John Healey has resigned as defence secretary following a prolonged dispute within government over military spending plans, saying proposed funding levels were insufficient to meet growing security challenges.
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In a strongly worded resignation letter, Healey said the financial settlement for the government's Defence Investment Plan (DIP) “falls well short” of what Britain requires at a time of increasing global threats. He argued that both the prime minister and the Treasury had failed to provide the resources needed to strengthen national defence.
Defence Secretary Quits After Budget Dispute
Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected those claims, insisting the forthcoming plan would deliver a record increase in defence spending while maintaining fiscal discipline. He said the strategy would be funded through difficult spending choices across government rather than additional borrowing.
Armed Forces Minister Also Steps Down
The crisis deepened when Armed Forces Minister Al Carns also resigned on Thursday evening.
Carns accused the government of failing to equip the military adequately, saying efforts to secure greater investment had been ignored.
“I've spent my whole time in government making that case,” he said. “Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning as minister for the armed forces.”
The departure of Healey, regarded as one of Starmer’s closest allies in cabinet, represents a major setback for a government already facing mounting political pressure.
Pressure Mounts on Starmer
Healey becomes the second cabinet minister to leave the government in recent weeks after former health secretary Wes Streeting resigned, citing a loss of confidence in the prime minister’s leadership.
The resignations come ahead of a crucial by-election in which Labour candidate Andy Burnham is seeking a return to Parliament, potentially positioning himself as a future challenger for the party leadership.
Starmer has also faced criticism from within Labour following disappointing election results across England, Scotland and Wales last month, although he has said he intends to contest any future leadership challenge.
Defence Plan at Centre of Dispute
Disagreements over defence funding have intensified for months amid repeated delays to the Defence Investment Plan, originally expected last autumn.
The issue has become increasingly urgent ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey next month, where Starmer had planned to unveil the strategy.
Healey argued that defence demands had risen significantly since the start of the year due to conflict in the Middle East and expanded British commitments in Ukraine and the Arctic.
Reports suggest the government is considering an additional £13.5bn for the Ministry of Defence over the next four years, well below the £28bn increase requested by the department.
In his resignation letter, Healey criticised the proposed settlement for delaying much of the spending until later years, despite what he described as immediate pressures on military readiness.
He warned that the current timetable would leave Britain moving too slowly towards strengthening its armed forces and said he was being forced to make decisions that would weaken operational preparedness.
Funding Debate Continues
The government has pledged to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 but has not yet outlined how the commitment will be financed.
Reports indicate ministers are considering reducing capital budgets across government departments by 1% to help fund defence priorities.
Healey has argued that spending should reach 3% of GDP by 2030 instead, citing warnings that Russia could pose a direct threat to NATO within the decade.
Last year's Strategic Defence Review called for greater “warfighting readiness”, including investment in ammunition stockpiles, advanced fighter aircraft, drones and new attack submarines.
Opposition politicians seized on the resignations, with Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge saying Healey had been left with no option but to quit, while Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the departures raised questions about the government's defence priorities.
Kevin Craven, chief executive of the defence industry association ADS Group, described Healey's resignation as a damaging verdict on the government's handling of defence policy.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 12 June 2026
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