Healey and Carns resign as Starmer faces defence policy revolt
Prime Minister Keir Starmer defends spending plan as ministers cite insufficient commitment to armed forces, while new appointee Dan Jarvis takes the helm amid uncertainty over the finalised budget.
John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, and Al Carns, the Armed Forces Minister, resigned from their positions on Thursday in protest against the government’s defence investment plan. The dual resignations mark a significant rupture in the Starmer administration’s handling of national security policy, with Healey citing a version of the plan he reviewed on Monday as failing to commit sufficient funding to the armed forces.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has staunchly defended the defence investment plan, describing it as delivering an unprecedented increase in sustainable defence spending. In a letter to Healey, Starmer argued that the plan provides the necessary resources to modernise the military, deter enemies, and support British jobs and growth. However, the correspondence implied that the specific version of the plan rejected by Healey would not be altered, creating a direct contradiction with subsequent government statements.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle has indicated that the plan is still being finalised and will be published before the NATO summit in early July. Speaking to Times Radio and Sky News, Kyle stated that the government is determined to get the plan right, rejecting suggestions that defence policy is in tatters. His comments suggest a delay from earlier expectations that the plan would be released this week, with the NATO summit scheduled to begin on 7 July.
Dan Jarvis, the former security minister, has been appointed as the new Defence Secretary following Healey’s resignation. It remains unclear whether Jarvis insisted on a revision of the spending figures as a condition of his appointment. Jarvis is scheduled to attend an event at a drone factory in Swindon on Thursday morning, which may provide further clarity on the government’s stance, although Politico reports the visit was planned some time ago.
The timing of the announcement has drawn criticism regarding parliamentary procedure. Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle previously criticised the idea of releasing such a significant policy announcement when Parliament was not sitting, leading the government to abandon plans for a public statement on Wednesday. With the defence investment plan yet to be published publicly, the government faces immediate scrutiny over its strategic direction and internal cohesion.