Armed Forces Minister Also Resigns as Defence Spending Wrangle Rocks Government

John Healey has resigned as Defence Secretary, amid a bitter internal dispute over a long-delayed military spending blueprint that he claims falls "well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time". In a scathing resignation letter, the Labour stalwart—long regarded as one of Sir Keir Starmer’s most loyal cabinet allies—said the Prime Minister had been "unable" and the Treasury "unwilling" to commit the resources the nation needs to defend itself in an era of rising threats. His departure, described by Whitehall sources as a devastating critique of the government’s priorities, stunned Westminster and further weakened a Prime Minister whose long-term tenure in Downing Street was already considered precarious.

Responding to Healey’s resignation, Sir Keir insisted that the defence investment plan (DIP) would deliver "an unprecedented increase in defence spending" in a manner he termed "sustainable and fair", without resorting to "irresponsible borrowing". Yet the Prime Minister’s assurances did little to staunch the flow of resignations; Armed Forces Minister Al Carns also stepped down on Thursday evening, alleging that the government was "failing" to equip the military with "the kit to do the job". "I’ve spent my whole time in government making that case," Carns said. "Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning as minister for the armed forces."

The double resignation comes just days before a crucial by-election, in which Labour candidate Andy Burnham is seeking a return to Westminster, a move widely interpreted as a precursor to challenging Sir Keir for the premiership. Healey is the second cabinet minister to resign from the government in recent weeks; Wes Streeting quit as Health Secretary after declaring he had "lost confidence" in the Prime Minister’s leadership. Sir Keir has faced mounting calls to step down from within his own party following a poor set of election results in England, Scotland and Wales last month, though he has told supporters he intends to stand in any Labour leadership contest.

The internal wrangling over defence spending has been rumbling for months, following multiple delays to the DIP, which was originally due to be published last autumn. The matter came to a head in the run-up to a Nato summit in Turkey next month, which the Prime Minister had set as a public deadline to announce the blueprint. Healey noted that demands on the armed forces had increased since January, owing to the conflict in the Middle East and fresh UK commitments in the Arctic and Ukraine. Reports suggest the government was preparing to announce a £13.5bn funding increase for the Ministry of Defence over the next four years—less than the additional £28bn the department had requested.

In his resignation letter, Healey expressed particular concern that the DIP financial settlement, which he received on Monday, was "backloaded", when the "pressure of operations and imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years". He warned that he was "being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces", leaving him with "no other option" than to quit. Sir Keir, in his reply, insisted that the plan would provide "the resources our military needs to keep us safe and the clarity the British defence industry needs to plan". He added that the increases would be "sustainable and fair" and would involve "significant reallocations of funding from across government departments".

The government has committed to spending 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence by 2035, but has yet to spell out how it will pay for that commitment. The details of cuts have not been confirmed, though reports suggest Sir Keir is asking all departments to trim their capital budgets by 1 per cent to raise £6bn for defence. Healey, who argued that the UK should be spending 3 per cent by an earlier 2030 timetable, warned that the plan he was presented with this week moved too slowly. He noted that the Prime Minister himself had spelled out the threats facing the country, including the possibility of a Russian attack on Nato as soon as 2030.

Last year’s Strategic Defence Review outlined a shift towards "warfighting readiness" to deter threats and pledged billions in extra spending for ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines. But Healey had been warning for several months about the need for additional investment to meet what he saw as rising demands on the armed forces. James Cartlidge, the Conservative shadow defence secretary, said Healey had been "left with no choice" after the Prime Minister offered him "such a tiny amount of money". Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, said the resignation "exposed the prime minister’s true priorities", adding: "In effect, he has acknowledged that Keir Starmer is leaving the British people less safe." Kevin Craven, chief executive of the defence trade association ADS, described Healey’s departure as "truly a damning reflection on the current state of affairs", remarking that "national security and defence of the realm is not an accountant’s job".