Afternoon briefing Tuesday 30th 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. This is Times Radio's afternoon briefing on Tuesday 30th June. Sakir Starmer says the UK is tired of being at the mercy of events beyond our shores as he unveiled his defence investment plan.

0:46Delivering a speech in Berkshire this morning, the Prime Minister announced an uplift of£15 billion for the UK's military spending. He also said the plan would see what he hopes will be game-changing investment in drones and other modern technology that will be enough to deter Russia in its war against Ukraine. announcing a pledge to increase the defence commitment to 2.7 % of GDP. He said there are no easy answers, with the UK facing a dangerous and volatile world. The settlement I'm setting out today is the right choice for the country. It delivers the decisive action we need on defence in a way that is within our fiscal rules and that will not take resources away from day-to-day spending on frontline services like health and education.

1:32instead is funded by reallocating spending from across government departments. The Prime Minister also said the army will be 10 times more lethal as a result of the DIP and that the armed forces would see a generational transformation with investment of£5 billion in drones and autonomous weapons. The Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis echoed the need to give NATO allies clarity on the UK's intent ahead of next week's summit of the alliance in the Turkish capital Ankara. This plan reflects both the realities of future warfare and the principles that have kept us safe for generations. We will strengthen our nuclear deterrent and bolster NATO.

2:15Now I know that there is more work to do and we've made a commitment to our allies as they did to us. And under this government, that promise will be met. The chair of the Ockendon Maternity Review has told Times Radio that recommendations from a report by Baroness Amos on maternity services in England won't make a difference. It's highlighted that maternity services are not set up to deliver safe, high-quality care. The midwife, Donna Ockendon, has conducted reviews into other maternity scandals, including those in Shropshire and Nottingham. She also said she would be reluctant to take the planned role of National Maternity Commissioner because she feared she would be a failure because of the actions of others.

2:56I understand where this role came from. You will know that I'm really rather busy with other reviews across the country and I wouldn't want to be a failure because of lack of time or lack of focus or effort by others who should be doing more. The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood wants to force asylum seekers to repay some of their accommodation costs once they start earning a salary. The Times has learned that they will be charged up to£10 ,000, which will be paid off in monthly instalments. And the South African army has been deployed to cities across the country amid fears that anti-immigration marches will descend into violence.

3:38Demonstrators have set a deadline for all undocumented migrants, mostly from other African nations, to leave the country. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

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