British Defence Secretary John Healey resigned on Thursday in a dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit the government resources needed to defend the country at a time of heightened threat.
“You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats,” Healey said in his resignation letter to Starmer. He added that the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) financial settlement, which he received in full only on Monday afternoon, “falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time.”
“I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe,” he wrote.
The unexpected resignation, accompanied by a scathing public letter, compounds pressure on Starmer as he faces a likely leadership challenge. Britain’s defence and finance ministries have been locked in talks for months over how to meet rising demand for expanded military spending, delaying the Defence Investment Plan which was expected to be published last year. Starmer said on Wednesday it would be released before a NATO summit beginning on July 7.
Military leaders have stressed the plan is needed to meet a rising threat level, with frequent Russian incursions into British waters cited as evidence. The UK is also contending with Washington pivoting away from defending Europe at a time when the US-Israeli war with Iran exposed Britain’s lack of military readiness, with the Royal Navy unable to immediately deploy an advanced warship to the region. Healey’s exit follows Wes Streeting’s resignation as health minister in May, while challenger Andy Burnham is attempting to return to frontline politics to launch a leadership bid.
Source: Ada Derana (citing Reuters).
