Morning briefing Friday 3rd 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. This is Times Radio's Morning Briefing on Friday the 3rd of July. Sakia Starmer's most likely successor as Prime Minister says there is room in Labour's manifesto for movements on tax.

0:45In his first interview since his return to Westminster as an MP, Andy Burnham said he would stick to the manifesto's central pledge, which is not to increase the main rate of income tax, national insurance or VAT. But economists say it's likely that Burnham will have to raise taxes to increase public spending, given he will also have to find almost£5 billion more for defence in his first budget. James Lyons is a former No. 10 Director of Communications. He says Burnham could find a way to navigate the numbers. £5 billion is peanuts. The government spends£1.2 trillion every year. And actually, twice every year, you have to make sure that you've somehow balanced the books over the kind of medium term.

1:32It's rather like landing a jumbo jet on a postage stamp. So it could be that this£5 billion just gets magically wiped out by changing economic forecasts. British military bases will be reinforced with counter-drone weapons amid concern about Russian espionage at high-security installations across Europe. More than£750 million will be spent on drone protection, as outlined in the Defence Investment Plan this week. Many pubs are expected to be closed for England's World Cup match against Mexico in the early hours of Monday, despite the government permissing them to stay open until 5am. The blanket extension means individual pubs do not need to apply for extended hours, but some pub owners have said issues with staffing, as well as being located in residential areas, will mean their doors won't be open.

2:23A spokesperson for Wetherspoon said only five of its 800 pubs will be open for the match. A volunteer archivist has stumbled upon a rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Kew in West London. It was discovered in May, just two months before tomorrow's celebrations of the 250th anniversary of independence on the 4th of July. The document is an extremely rare 1776 printing from Exeter in New Hampshire and is one of only 11 copies of its kind in the world. Dr Graham Moore is a curator at the National Archives. he says it also tells a fascinating story. Not only is it new to us, and it's a rare one, there's only 11 now of this Exeter declaration in the world, it's also one of the copies which we know the most about.

3:09We've been able to tell the story of not only the declaration itself, but also the crew of the ship that was carrying it as they travel from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and then to the European waters in the Atlantic where they're captured. And the NHS in England is to start a reward scheme for people doing exercise. Early next year, the health service will launch a marathon a month challenge asking people to walk for around 30 minutes every day. Those who complete it will hit roughly 26 miles a month. Users will be able to log their walks online or through their phone or smartwatch and could then be eligible for rewards such as incentives and discounts.

3:47There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

3:54This 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.

4:38I love days like these at the pool, but my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis can sometimes take me out of the moment. I'm ready to make a splash with clearer skin Thanks to SkyRizzy SkyRizzy is a prescription only injection For adults who are candidates for systemic or phototherapy At 4 months, most people saw 90 % clearer skin When measured from head to toe And many were even 100 % plaque free People also saw significant improvement In psoriasis symptoms of pain, redness, itching and burning Don't use if allergic to SkyRizzy Serious allergic reactions, increased infections Or lower ability to fight them may occur Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis.

5:16Tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. Now there's nothing on my skin, thanks to SkyRizzy. And that means everything. Ask your doctor about SkyRizzy, the number one dermatologist prescribed biologic and psoriasis. Visit SkyRizzy.com or call 1-866-SKYRizzy to learn more.