Morning briefing Thursday 3rd September

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.

0:35This is Times Radio's morning briefing on Thursday 3rd September. Kemi Baden-Ock will set out plans to find£10 billion a year to boost defence spending, including sweeping cuts to welfare and scrapping the Chagos Islands deal. The Conservative leader says the savings would allow Britain to spend 3 % of GDP on defence by 2030. Andy Burnham insists there's no problem with Labour's commitment to defence, but his Chancellor John Healey is under pressure to explain how the government will pay for it. Former head of the army, Lord Danner, told Times Radio Mr Healy, who resigned as defence secretary over the issue, is now facing the financial realities himself.

1:14My heart bleeds for John Healy. I mean, he resigned as defence secretary over Keir Starmer's unwillingness and Rachel Reid's inability to fund defence. He's now caught by his own petard and now realises the wider financial issues that the government has got. But we've got to find our way through this because as much as we'd love to have the best social care system in the world, we'd love to go on playing welfare benefits, we'd love to do lots of things like cheap bus rides and so on and so forth, but our security is really, really critical. Andy Burnham is facing growing pressure over whether taxes will have to rise as the government grapples with the increasing cost of borrowing.

1:52The Prime Minister insists his government will be grounded in fiscal responsibility, but refused at PMQs to rule out tax rises in next month's budget. Conservative leader Kemi Badenot says Mr Burnham has announced a string of spending commitments without explaining how he'll pay for them. Labour MP Rachel Muskell says the wider tax system now needs to be overhauled. One thing I do know is that we can't continue on the unfair distribution of taxation in our country but also the unfair spending commitments that have been made in the past. We have got to completely rip up the system that doesn't work, where people pay so much more in income than they do from their wealth, where they also see that greater concentration of spend in London and the southeast as opposed to in the towns and communities across the north and elsewhere in the country.

2:42At least two people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting in downtown Minneapolis. Three police officers are among the injured after gunfire at an apartment building near the city's convention centre. The UK and France are boosting officer numbers as part of efforts to stop so-called mega-dinghies crossing the Channel. The Prime Minister will host Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street later to discuss migrant numbers. Andy Burnham says the two countries must stay one step ahead of people smuggling gangs. More than a quarter of young people who aren't in education, employment or training are living at home without claiming benefits, according to the Institute for Fiscal studies.

3:24Around 300 ,000 so-called hidden NEATs are instead relying on family support, with more than half of them holding a degree. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

3:53So 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.

4:23Hey, everybody, it's Farnoosh Charabi from the So Money Podcast. Today'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.