Afternoon Briefing Monday 22nd June

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. Welcome to the Times Radio Afternoon Briefing on Monday, the 22nd of June. Sir Keir Starmer has set out a timetable to leave No.

0:4310 Downing Street. Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision. I will ask the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party to set out a timetable with nominations opening on 9 July and completed by the summer recess. In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September. I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. At the end of his address, in front of many Number 10 staffers, he paid tributes to his family.

1:31And when I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job. Being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife, Fig, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad. And being the best dad I can to my beautiful children, who are my pride and my joy. Thank you very much. Sir Keir Starmer's former political director Luke Sullivan says his former boss has made the right decision. I do I absolutely do think he's done the right thing I think he has done exactly what I thought he would do which was judge up what was in the country's interest what was in the party's interest and what was personally in his interest and I think we saw in that speech the sort of Keir Starmer I think that everyone who's ever worked for him recognised which is that deep sense of duty.

2:29Andy Burnham says Sir Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as Prime Minister marks the beginning of a transition. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester says he is putting himself forward. The former health secretary, Wes Streeting, has announced he will not contest a leadership election and is backing Burnham. Minister Darren Jones says he was proud to stand on Downing Street with the Prime Minister this morning. The deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, says Starmer, transformed the Labour Party, rooted out anti-Semitism, restored trust and made our party electable again. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is demanding a general election.

3:03He's written on social media. If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into number 10, it has another think coming. Tory leader Kemi Beton-Ockers described Starmer as a terrible prime minister. Lib Dem leader Ed Davies says the British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of Prime Ministers while nothing really changes. This time must be different. And Green Party leader Zach Polanski says the UK needs a bold change of direction. You can follow the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify and listen live to Times Radio online. This episode of the Times Radio News Briefing is sponsored by PwC.

3:41AI 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.