Radio West, Nottingham (2025)

29/09/2025

NEWS: Rachel Reeves has said she is facing “harsh global headwinds” as she hinted at further tax rises to come in the Budget.

The Chancellor used her Labour Party conference speech to insist that she would keep control of the public finances and would “not take risks with the trust placed in us by the British people”.

But she acknowledged that her choices had been made “harder” by international events and the “long-term damage” done to the economy.

Ahead of her keynote speech in Liverpool Ms Reeves had warned that “the world has changed” since she promised business chiefs she would not repeat the tax raid of her first budget.

“I think everyone can see in the last year that the world has changed, and we’re not immune to that change,” the Chancellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Whether it is wars in Europe and the Middle East, whether it is increased barriers to trade because of tariffs coming from the United States, whether it is the global cost of borrowing, we’re not immune to any of those things.

“It’s very important that we maintain those commitments to economic stability because we rely on people to buy Government debt to be able to finance the things that we’re doing as a country.

“I wish it wasn’t so, but I am Chancellor in the world as it is, not the world that I might wish it to be.”

She told the conference: “In the months ahead we will face further tests, with the choices to come made all the harder by harsh global headwinds and the long-term damage done to our economy, which is becoming ever clearer.”

Experts have said Ms Reeves will have to increase taxes or cut spending to fill a black hole in her budget, which the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has estimated could be as much as £50 billion.

Ms Reeves said she would “not take risks with Britain’s economic stability”, adding: “I will make my choices at that budget.

“They will be choices to take our country forward.

“And whatever tests come our way, whatever tests come my way, I make this commitment to you: I will take no risks with the trust placed in us by the British people.”

Speaking to Sky News after the speech, senior Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones failed to rule out whether Labour would stick by its manifesto commitment to not raise VAT, income tax or national insurance for working people.

“I am not ruling anything out, or anything in. All I’m saying is today the manifesto stands.

“We’ve got a budget process to go through, and any decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way,” the PM’s Chief Secretary said.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has said it will restart some manufacturing production in the “coming days” as it continues to deal with the fallout from a major cyber attack.

The group said some sections of its production operations will resume amid a “controlled, phased restart of our operations”, having paused all manufacturing since the start of the month after being targeted by hackers.

It said while there is “much more to do”, work to ensure its recovery is “firmly under way”.

A Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) spokesperson said: “As the controlled, phased restart of our operations continues, we are taking further steps towards our recovery and the return to manufacture of our world-class vehicles.

“Today we are informing colleagues, retailers and suppliers that some sections of our manufacturing operations will resume in the coming days.”

“We know there is much more to do but the foundational work of our recovery is firmly under way, and we will continue to provide updates as we progress,” they added.

JLR had recently extended the production pause until at least October 1 after its systems were hacked, impacting its factories in Halewood, on Merseyside, and Solihull in the West Midlands, and its engine manufacturing site in Wolverhampton.

Experts have warned the production shutdown could hit the group’s bottom line by around £120 million, with the firm thought to usually build about 1,000 cars a day.

The pause has also left its suppliers in limbo leading to calls for urgent financial support, with the Government announcing over the weekend it would underwrite a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to JLR to give suppliers some certainty over payments.

The loan, from a commercial bank, will help to bolster JLR’s cash reserves as it pays back companies in its supply chain, who have been majorly impacted by the shutdown.

Unions and politicians have raised fears that small suppliers producing parts for the car giant could collapse without financial support.

JLR has the largest supply chain in the UK automotive sector, which employs around 120,000 people and is largely made up of small and medium-sized businesses.

In the aftermath of the attack on August 31, ministers have been in contact daily with JLR and cyber experts, as the company attempts to restart production.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: Long-term unemployed youths will be guaranteed paid work and could face being stripped of benefits if they refuse to take it up, Rachel Reeves will announce.

The Chancellor will make the case for a society founded on “contribution” as she unveils plans for a “youth guarantee” aimed at driving down unemployment.

In a Labour conference speech two months before a Budget which is expected to involve tough decisions on tax and spending, Ms Reeves will also set out plans to fund libraries in all English primary schools and pledge measures to support British steelmaking and shipbuilding.

And she will promise a “hit squad” of investigators will target Covid fraudsters to hit them with fines of up to 100% of the value of the money they swindled from the taxpayer.

The Chancellor is expected to use her speech in Liverpool to say that British society must be built on the principles of doing “our duty for each other” and “hard work matched by fair reward”.

Under plans to be announced on Monday, every young person who has received universal credit benefits for 18 months without “earning or learning” will be guaranteed an offer of a paid work placement.

Claimants will face sanctions such as losing their benefits if they refuse to take up jobs under the scheme without a reasonable excuse, the PA news agency understands.

One in eight 16 to 24-year-olds are currently not in education, work, or training.

Ms Reeves is expected to say: “We won’t leave a generation of young people to languish without prospects – denied the dignity, the security and the ladders of opportunity that good work provides.”

The guarantee, which will be overseen by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, forms part of a pledge of “nothing less than the abolition of long-term youth unemployment”.

The Chancellor is expected to say: “Every young person will be guaranteed either a place in a college, for those who want to continue their studies, or an apprenticeship, to help them learn a trade vital to our plans to rebuild the country, or one-to-one support to find a job.

“But more than that, our guarantee will ensure that any young person out of work for 18 months will be given a paid work placement. Real work, practical experience, and new skills.”

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: “Rachel Reeves says she wants to abolish youth unemployment – yet in her very first budget she introduced a £25 billion jobs tax that made it more expensive for businesses to hire, especially young people.”

Other measures in Ms Reeves’s speech will include funding for a library to the 1,700 English primary schools currently without one.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: A train ticketing trial which involves passengers paying for travel by having their phones tracked has been launched.

Rail minister Lord Hendy said the initiative in northern England will make rail travel “simpler and easier”.

From Monday, passengers travelling on Northern train services between Harrogate and Leeds will be able to pay for their journeys by boarding a train and pressing a button in an app on their phone.

GPS technology in their phone will detect where they get off the train, and they will be charged the lowest possible fare at the end of the day, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

A barcode will be produced by the app which can be scanned by ticket inspectors and at station barriers.

Passengers who take part in the trial will receive £15 of free credit.

The scheme will be rolled out to services journeys between Sheffield and Doncaster, and Sheffield and Barnsley, in the coming weeks.

Lord Hendy said: “We’re bringing ticketing into the 21st century.

“These trials are modernising fares and ticketing, making it simpler and easier for people to choose rail.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re delivering straightforward, stress-free train travel across the north, supporting passengers and boosting economic growth, jobs and homes.”

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “Introducing smart, location-based ticketing will remove barriers to rail travel and make it easier to get the best value fares without the need to plan ahead.

“I’d encourage everyone to take part in this trial.

“The results will help as we progress our ambition for an integrated Weaver Network seamlessly connecting travel options across West Yorkshire.”

A similar ticketing trial was launched on some East Midlands Railway routes on September 1.

Participants of the initiative will receive £15 of free credit “soon”, the DfT said.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

Good Morning! It's Monday 29 September 2025, birthdays for former track & field athlete Sebastian Coe (69), Suede's Brett Anderson (58), Bros' Luke & Matt Goss (57), actor/comedian Robert Webb (52), Les Mis tenor Alfie Boe (52) & Hear'Say's Suzanne Shaw (44).

Andy Lloyd's Morning Show is live every weekday from 09:00 with three hours of music, news & sport with The Retro Chart, Old Shaw's Almanac, The Bradshaws, a featured birthday artist & Nuts at Nine.

Support the programme: coff.ee/andylloyd, paypal.me/andrewlloyd or buy a cool morning show mug www.radiomugs.com

29/09/2025

NEWS: School closures and a free school meals “blunder” which ended in an embarrassing U-turn by Boris Johnson’s government during the pandemic are expected to be among issues scrutinised in upcoming hearings of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

It has not been confirmed whether the former prime minister will be called to give evidence as part of the children and young people module, which begins on Monday.

But former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson is thought to be among those due to face a grilling by lawyers in the coming weeks.

It is expected various issues including provision for and decision-making around the most vulnerable young people will be considered as part of the eighth module of the inquiry.

Previous hearings in a separate module saw a former key adviser to Mr Johnson say the then-government had made a “huge blunder” around the Marcus Rashford free school meals campaign, lamenting a lack of diversity among policymakers.

The then-prime minister was told “hungry children” were not the place to start when considering restraint on public finances in the pandemic, former No 10 director of communications Lee Cain said in a written statement to the inquiry in 2023.

England footballer Rashford waged a high-profile campaign in 2020 to persuade the government to provide free meals to vulnerable youngsters in England throughout the school holidays during the pandemic, forcing Mr Johnson into a somewhat embarrassing U-turn, having initially rejected calls to extend the food voucher system into the holiday period.

The player was subsequently made an MBE in recognition of his activism, dedicating the honour to his mother and vowing to continue his work to help disadvantaged children.

The Covid inquiry has previously heard that Sir Gavin will be called to give evidence in this upcoming module.

In his time in charge of the education brief, he came under repeated pressure to resign over his handling of disruption to schools and the fiasco around grading of GCSE and A-level students amid cancelled exams.

After more than two years in the job, Sir Gavin was sacked from his cabinet role in September 2021, although he at the time declared he was “proud” of his post-16 education reforms “despite the challenges” of the pandemic.

Schools were closed to most children in the pandemic amid fears over spread of the coronavirus.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: The British Medical Association has given the Health Secretary 48 hours to act and avoid going into dispute with GPs over online access plans which they claim could put the safety of patients and staff at risk.

From October 1, GP surgeries in England will be required to keep their online consultation tool open for the duration of their working hours for non-urgent appointment requests, medication queries and admin requests.

The change was announced by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England in February as part of the new GP contract for 2025/26 in a bid to end the 8am scramble for appointments on the phone.

At the time, officials said the move would be “subject to necessary safeguards in place to avoid urgent clinical requests being erroneously submitted online”.

However, the BMA said these safeguards have not been put in place and no additional staff have been brought in to manage what it predicts to be a “barrage of online requests”.

There are fears the change could lead to “hospital-style waiting lists in general practice” and “reduce face-to-face GP appointments”, according to the union.

It said this could risk patient safety as staff try to find the most urgent cases, with fears that reviewing online requests will take up too much time.

Many surgeries already have a system that allows patients to request consultations online, with staff reviewing these and booking appointments accordingly.

However, according to the DHSC there is a lack of consistency, with some surgeries choosing to switch the function off in busier periods.

Last week, the BMA announced that its GP members had voted to go into dispute over the change.

Ahead of the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, the BMA has called on Wes Streeting to take action and avoid the dispute.

Dr Katie Bramall, BMA GP committee chairwoman, said: “We agreed to these changes on the condition that ‘necessary safeguards’ would be put in place before Wednesday 1 October.

“This was agreed – in writing – with Government, DHSC, and NHSE in February this year.

“Now almost eight months later, it is deeply disappointing to see promises broken. We have worked incredibly hard to rebuild the trust between our exhausted profession and the Government, but now what are England’s GPs and practice teams supposed to think?

“The Secretary of State knows that when these changes come into effect it will likely lead to the creation of hospital-style waiting lists in general practice, reduce face-to-face GP appointments – as we’ll be triaging a barrage of online requests, consequently putting patients at risk of harm as we try to find the urgent cases among the huge pile of unmet patient need that’s out there.

“Mr Streeting needs to listen to us and understand how we believe GPs can deliver his ambitions safely. General practice is the leader in NHS tech innovation, we do everything online from systems to prescriptions, referrals and appointments.

“We’re not resistant to change but we will be when the safety of patients and practice staff is at risk. The Government has 48 hours to change course, avoid this dispute, and keep to their promises.”

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: Eating more fruit could reduce the impact of air pollution on the lungs, a study has suggested.

This could be down to the antioxidants naturally present in fruit, according to researchers.

The effect was also more pronounced in women who consumed four portions of fruit or more a day.

To explore the links between a healthy diet and better lung function, academics from the University of Leicester looked at UK Biobank data from 207,421 people.

Researchers compared their diets, including intake of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, with lung function – or FEV1, the amount of air exhaled in one second.

Air pollution was measured as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the concentration of tiny particles released into the air by the likes of cars and factories.

The team found that for every exposure to PM2.5 of five micrograms per cubic metre of air, FEV1 reduced by 78.1ml in people who did not eat a lot of fruit.

This compared with a 57.5ml reduction in women who consumed a lot of fruit.

Researchers said men generally reported eating less fruit than women, which could explain why the protective effect was seen in females.

Pimpika Kaewsri, a PhD student from the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester, presented the findings at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam.

She said: “Our study confirmed that a healthy diet is linked to better lung function in both men and women regardless of air pollution exposure.

“And that women who consumed four portions of fruit per day or more appeared to have smaller reductions in lung function associated with air pollution, compared to those who consumed less fruit.

“This may be partly explained by the antioxidant and anti-inflammation compounds naturally present in fruit.

“These compounds could help mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation caused by fine particles, potentially offsetting some of the harmful effects of air pollution on lung function.”

Professor Sara De Matteis, chairwoman of the European Respiratory Society’s expert group on occupational and environmental health, said it “confirms the potential respiratory health benefits of a healthy diet, especially rich in fresh fruit intake”.

“However, access to a healthy diet is not equally distributed in the population and, even if the authors adjusted for socio-economic-status, some residual confounding cannot be ruled out,” she added.

“A healthy plant-rich diet should be promoted in the population starting from primary school, not only for preventing chronic diseases, but also to reduce the carbon footprint of meat-rich diets.”

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: Artists are being invited to breathe life into the felled Sycamore Gap tree on the second anniversary of it being chopped down.

The National Trust is asking for creative bids to use the remnants of the famous tree, which stood beside Hadrian’s Wall for up to 120 years.

Once Britain’s most photographed tree, the sycamore was a symbol of Northumberland and it was the backdrop to marriage proposals, family day-trips and a meaningful place to scatter ashes.

But on September 28 2023, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers travelled from Cumbria during Storm Agnes and, in the pitch black, they felled the tree with a chainsaw, then revelled in the subsequent outrage.

Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, the pair were jailed for four years and three months after being convicted of criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian’s Wall.

The senseless destruction of a much-loved landmark led to an outpouring of emotion across the country and internationally.

The National Trust said its commission “seeks to turn that loss into a sense of hope, creative possibility, and reconnection with the natural world”.

Around half of the tree’s timber will be available for the project.

An existing piece of art using a large part of the trunk has already gone on show at The Sill visitor centre, run by Northumberland National Park.

Annie Reilly, the National Trust’s public engagement director, said: “Two years ago, we lost something very special from a much-loved landscape.

“This commission is a way of marking that iconic tree’s legacy while continuing an important conversation about our collective relationship with nature.

“After carefully looking after the wood since the felling, we’re now ready to bring it back to the people, in a completely new and transformed way.

“We want artists and organisations to come up with proposals that will inspire the public to connect with nature and the landscapes around them, using the timber as a symbolic focal point.

“It could be a design for a single artwork for one location or several pieces or something more dispersed or participatory.

“We want to reach and engage many people and can’t wait to see the ideas.”

Information on how to bid for the commission will be available on the National Trust website.

A shortlist will be drawn up, with the winner announced in February.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: The “space dust” which helps to form the stars and planets around the cosmos is spongier than previously thought, a group of scientists have found.

The international group of astronomers and astrochemists reviewed years’ of research to try and resolve a simple question – is cosmic dust porous?

These tiny dust grains are fundamental to astronomy and are found in the star-forming regions of space such as the Pillars of Creation.

Professor Martin McCoustra from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh took part in the study, which was published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Review.

The tiny dust grains are far from being like miniature rocks, he explained.

He said: “In fact, they’re more like fluffy little sponges, riddled with tiny voids.”

Cosmic dust can influence how light travels through space and form the building blocks for life.

The researchers found clues about dust porosity from different observations and space missions.

The European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission to comet 67P also found extremely fragile, fluffy dust particles, some with porosities exceeding 99%.

Professor McCoustra added: “Spongy grains could be more easily destroyed by shocks and radiation as they travel through interstellar space.”

He continued: “We should remember that nearly 100 years ago, astronomers did not believe molecules could exist in space, as the environment was considered too harsh.

“Today, astrochemistry is recognised as addressing fundamental questions in terms of star formation and the origins of life.”

Dr Alexey Potapov from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the lead author of the review, said: “If these grains are porous, that means they have a far greater surface area than we thought.

“That could radically change our understanding of how molecules form and evolve in space.”

However astronomers remain divided, with some models suggesting high porosity would make dust grains too cold or fragile to match what telescopes observe in interstellar clouds.

It was concluded that further observations, laboratory work and modelling are required to resolve the debate.

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: Hundreds of thousands more children are set to receive a free breakfast through a Government scheme, Bridget Phillipson has announced.

Around 2,000 primary schools throughout England will join the programme, in a move backed by £80 million.

It is thought the free morning meals will save parents up to £450 in childcare costs each year.

Ms Phillipson, the Education Secretary, unveiled the plan as Labour delegates and activists head to Liverpool for their party’s annual conference, which begins at the weekend.

“The start of the national rollout of free breakfast clubs will be an historic change in working families’ daily routines and is another example of this Labour Government making good on its promises to deliver the change the British people voted for,” she said.

“This is Labour choosing a path of renewal towards a fairer country, breaking down the barriers to opportunity and ensuring every child starts school ready to learn.”

Expanding the free breakfast clubs scheme to around 500,000 more children is intended to “make working parents’ lives easier and give all children the best start in life”, Ms Phillipson added.

The Government started trialling free breakfast clubs earlier in 2025 with an initial scheme for around 180,000 pupils, launched in 750 primaries after the Easter holidays in the last school year.

Labour vowed to “support families with children by introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school” in its 2024 manifesto.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT (the National Association of Head Teachers), welcomed the move but urged the Government to consider “concerns over funding, staffing and space within school buildings”.

He said: “We welcome the principle of free breakfast clubs being available in schools.

“A good breakfast helps children to concentrate on their learning and has enormous benefits for their health and wellbeing.

“However, it’s really important that feedback from the Government’s initial trial is taken into account as part of this roll-out.”

Radio NewsHub

29/09/2025

NEWS: The King and Queen will have a first meeting with the Pope during a state visit to Vatican City next month.

Buckingham Palace said the couple will join Leo XIV, elected earlier this year following the death of Pope Francis, in late October to celebrate the 2025 jubilee year.

Charles and Camilla had a meeting with Francis just 12 days before his death.

The couple’s historic state visit to the Vatican in early April was cancelled because of the Pope’s poor health, but they managed to visit the head of the Roman Catholic Church privately during their trip to Italy.

Charles and Camilla’s meeting with the Pope in what would be his final weeks was arranged at the last minute and took place on their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9, with the pontiff wanting to personally wish them a happy anniversary.

The King, in an official message released following the news of Francis’s death on April 21, said he and Camilla were “most deeply saddened”.

In May, Buckingham Palace said the King sent a private message to Pope Leo XIV, congratulating him on his election.

Pope Leo, the first ever pontiff from the US, marked the start of his papacy by calling for unity within the church and for it to act as a “leaven of harmony for humanity”.

Formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago, Pope Leo was elected on May 8 after a conclave meeting of 133 cardinals from 70 countries in just over 24 hours.

In the days after his election, the 70-year-old outlined some of his key priorities as Pope, saying the Holy See’s three pillars of diplomacy are peace, justice and truth during his first foreign policy address.

During his first Sunday blessing, Leo called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Leo has also identified artificial intelligence as one of the most critical issues facing humanity, saying it poses challenges to defending human dignity, justice and labour.

He is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru, where he first served as a missionary and then as archbishop, meaning he is the first Pope from each country.

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