Morning briefing Monday 21st 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 The Times Morning Briefing on Monday the 21st of July. I'm Daryl Jackson. A water watchdog's being set up to give consumers more protection.

0:45The new ombudsman will have the legal power to resolve disputes, meaning unhappy bill payers will have a single point of contact for complaints. A major review is also going to be released this morning, which could lead to the regulator Ofwat being scrapped. Professor Becky Mulby, founder of the Sewage Campaign Network, told Times Radio that renationalising water would be the best option. We've all been paying our bills, so between 20 and 50 % of our bills is currently being used to service their debt. If we're in public ownership, all of that money will be going straight to front line sewage pollution reduction, straight to dealing with the terrible state of our infrastructure and our assets.

1:26All of that money could be mobilised. A school in Minehead will reopen for the first time later since a bus crash which left one pupil dead and others injured. Minehead Middle School in Somerset closed on Friday. after a school bus with 60 to 70 of its pupils and staff crashed on Thursday afternoon while returning from a trip to Exmoor Zoo. A 10-year-old boy died and six children and three adults remain in hospital. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to reject pressure from left-wing Labour MPs to implement a wealth tax after Cabinet ministers warned it wouldn't raise any money. That's because they think wealthy people would simply leave the UK.

2:07Well, the Times' Stephen Swinford has the details. We've spoken to a succession of senior people in government and they are telling us if you do this, it doesn't actually raise any money. In fact, it can do serious damage to the economy because it can discourage investment in this country. It can encourage people to leave. In most countries that have tried wealth taxes have ended up abandoning them because they either raise so little or they actually do serious economic damage. NHS leaders have told The Times that doctors who are members of the British Medical Association will be able to triple their salary by covering for junior colleagues during industrial action.

2:48Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, are due to begin a five-day walkout from Friday. That's expected to lead to the cancellation of 100 ,000 appointments. Adam Payne from Politics Home told Times Radio the strike could be disastrous for the government. When you speak to people in the NHS, they say that if these strikes do happen, this is going to really potentially derail the government's waiting list targets. And obviously that is such an important part of the government's programme. And West Streeting and the government have played pretty hard up to now. They've accused the doctors of endangering public safety, of not having the public behind them.

3:25There has to be a negotiated outcome at some point. And the Defence Secretary will call for a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine when he chairs a meeting of Kyiv's allies later. Don Healy is expected to argue that the West should again boost its military support in an effort to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. And you can hear more on all of those stories throughout the day over 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. Hey everybody, it's Farnoosh Tarabi from the So Money Podcast.

4:38Today's episode is sponsored by NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast, the show that breaks down financial decisions with a team of trusted journalists. You'll get research-backed insights and clear pros and cons, whether you're planning a big purchase or just want to grow your wealth. They explain the why behind decisions like investing, home buying, and choosing credit cards with clear research-backed insights. Make your next financial move with confidence. Follow NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast app.