Evening briefing Thursday 20th November

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. This is the Times Evening Briefing on Thursday the 20th of November. The chair of the Covid inquiry says lockdowns could have been avoided and tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if it weren't for poor government decision making.

0:46In her second report, Baroness Hallett says the response of national and devolved governments was too little, too late. And she says when politicians felt forced into the first lockdown in 2020, it was too late for many. Had the lockdown been imposed one week earlier than the 23rd of March, the evidence suggests that the number of deaths in England alone in the first wave up until the 1st of July 2020 would have been reduced by 48%. That is approximately 23 ,000 fewer deaths. Lady Hallett condemned the Westminster government for a toxic and chaotic culture at the time. Deborah Doyle's mother died from Covid in a care home in April 2020.

1:29She said Boris Johnson ignored scientific advice as Prime Minister. Throughout the pandemic, Boris Johnson put his political reputation ahead of public safety. He pandered to his critics when the UK needed decisive action. In delaying lockdowns, he made them longer, more damaging. Boris Johnson has previously apologised to families. Zakir Starmer says the government will carefully consider the inquiry's recommendations. Legal migrants could face up to 25 years before they can apply for permanent residency under government proposals. The Home Secretary wants to double the standard baseline wait time from five to ten years.

2:07However, Shibana Mahmood says there will be a consultation on making that longer in certain cases. The government proposes that those who have received benefits for less than 12 months would not qualify for settlement until 15 years after arrival. For those who have claimed benefits for more than 12 months, that would rise to 20 years. To encourage the use of legal routes into this country, those who arrive illegally could see settlement take up to 30 years. There are some proposals for factors to reduce wait times. For example, teachers and NHS doctors and nurses will still wait five years and those earning more than£125 ,000 a year could qualify after three.

2:46Former police officer David Carrick, one of Britain's most notorious sex offenders, has been given his 37th life sentence. Yesterday he was found guilty of molesting a 12-year-old girl when he was a teenager and of raping and abusing his then-partner 20 years later. He's already admitted 71 sexual crimes. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been meeting top US Army officials after Washington drew up a peace plan with Russia. The 28-point plan would see Ukraine cede all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and half the size of its army. Gary Manfield, the former bassist of the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, who was better known as Manny, has died.

3:23He was 63 years old. And Wales and Northern Ireland have been drawn in the same playoff pathway for next summer's Men's World Cup. It means both teams cannot qualify. If they are going to play each other for that place, Northern Ireland first have to win against Italy and Wales need to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina. Don't forget to subscribe to the Times News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio online.

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