Evening Briefing Tuesday 8th 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 Evening Briefing for Tuesday 8th July with me, James Kitchen. The French President Emmanuel Macron has said the United Kingdom and France must show the world the country's alliance can make a difference.

0:44Speaking to both Houses of Parliament during a three-day state visit, Mr Macron praised Britain for its support of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. He warned the rule of law, justice and respect are under threat. An order that is today being attacked on a daily basis as we witness direct attacks on our democracies, the return of war to our continent, the resurgence of imperial impulses and the floating of international rules by destabilizing powers while attempting to divide up the world to their advantage. Sir Keir Starmer hopes to use the occasion to urge the French president to sign up to a migrant returns deal.

1:23In his address, Mr Macron said the UK and France will make tangible results on migration, something he called a burden for both countries. The Times' Home Affairs editor, Matt Dathan, says the conditions for progress are more favorable than under previous Tory governments. It's simply a change of administration. You don't have Conservatives in power anymore and therefore this idea of punishing Britain over Brexit has gone away. You've got Akir Starmer, obviously a prominent Remain campaigner in charge and obviously his willingness to reset relations. But also you've got Bruno Rettier, the interior minister, came in in September.

1:55Vett Cooper, our Home Secretary, has really gone out of a way to try and understand what's important to him. An inquiry has found at least 13 people may have taken their own lives as a result of the post office scandal. Thousands of workers were accused and convicted of wrongdoing because of the faulty IT software Horizon. The first part of a report says bosses maintained the fiction that its data was accurate but should have known otherwise. The business minister, Gareth Thomas, has condemned the failings in the comments. Blameless people were impoverished, bankrupted, stressed beyond belief, lost their jobs, their marriages, their reputations, their mental health.

2:32In some cases, lost their lives. The chair of a public inquiry into the Southport murders says he'll suggest achievable changes to protect the most vulnerable from other horrors. Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford's made an opening statement as proceedings got underway at Liverpool Town Hall. The perpetrator is responsible for one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history. Ordinary language simply fails to reflect the enormity of what he did. Police investigating the crash that killed the Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota say it's likely his vehicle was significantly exceeding the speed limit.

3:12A statement from the Zamora Civil Guard also says it's probable Jota was driving. He and his brother Andre Silva died when the Lamborghini came off the A52 motorway in northwest Spain last Thursday. And the former Masterchef host Greg Wallace claims he's been cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations relating to his behaviour. It's ahead of a report looking into his alleged misconduct while working on BBC programmes. Allegations surfaced last year, which he strenuously denies. The 60-year-old presenter insists he'll not go quietly following reports he's been dropped by the broadcaster.

3:46And remember, you can follow The Times News Briefing on Spotify and you can listen live to Times Radio Online.

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