Morning briefing Wednesday 24th 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 morning briefing on Wednesday the 24th of June. Sir Keir Starmer is risking an early clash with Andy Burnham by pressing ahead with a major defence spending plan before leaving Downing Street.

0:46The outgoing Prime Minister wants to publish the strategy ahead of next month's NATO summit, even though allies of Mr Burnham believe such a significant decision should be left to the next Labour leader. It comes after a bitter row over military funding which led to the resignation of Defence Secretary John Healy. Former head of the army, Lord Dannett, says the country can't afford any further uncertainty. Andy Burnham should not feel bound by whatever Keir Starmer announces, but he should be in no doubt whatsoever that the defence lobby, people like me and many others, will keep up the pressure to make sure that he delivers the money that the people of this country need to keep them safe.

1:24Andy Burnham is expected to hand a senior role to one of his closest political allies if he becomes Prime Minister. Former Transport Secretary Louise Haig, who resigned from the Cabinet in 2024 over an historic fraud conviction linked to a mobile phone, is now seen as a key figure in Burnham's inner circle. Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent at the time, says she could be in line for a return to high office. She has been basically by Andy Burnham's side for the last five or six weeks ever since he got confirmed as the candidate in Makerfield. And there's big questions about what role she's going to play in his future administration.

1:59She's actually kind of probably, I think, laughingly, battered off the idea of Chancellor to some colleagues, but she is talked about as somebody who could sit right at the very centre of government as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively the most senior Cabinet Office Minister. Police in Gwent say they've arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of murder after the body of a missing girl was found on Monday evening. The 14-year-old, named as Lily Jones, was discovered hidden in dense undergrowth in the Dufferin Park area of Blyna. A red heat alert comes into force across parts of England and Wales later this morning as temperatures head towards 40 degrees Celsius.

2:37Hundreds of schools have altered their opening hours while transport operators are warning of disruption. The final report from the largest maternity review in NHS history will be published later examining care at Nottingham University Hospital's NHS Trust. The review, led by Donna Ockenden, is expected to conclude that failures in maternity services contributed to the deaths or serious harm of more than 2 ,500 babies and families. It was a disappointing night for England at the World Cup. They were held to a goalless draw by Ghana in their second group stage match. It means they need to beat Panama on Saturday to guarantee a place in the knockout rounds.

3:16England manager Thomas Tuchel didn't criticise the players at full time. It's easy to say we were not inspired enough. The substitutes were good, the energy was right, commitment, everything okay. This can happen. It was a strong opponent on the other side of the pitch for a second match in the World Cup. There's more on these stories throughout the day on Times Radio.

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