X-Pat Radio Two, Carretera Los Abrigos, 187 (2025)

03/09/2025

Good Morning! It's Wednesday 03 September 2025, birthdays for ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones (70), actor Charlie Sheen (60), ex-foorballered & England manager Gareth Southgate (55), singer Jennifer Paige (52) & TV presenter Fearne Cotton (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

03/09/2025

NEWS: The new Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said he wants to “reclaim” populism after a landslide victory that will see his party shift its politics to the left.

Mr Polanski, who spoke of wanting to shift the party’s politics towards “eco-populism” during the leadership race, could offer a fresh headache to Sir Keir Starmer’s Government from the political left.

The new Green leader warned “we are here to replace you” in a message to Labour during his victory speech.

He also hit out at the “charlatans” of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, while acknowledging many voters are drawn to the party as a result of feeling “hopeless”.

The London Assembly member later told the PA news agency he wanted to reclaim the word “populist” from Nigel Farage.

“We want to reclaim the word ‘populist’, the word ‘patriot’, and even the flag.

“I think we need to stop giving these symbols and these ideas to the right just because they shout louder.”

He said the Green Party could learn from Reform’s success in storytelling.

“I despise Nigel Farage politics and everything he stands for. He takes misinformation and lies and then combines it with a powerful story.

“We will never take misinformation and lies, but what I think we can learn from is the powerful stories, which is why we often see Reform polling at the top.”

Put to him that while the Greens match the number of Reform MPs – four each – they have failed so far to match that party’s climbing membership figures and polling, Mr Polanski said he intended to change that immediately.

The Green Party now has 68,500 members, while Reform UK has more than 200,000.

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03/09/2025

NEWS: The Tories will challenge the Government to rule out property tax rises in the autumn budget in a Commons vote.

Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly said “a family home is not a piggy bank to raid” ahead of an Opposition Day debate on Wednesday which will centre on speculation that the Chancellor could scrap private residence relief.

Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering ending the exemption from capital gains tax (CGT) for more expensive homes as she searches for ways to raise revenue.

The Conservatives will seek to force a vote calling on the Government not to impose CGT and not to introduce an annual property levy affecting family homes or higher rates of council tax.

They will also urge ministers not to bring in a land value tax, or to lower thresholds or further increase liability to inheritance tax, for example, by changing the seven-year gift rule.

The scale of the challenge facing the Chancellor in the autumn budget was illustrated by the NIESR economic think tank saying last month that Ms Reeves was set for a £41 billion shortfall on her self-imposed rule of balancing day-to-day spending with tax receipts in 2029-30.

That has led to speculation about how she might raise cash as she seeks to balance the books, with reports suggesting changes to inheritance tax are also among the measures under consideration.

Under existing UK rules, gifts made more than seven years before a person’s death are exempt from inheritance tax.

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03/09/2025

NEWS: The Queen has made her first public appearance since the revelation she fought off a man who groped her on a train when she was a teenager.

Camilla toured the headquarters of the international disaster relief charity ShelterBox and learned about the latest equipment used by the organisation she supports as patron.

Since it was founded in 2000, more than three million people displaced by conflict, natural disasters or the climate crisis have been helped in around 100 countries by the charity based in Truro, Cornwall.

The Queen was all smiles when she arrived at the charity’s offices in Truro following the revelation at the weekend she did “what my mother taught me” and took off her shoe to fend off the man, as she travelled to London’s Paddington station in the early 1960s.

Camilla has kept the incident private, preferring to focus on survivors of domestic violence and sexual assaults she has supported for many years, but it has been featured in a new book with extracts published on Sunday.

The attack is recounted in the book Power And The Palace: The Inside Story Of The Monarchy And 10 Downing Street by Valentine Low, a former royal reporter for The Times newspaper.

A source close to the Queen has said: “If some good comes of this publication, which is that the wider issues are discussed, it de-stigmatises the whole topic and empowers girls today to take action and seek help and to talk about it, then that’s a good outcome.”

During her tour the Queen was shown ShelterBox’s green boxes, now no longer used, and reflected “from small beginnings” and said: “Unfortunately you’re needed more and more – that’s the problem.”

Camilla gave an impromptu speech during a plaque unveiling to mark her visit and joked about the moment she came across ShelterBox’s work during an official visit to Pakistan.

She made the gathered staff, volunteers and supporters laugh when she said: “I can’t believe it’s 18 years since seeing the two good-looking Cornishmen come up in Pakistan after the earthquake there, I couldn’t believe my eyes I thought ‘what on earth are they doing’ with a mule and a box on top?

“So I went back and found out a little bit more about this wonderful charity and, after that, the rest is history as they say.”

Camilla spent the day in Cornwall and later travelled to Newquay where she visited projects supported by Cornwall Community Foundation, of which she is patron.

She ended her time in the county by opening the new operations unit at Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust’s headquarters on the outskirts of Newquay and formally named the organisation’s new helicopter as the Duke of Cornwall.

The Queen has been the air ambulance’s patron since 2009 and minutes after she left its first helicopter was called out on a mission.

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03/09/2025

NEWS: A woman who died after falling from a block of flats in Southampton has been named by police, as a murder investigation into her death continues.

Emergency services were called to reports a woman had fallen from the flats in Cuckmere Lane shortly after 2.40pm on Thursday.

Tia Langdon, 25, from Southampton, was found at the scene with significant injuries after an incident occurred within one of the flats. She died in hospital on Friday.

Her family are being supported by specialist officers.

An 18-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday as part of the investigation, the force said.

Officers are continuing to investigate the circumstances around the incident.

Anyone with information on the incident should speak with local officers, call 101 or report to the force online quoting incident number 44250389733.

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03/09/2025

NEWS: A career criminal was branded a “violent, inhumane coward” as he was jailed for a minimum of 45 years for killing a former prison officer.

Elias Morgan, 35, shot father-of-three Lenny Scott after the 33-year-old found a phone in Morgan’s cell while working at HMP Altcourse in Merseyside.

The phone revealed Morgan was in a sexual relationship with a female prison officer, Preston Crown Court heard.

Morgan, from Edge Hill, Liverpool, first tried to bribe Mr Scott, offering him £1,500 to “lose” the phone.

When the officer refused and reported the find, Morgan threatened his family before vowing revenge, telling Mr Scott “I’ll bide my time” and making a gun gesture.

Almost four years later, after Morgan had served his sentence and Mr Scott, from Prescot, Merseyside, had left the Prison Service, he carried out the threat.

Mr Scott was leaving a gym in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on the evening of February 8 last year.

Morgan shot him with a 9mm handgun once in the head and five times in the body before fleeing on an electric scooter.

Mr Scott, a “devoted” father of twin boys and a young girl, stood no chance of defending himself from the ambush, the court heard.

Morgan sat impassively in the dock as his victim’s family read personal statements about the impact of the murder.

Mr Scott’s tearful mother, Paula Scott, told Morgan: “You killed him for doing his job, for doing the right thing.

“You didn’t give him a chance. My son was everything you are not. He was strong, brave, honest, respectful, hardworking, kind and principled.

“You are a violent, inhumane coward.”

Morgan was arrested after detectives from Lancashire Constabulary uncovered the threats he had made.

He had denied any involvement but was convicted of murder by a jury last Friday after a nine-week trial.

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02/09/2025

NEWS: The Government has defended the Online Safety Act after Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech.

In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators.

The Government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech and said it is not designed to censor political debate.

Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as po*******hy or material that encourages su***de.

This includes a new duty for online providers to reduce the risk that users encounter illegal content as well as age verification measures in the UK to access pornographic content.

“As a result, the act’s laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach. Without a more balanced, collaborative approach, free speech will suffer,” X said.

It accused regulators of taking a “heavy-handed approach” and said that “many are now concerned that a plan ostensibly intended to keep children safe is at risk of seriously infringing on the public’s right to free expression”.

Ofcom said this week it had launched investigations into 34 po*******hy sites for new age-check requirements.

The company said “a balanced approach is the only way to protect individual liberties, encourage innovation and safeguard children”.

A Government spokesperson said: “It is demonstrably false that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech.

“As well as legal duties to keep children safe, the very same law places clear and unequivocal duties on platforms to protect freedom of expression. Failure to meet either obligation can lead to severe penalties, including fines of up to 10% of global revenue or £18 million, whichever is greater.

“The Act is not designed to censor political debate and does not require platforms to age gate any content other than those which present the most serious risks to children such as po*******hy or su***de and self-harm content.

“Platforms have had several months to prepare for this law. It is a disservice to their users to hide behind deadlines as an excuse for failing to properly implement it.”

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle became embroiled in a row with Nigel Farage earlier this week over Reform UK’s pledge that it would scrap the Act if the party came into power.

He said the Reform UK leader of being on the side of “extreme pornographers”.

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02/09/2025

NEWS: The burden placed on school and college leaders and teachers has “never been higher”, a teaching union has warned.

Schools are having to run food banks and support families with housing as under-funded wider public services “crumble around them”, a report by union the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said.

There services are important, but cannot be continue to be the responsibility of schools and teachers, the union added.

Julie McCulloch, director of strategy and policy at ASCL, said: “In recent years the expectations on schools and colleges have grown way beyond teaching and learning to encompass a wide range of societal responsibilities.

“Some of this can be traced back to the pandemic, but also to high child poverty rates and crumbling public services, meaning that schools and colleges are left to pick up the pieces.”

The ASCL has set out what services schools should reasonably be expected to provide, and which should be the responsibility of other agencies that schools may liaise with.

Things like dental checks, health of pupils’ families, and pupil behaviour on social media out of school hours should not be expected of schools, the report said.

“From running food banks and supporting families with housing, to resolving parking issues and mediating parental disputes, the burden placed on school and college teachers and leaders has never been higher,” Ms McCulloch added.

“Some of these issues are obviously of great importance but they cannot continue to be shouldered by educators.”

The report also sets out some responsibilities that the ASCL said schools might reasonably be expected to take on, if they are given the proper funding and resources to do so.

These include providing technology for pupils, pupils’ personal hygiene, ensuring support detailed in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is met, and reducing youth violence.

A study by the University of Bristol last year found schools had become the biggest source of charitable food and household aid, with around one in five schools running one.

The Government should set out a long-term plan for education like the one it has for the NHS, the ASCL said, and a strategy that clearly maps out who is responsible for different services in local areas.

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02/09/2025

NEWS: A three-minute brainwave test could detect signs of memory problems linked to Alzheimer’s disease years before clinical diagnosis is possible, a trial has found.

Researchers suggest this could be a cheap tool for those who struggle to get a diagnosis, and can be used in multiple settings, including the home.

Fastball, developed at the University of Bath, is a new method that uses EEG (electroencephalogram), a test that records the electrical activity of the brain by placing small sensors on the scalp.

It presents patients with rapid images and records the brain’s automatic response.

The study, led by experts from the universities of Bath and Bristol, and published in the journal Brain Communications, included 52 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – a decline in memory or thinking skills – and 54 healthy older adults.

Not all MCI cases progress to Alzheimer’s disease, but it can be an early sign and risk factor for the condition.

As well as the Fastball test, patients on the trial also completed a number of neuropsychological assessments of memory, sustained attention and general cognitive function.

Researchers found those with amnestic MCI – when the main symptom is significant memory loss, such as forgetting appointments and recent conversations – showed significantly reduced responses to the Fastball test compared to healthy patients and those with non-amnestic MCI.

Researchers re-tested the group after one year and found Fastball “showed moderate to good test-retest reliability” in healthy older adults.

The study also demonstrated for the first time that the test can be performed in the home of patients.

Dr George Stothart, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, led the study. He said: “We’re missing the first 10 to 20 years of Alzheimer’s with current diagnostic tools.

“Fastball offers a way to change that – detecting memory decline far earlier and more objectively, using a quick and passive test.

The Alzheimer’s Society estimates there are around 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, but more than a third do not have a diagnosis.

The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

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02/09/2025

NEWS: More than 700,000 GCSE physics students could be without a specialist teacher, a report has warned.

The Institute of Physics (IOP) has called for urgent action to tackle the shortage in physics teachers to stop students missing out, warning pupils without access to a specialist teacher are much less likely to take physics further.

In July, the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found a quarter of secondary schools from a sample of 2,296 reported having no specialist physics teachers in the School Workforce Census.

Just 16% of total teaching hours for combined science are provided by a physics teacher with a post-A-level qualification, the IOP-commissioned NFER analysis found.

For separate physics GCSEs, Government data shows 72% of teaching hours were taught by a specialist teacher.

Combining the NFER and Government data, the IOP estimated about 58% of physics lessons at GCSE are taught by a non-specialist teacher, which the institute said equates to more than 350,000 students in year 11 alone, and more than 700,000 across both GCSE years.

Tom Grinyer, chief executive of the IOP, said: “Despite the often-heroic efforts of teachers having to work in unfamiliar subjects, inevitably many of those students are missing out. Research shows that pupils without access to a specialist physics teacher are much less likely to choose to study the subject at A-level.

“If we fail to tackle this challenge, then we are failing to nurture the scientists and innovators of tomorrow – with serious consequences for our society and economy.”

Physics has faced several years of specialist teacher shortages as one of the worst-hit subjects by a recruitment and retention crisis.

NFER’s most recent data found the number of applications to teach physics has increased by 38% since July 2024. Despite this, physics was still only projected to hit around 70% of its target for secondary school recruitment for 2025.

Students in schools with no specialist physics teachers are half as likely to progress to A-level physics, the report said.

Judith Hillier, the IOP’s vice president for learning and skills, said there are about 300 schools with no students progressing to A-level physics, and this is more common in poorer areas.

“Despite some recent increases in the numbers taking physics A-level, it is clear that far too many young people are still being denied access to a specialist physics teacher, and to the opportunities that helps unlock for their attainment and progression,” she said in a foreword to the IOP report.

The institute is calling for a 10-year plan to address the lack of specialist physics teachers with an investment of £12 million a year.

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02/09/2025

Good Morning! It's Tuesday 02 September 2025, birthdays for ex-BBC newsreader Moira Stewart (76), Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (63), actor Keanu Reeves (61), ex-boxer Lennox Lewis (60) & ex-footballer Joey Barton (43).

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

01/09/2025

NEWS: Sir Keir Starmer has appointed one of Labour’s rising stars to a new role at the heart of Government, in a shake-up of his Downing Street operation as MPs return from their summer break.

Darren Jones will be chief secretary to the Prime Minister, a new ministerial role in which he will attend Cabinet. Mr Jones, who had been chief secretary to the Treasury, will be based at No 10 and “directly oversee work across Government to support the delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities”, Downing Street said.

Treasury minister James Murray will replace him as Treasury chief secretary, effectively acting as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ deputy. Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson has replaced Mr Murray as Treasury exchequer secretary.

The appointment follows Sir Keir’s recruitment of Baroness Minouche Shafik, an economist and former president of Columbia University in New York, as his chief economic adviser. Lady Shafik’s recruitment is part of a move to build economic expertise within the Government ahead of the budget this autumn, when Ms Reeves is expected to have to make tough tax and spending decisions.

Tim Allan, a former adviser to Sir Tony Blair’s government, has been appointed the Government’s executive director of communications, as the PM aims to improve communications across his administration.

James Lyons, who had been director of strategic communications within No 10, has left his role after a year. As he left, the former print journalist said his role at the heart of Government “was never intended as a long haul”.

Last week Sir Keir moved to replace the top civil servant in his No 10 team after less than a year in the post. Nin Pandit, the Prime Minister’s principal private secretary, will take on a new post in September leading on the delivery of key priorities in No 10.

Daniel York-Smith has been appointed to replace her within No 10. It was among a string of high-profile departures from No 10 in less than a year, after the exit of chief of staff Sue Gray last October, and communications director Matthew Doyle in March.

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