Keir Starmer’s premiership has suffered its most damaging blow yet after two senior defence ministers resigned over what they called inadequate funding for UK security.
Defence Secretary John Healey quit on Thursday in a scathing letter that directly criticised both Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves for failing to properly fund defence spending.
Healey’s letter accused the Prime Minister of being “unable” and “unwilling” to fund defence, warning the settlement “falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time.”
The draft Defence Investment Plan handed to Healey earlier in the week did not include a commitment to raise defence spending to three per cent of GDP by 2030, which he said was unacceptable.
Armed forces minister Al Carns, who has been widely touted as a potential future Labour leader, also resigned on Thursday evening, citing “inadequate” funding in his own letter to the Prime Minister.
Carns also criticised the plan’s lack of focus on innovation and lessons learned from Ukraine, adding further weight to accusations that Starmer was failing to defend the country.
Industry leaders expressed deep regret at Healey’s departure and criticised the government’s failure to deliver the Defence Investment Plan, the 10-year blueprint covering UK procurement and spending.
Starmer pushed back against the accusations, writing that “strong public finances” were essential to national security and that “irresponsible borrowing only puts that at risk.”
He added: “I am determined to rebuild our country after years of being buffeted by crises,” while a spokesperson said the Prime Minister was “proud” of raising spending by cutting the international aid budget.
Former security minister Dan Jarvis was appointed as the new defence secretary, while parliamentary private secretaries Pamela Nash and Rachel Hopkins also followed Carns and Healey to the Labour backbenches.
The government confirmed on Friday that the Defence Investment Plan had still not been completed, despite months of wrangling and significant internal pressure to publish the document.
Despite cuts to other departments intended to fund defence, Starmer offered around £13bn in extra cash against demands of around £28bn, leaving a substantial gap in projected military investment.
Raising defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP to meet the Nato target by 2035 would require around £40bn in extra cash each year, presenting a formidable fiscal challenge.
The resignations arrive as Starmer faces mounting pressure over Labour leadership speculation, with Andy Burnham expected to launch a leadership bid should he win the Makerfield by-election next week.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting is also expected to enter any leadership contest, while Starmer’s spokesman confirmed as recently as Wednesday that he intended to be “in it to win it.”