Evening Briefing Monday 1st December

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 Evening Briefing for Monday the 1st of December. The Scotland Secretary has told Times Radio it's right that the Head of the Office of Budget Responsibility, has resigned.

0:43It comes after the fiscal watchdog's forecast, along with all the major budget policies, appeared online ahead of Rachel Reeves' announcement last week. In a letter to the Chancellor and the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Richard Hughes called the leak a technical but serious error. He said he has to take full responsibility for the shortcomings announced in a report this afternoon. Speaking to Times Radio, Douglas Alexander called the findings deeply troubling. What we saw from Kieran Morton, who's the former CEO of the National Cyber Security Center, a man of unimpeachable integrity.

1:16A deeply, deeply troubling set of findings today suggesting that the vulnerability that had led to this leak actually had been pre-existing and been there for some time. So I think it was probably inevitable. It was Richard Hughes' own decision. And I think it's right that he's taken responsibility for what was the systemic vulnerability that was identified in this report by Keira Morton. Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, are to go on strike in England in the build-up to Christmas. It's the latest walkout by members of the British Medical Association who make up around half the medical workforce of the NHS.

1:52The action from the 17th to the 22nd of December is over pay and working conditions. Zero percent tariffs have been agreed on UK medicines exported to the US for at least three years. The government will also increase the upper threshold for which it can buy new medicines by 25%. It's hoped a new pharmaceuticals deal struck with Donald Trump's White House will get groundbreaking treatments to hospitals quicker. The former minister, Tulip Siddiqui, says she's the victim of a kangaroo court after being sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh. The Labour MP has been accused of obtaining land in the capital, Dhaka, by using her links to the ousted Prime Minister, Sheikha Sina, who's also her aunt.

2:34In an open letter last week, several lawyers warned that Sadiq had not had the opportunity to defend herself. The barrister, Cherie Blair, who signed the letter, told Times Radio the case is a mess. She was never served with any of the evidence against her. And we still, to be honest, looking at what we've seen so far, it's not at all clear what the evidence against her really is and how credible it is. They allege that she's a fugitive from Bangladesh, whereas in fact, of course, she is not a fugitive at all. She is an elected member of the House of Commons of Britain, a place where she was born and has lived her entire life.

3:12And an investigation into the Post Office Horizon scandal is considering corporate manslaughter charges. The National Police Chiefs Council has expanded its list of criminal suspects to eight. Operation Olympus is looking into the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters. Officers are also warning of delays without further funding. And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

3:42This 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.

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