Armed Forces Minister Resigns Following Defence Secretary Healey
The armed forces minister has resigned from the government, following Defence Secretary John Healey's departure, amid a dispute with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over military funding.
Al Carns resigned on Thursday evening, expressing to Sir Keir that the government's defence investment plan (DIP) was
"neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded".
This resignation came shortly after Healey stepped down in a sharply critical letter, warning that the proposed level of military spending by Sir Keir
"falls well short"of what is necessary to protect the United Kingdom.
New Appointment and Government Response
Dan Jarvis, the security minister and a former British Army officer, has been appointed to succeed Healey in the cabinet role.
Sir Keir has not yet responded to Carns' resignation. In his reply to Healey's resignation, the prime minister stated he was
"proud of our record on funding"and added that the defence funding plan
"will provide the resources our military needs to keep us safe".
Carns' Resignation and Earlier Statements
Only an hour or so before resigning, Carns had indicated a willingness to wait until the DIP was finalized before deciding on his government position.
However, following candid interviews with and the BBC, he posted his resignation letter on X, stating he could not support
"a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task".
Additional Resignation Within Ministry of Defence
Labour MP Pamela Nash also resigned from her role as Healey's parliamentary assistant at the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In her letter to the prime minister, Nash cited
"delays and difficulties with securing the necessary funding to progress the defence investment plan has been the latest issue that is damaging to the trust of the public in us".
Government Impact and Political Repercussions
The BBC understands Healey had requested other defence ministers to remain in their posts.
The resignations have caused significant disruption within the government and have further weakened Sir Keir's authority, whose long-term tenure at Downing Street was already uncertain.
Healey's resignation is a substantial setback for Sir Keir, as Healey was considered one of the prime minister's most loyal cabinet allies.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Healey's decision as
"the honourable thing"and called it
"shocking"to see his letter suggesting current defence spending could place troops at risk.
This development occurs just a week before a critical by-election, where Labour candidate Andy Burnham seeks to return to Westminster to challenge Sir Keir for the premiership.
Healey is the second cabinet minister to resign from Sir Keir's government in recent weeks, following Wes Streeting's departure as health secretary after he said he had
"lost confidence"in the prime minister's leadership.
Sir Keir has faced calls to resign from within his own party after poor election results in England, Scotland, and Wales last month, though he has stated he will stand in any Labour leadership contest.
Challenges Ahead for New Defence Secretary
Sir Keir's new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis, now faces the difficult task of assisting in finalizing a defence investment plan that his predecessor described as potentially
"making the country less safe"in its current form.
Upon announcing Jarvis as the new defence secretary, Sir Keir stated,
"we will give our armed forces the capabilities they need to defend Britain and keep our nation secure".
Strategic Defence Review and Defence Investment Plan
Last year's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) outlined a shift towards
"warfighting readiness"to deter threats and pledged billions in additional spending for ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines.
The DIP is intended to detail how this defence spending will be financed.
However, internal disagreements over defence spending have persisted for months, following multiple delays to the DIP, which was originally scheduled for release last autumn.
The issue has intensified ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey next month, which the prime minister had set as a public deadline to announce the blueprint.
Reports indicate the government was preparing to announce a £13.5 billion funding increase for the Ministry of Defence over the next four years, which is less than the £28 billion requested by the department.
Healey's Concerns and Sir Keir's Response
In his resignation letter, Healey expressed concern that the DIP financial settlement, received on Monday, was
"backloaded"while the
"pressure of operations and imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years".
He stated the prime minister had been
"unable"and the Treasury
"unwilling"to commit the resources necessary to defend the country amid rising threats.
In response to Healey, Sir Keir insisted the DIP would provide
"the resources our military needs to keep us safe and the clarity the British defence industry needs to plan".
He added,
"The increases in spending that underpin this plan will be sustainable and fair. They will mean significant reallocations of funding from across government departments and the right choices to protect our nation."
Sir Keir further stated,
"Irresponsible borrowing only puts that at risk. Taking these decisions is never easy."
Defence Spending Commitment and Funding Plans
The government has pledged to spend 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035 but has yet to clarify how this commitment will be financed.
Sir Keir has indicated that the government is reducing spending in other areas to fund defence.
Although details of these cuts have not been confirmed, reports suggest Sir Keir is requesting all government departments to reduce their capital budgets by 1% to raise £6 billion towards defence funding.
