Morning briefing Monday 24th 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 Morning Briefing on Monday the 24th of November. I'm Daryl Jackson. Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky said he's grateful to each and every person offering support to his country as negotiations on an agreement to end the war in Ukraine continue in Switzerland later.

0:50He says there are signs that the US understands why he's concerned about some aspects of Donald Trump's peace plan. And Ukrainian MP Alexei Goncherenko told Times Radio while he's hopeful of a peace deal soon, there's a major part of the plan he's not happy with. The biggest concern is this point, which is about Ukraine giving up out of land in Donbass, which Russia failed to conquer. It's not just about land, it's about people, it's about cities which are heavily fortified. So it's a bad proposition from all points of view. The Times is reporting this morning that Rachel Reeves will hit more than 100 ,000 of Britain's most expensive properties with a surcharge worth an average of£4 ,500 as she seeks to balance the books by increasing taxes on the wealthy.

1:39The threshold at which it applies will be properties worth£2 million and over. The Chancellor plans to raise around£400 million from the levy, which will be collected through council tax bills. Political economist Will Hutton told Times Radio it's probably a good move. Lots of my contemporaries are living in homes that are north of the million, one and a half million, having done absolutely nothing really except buy a house when they were younger and kind of watch the whole thing up in value. The case for doing this is very strong indeed, actually. If the top of the property market has more sellers than it would have done otherwise, it'll make some places more available to families than are not available at the moment.

2:19Sir Keir Starmer says he absolutely wants Angela Rayner back in his cabinet. The Prime Minister says his former deputy is the best example ever of social mobility in the UK and that he's still in contact with her. She resigned in September for failing to pay the correct amount of stamp duty. Former Labour advisor Susie Stride told Times Radio she hopes Angela Rayner makes a comeback. Angela Rayner is powerful and is influential. The fact that she's not the empty leader anymore doesn't take that away from her, and in my view, nor should it. It is wise and good to be speaking of her in this way.

2:53Personally, I think it would be a big bonus to see her back in the team. I'm not saying this is something that's going to happen overnight. Former Prime Minister David Cameron's revealed he was successfully treated for prostate cancer last year. He was persuaded to get checked by his wife, Samantha, after listening to a radio interview about the disease. Jack Sellers, former advisor to Rishi Sunak, told Times Radio it's good the former PM has spoken out. He's coming out to sort of raise awareness of this and to back, you know, a wider sort of screening programme for high-risk groups like black men or for people with a family history of prostate cancer.

3:30So, I mean, a bit of positive action off the back of what is, I imagine, was a very scary time. And you can hear more on all of those stories throughout the day over on Times Radio.

3:47This 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. Are you really buying a car online on Autotrader right now?

4:31Really? I can get super specific with dealer listings and see cars based on my budget. You can really have it delivered. Or pick it up. I think your kid is walking up the slide. Really? Autotrader. Buy your car online. Really?