Afternoon Briefing Tuesday 12th May

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 Tuesday 12th May. Sir Keir Starmer's refusing to resign as Prime Minister.

0:41He's told his cabinet the process for changing the leader of the Labour Party has not been triggered. He's told his ministers, the country expects us to get on with governing, that's what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet. But at least three cabinet ministers are said to have asked him to consider his position. The Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has been speaking to reporters in Downing Street. We'll do what we were elected to do, which is serve the British people. The Prime Minister has my full support in this. But this government doesn't have confidence for your part.

1:13Let me just say this. There is a process to challenge the leader. No one has made that challenge. The Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, has also been speaking to reporters outside Number 10. How can the government carry on like this? The Prime Minister is going to continue with his job, as he should, as the public will expect him to do, and I'm going to continue with mine. Pat, did anyone publicly challenge him around the table? They did. Many statements of support for the job that he's doing. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has pulled out of an event in the City of London. She was due to take part in a fireside chat with the Lady Mayor of London at the City's Global Risks Summit after attending Cabinet.

1:53A junior government minister has resigned. Miata Farmbulla says in her resignation letter that the country faces huge challenges, but the public does not believe Starmer can lead the change that is required, she adds, and nor do I. Almost 80 Labour MPs want Starmer to go, including Tonya Antoniazzi. He's been a competent leader, but he doesn't ignite anybody, to be honest with you. And we're struggling. We're struggling on the doorsteps, particularly we've seen the Senate elections go absolutely down the pan for Welsh Labour. And it's about time. MPs actually do just say, no, Keir, it is time to go.

2:29Let's do it. Do it properly. Do it with your head held high. Starmer's former head of communications, James Lyons, has told Times Radio he thinks Sakhir's time is now up. I think it's inevitable now that the Prime Minister decides to go with some control over the kind of manner and timing of his departure, or that he has that decision made for him. You've been talking this morning about Boris Johnson. I was in Westminster yesterday and I bumped into Jacob Rees-Mogg. and just a few feet away from us was Peter Kyle doing the morning round defending the Prime Minister and Jacob said to me you know my heart my heart goes out to him that's exactly what I had to do for Boris.

3:11And the interest on government bonds has risen because of what's happening in Downing Street. The interest on 30-year gilts is now at 5.8 percent the highest for 30 years. And 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. AI 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.

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