoon Briefing Thursday 3rd September

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. Hello, this is your Times Radio afternoon briefing for Thursday the 3rd of September with me, James Kitchen. The Green Party leader, Zach Polanski, has announced he intends to stand in the by-election triggered by Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as an MP.

0:48Labour's held Hoban and St Pancras in London since the seat was created in 1983. But the Times' political editor, Stephen Swinford, says Polanski has a chance of winning, with Labour's majority reduced at the last election. It all hinges on whether the left-wing parties other than Labour can unite. but it's a great contest. It's one of those really fascinating parliamentary moments because it's a test of Andy Burnham. Andy Burnham's whole pitch is, I can win over all the progressive left. I can win over those Green voters, those Lib Dem voters. I can pull everyone together. So this is a test of that.

1:20Can you win over those people? And then Zach Polanski is literally putting himself on the line here. Is he still a populist force on the left? The chair of the Defence Select Committee has told Times Radio Britain needs to wake up to the threats it faces. Tan Desi's intervention comes as Kemi Badenoch announces a Conservative government would cut billions from the welfare budget to fund higher defence spending. During yesterday's PMQs, the Labour MP warned Andy Burnham vibes alone would not be enough. Speaking to Times Radio Breakfast, Mr Desi said the UK's European allies are leaving Britain behind.

1:55They recognise the threat, they acknowledge it and then they are making investments. I'll give you one example, Germany, they are renowned for their fiscal prudence. They have relaxed their fiscal rules just for defence. The acceleration in their defence spending means that within four years, starting from a low base, but they will end up spending more than the UK and France put together. Andy Burnham says he's confident of meeting NATO targets and insists there's no problem with his party's commitment to defence. The Prime Minister's warned against complacency over falling numbers of small boat crossings as more British and French police are deployed to disrupt so-called mega-dingeys.

2:36Smugglers are increasingly turning to larger vessels to make fewer journeys. More than 1 ,050 officers will now patrol the beaches of northern France. The Tories have called the plans a joke, but speaking to Times Radio, the asylum minister Anna Turley insisted police have strong powers to arrest smugglers driving boats. I've seen videos of people trying to disguise themselves, changing their clothes, changing headgear, putting babies on their lap to try and pretend they're not the guys steering the boat. We are monitoring them. We have these drones with highly sophisticated cameras. And I've seen that they are identifying people before we even engage with those boats on the waters.

3:14And we are following those individuals. They are getting arrested. A car tax conviction against the London mayor has been formally withdrawn in court. Sadiq Khan's team had argued he didn't own the 24-year-old Nissan Micro. the allegations relate to and claimed he'd been scammed. The DVLA asked for a review. More than a quarter of young people who are not in education, employment or training are living at home without claiming benefits. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, 300 ,000 so-called hidden needs are relying on family support, with more than half holding a degree. The former Labour minister, Alan Milburn, says too many are falling through the gaps, with his review of the youth unemployment crisis due next month.

3:56Remember, you can follow The Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

4:11This 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.