Morning briefing Tuesday 18th 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 for Tuesday the 18th of November. Nearly 30 MPs have publicly criticised the proposed reforms of the asylum system announced by the Home Secretary.

0:45Shabana Mahmood said yesterday that a 33-page document of measures was necessary to overhaul a system that was, in her words, making our country a more divided place. The Conservatives and Reform UK welcomed some of the proposals, but Sarah Owen, the chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, described them as repugnant. Speaking to Times Radio, Seema Saeeda from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants was equally strong in her condemnation. It's really, really inhumane to be displaced after all the trauma of their original displacement. I have a Syrian friend who's come here and his young child is here too and has started going to school here.

1:26And the idea, every two and a half years, this child has to be put through the stress and trauma of not knowing if they're going to be able to stay. The Home Secretary has said she will begin the removal of families to save countries and will also consult on changing the rules governing the provision of financial support. Nigel Farage says he would stop benefits payments to the 4.2 million EU citizens in the UK who claim universal credit. At a press conference later, he'll outline how a reformed UK government would plug the gap in the Treasury's finances and prevent tax increases. The political editor for The Times, Stephen Swinford, says Farage would have to be wary of potential retaliation.

2:08We have a reciprocal agreement where if there are British citizens who are in the European Union, they can claim benefits in those countries and European citizens in the UK can claim benefits in the UK. If you bust up our agreement, that then can see a whole range of retaliation that the EU would be entitled to take, so it could get very messy. Polling by The Times has found that almost half of Labour voters want Zakir Starmer to resign before the next general election. The survey of 2 ,100 people shows that 23 % of Labour voters think he's a liability and should step down straight away. The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution drafted by the United States endorsing President Trump's peace plan for Gaza.

2:51The resolution authorises an international stabilization force in the territory. Ambassador Barbara Leaf served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. She says the resolution will have to bear up to significant scrutiny. What are the details to be had in terms of the mechanics of setting up, whether it's the International Stabilization Force or the Board of Peace, which will oversee a technocratic government? Who is going to be making the decisions? Who's going to populate that government. Will Palestinians have a voice in this? And reselling tickets for live events for profits is expected to be banned by the government.

3:29In what will be welcome news for concertgoers and football fans, the Financial Times has learned that ministers are expected to announce this week a plan to tackle touts and resale sites. You can follow the Times News briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online.

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