Daily Briefing Sunday 6th July

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 Daily Briefing for Sunday the 6th of July with me, James Kitchen. Government plans to shelve the two-char benefits cap are reportedly dead in the water following Labour's£5 billion retreat on welfare.

0:45Downing Street sources have told the Sunday Times the chances of ministers axing the limit are now vanishingly slim, while the likelihood of tax rises has increased. Ending the cap would mark the Prime Minister's third U-turn on welfare following reversals on winter fuel payments and disability benefits. Its removal would cost the government£3.4 billion a year. The Sunday Times political commentator Jason Cowley says Number 10 should expect a fight in the autumn. A lot of Labour MPs, they're in politics because they believe they have a kind of moral purpose. They're not used to winning, they're not used to being in power.

1:19Once they're in power, they're not really that interested in retaining power. They're much more interested in pursuing their positions, their moral positions, their activist positions. So I reckon there'll be a big battle over the two-child cap in the autumn. But at some point, Starmer and Reeves are going to have to say, enough, no more. This is where we are and we have to hold the position. Meanwhile, family hubs offering parenting support and youth services are set to be rolled out across every council in England. Ministers say£500 million will be targeted at disadvantaged communities by April of 2026.

1:50The head of the Metropolitan Police has told Times Radio the organisation of British policing is a mess. Sir Mark Rowley is calling for a number of forces in England and Wales to be slashed by two-thirds. He warns the model of 43 county-based forces has not been fit for purpose for at least two decades. Speaking to Adam Bolton, the Met Commissioner suggested they should be replaced by up to 15 megaforces. The organisation of policing is a mess. It was last designed in the early 60s to make a system of 43 forces work. We've slowly stacked on top of it all sorts of different structures, collaborations, multiple national bodies.

2:27individual forces are leading particular functions. So West Yorkshire lead on helicopters, West Midlands lead on ballistics intelligence. It's a complete mess that adds to cost and complexity. At least 51 people have died following devastating flash floods in Texas. 27 girls who were staying at a Christian summer camp are still missing, but rescuers remain hopeful of finding survivors. The Secretary for Homeland Security, Kristi Newham, says the crisis is being closely monitored at the White House. Know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken. I talked with him several times and he wanted to make sure that all of you know how much he loves Texas, how much he's grieving for your families that have lost someone and the beautiful children that we're still looking for.

3:14Many others are unaccounted for after the Guadalupe River burst its banks on Friday. The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, has signed a disaster declaration. And Israel is sending a delegation to Qatar for talks with Hamas on the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. Last week, Hamas said it had delivered a positive response to the mediator's proposal for a 60-day pause in fighting. It's understood the group is seeking a guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks on a permanent truce failed. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the proposed changes unacceptable. And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

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