Afternoon briefing Tuesday 14th April

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 the 14th of April. Sikir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday to examine ways of reopening the Straits of Hormuz.

0:47Macron says he wants to promote a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation and says it will be strictly defensive. The Times' political editor Stephen Swinford says ministers here think the Middle East conflict could be long-lasting. The government thinks this Iran crisis is here for the long haul now. They've even set up a new Middle East response committee, they're calling it this morning, which is going to meet for the first time today, which will alternate between ministers' meeting and the Cabinet Secretary hosting meetings with officials, and that is going to specifically do responses to Iran.

1:20The government is evading responsibility by not publishing an emergency plan on fuel following the war in Iran. That's according to a former government advisor to Gordon Brown, Professor Nick Butler, who also held a senior role at BP. I'm waiting for the government to publish what they're supposed to publish in these circumstances, which is a national emergency fuel plan. They haven't done that. Other countries are doing it. That fuel plan, as I understand it, will protect certain key sectors, and that is a government responsibility. And the plan should also say how they're going to handle the limited supplies of particular products that are not available.

2:02Diesel has been spotted at£2 a litre. Professor Butler says it could go a lot higher than that. He expects prices to begin spiking at the end of this month and in early May. The former head of NATO, George Robertson, says Britain's leaders are being complacent on defence. Robertson, who is also a Labour defence secretary, has told the Financial Times that Sir Keir Starmer is not willing to make the necessary investment. Times radio presenter Trevor Phillips says the Prime Minister must take this seriously. George Robertson is solid Labour. one of the most trusted figures within the Labour movement and within the Labour Party.

2:37So if I were Keir Starmer, I'd be really quite anxious about this, because I would either be wondering, what is it that my people are not telling me, because if George Robertson says I've got it wrong, I at least have to ask the question, or do I need to rethink the strategy that I've taken? And Harry and Meghan have arrived in Australia for a four-day tour. It'll combine visits to charities alongside private money-making engagements. Natalie Oliveri is the royal reporter at Australia's Channel 9. She says the Sussexes are getting a very warm welcome down under. Their first engagement was at the Royal Children's Hospital.

3:15And I have to say, this was very much like a royal tour. It ticked all the boxes of a royal tour. I have covered many in my time. Most recently, Denmark's Queen Mary, who is Australian-born. But this visit by Harry and Meghan has actually received far more attention than Queen Mary's visit, even though she is homegrown. 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?

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