Al Carns has called on the prime minister to make “bold and courageous” decisions to fund defence, speaking to the BBC a day after resigning as armed forces minister in a row over spending. His departure came shortly after John Healey also stepped down as defence secretary, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of being “unable” to spend enough to keep the country safe.
Carns, a Labour MP, said he did not believe enough money had been provided for the military and that the long-delayed defence investment plan (DIP) – yet to be published – lacked innovation. He predicted the UK could find itself in a difficult position “in the next two to three years should we be tested”, warning of a “geographically constrained contest… that will probably involve us, our allies or our partners”.
“Al Carns urges 'bold' defence funding after resigning as armed forces minister.”
“The DIP is looking at how to fight the last war not the next one,” Carns told the BBC. “It lacked innovation, lessons learnt from Ukraine… a thinking of the bureaucracy and a refinement of procurement processes.” He argued the government needed “a really honest conversation with the population about the threats we face” and called for “bold and courageous decisions to put the funding in the right place”. Asked where the money might come from, he said: “There is an argument around welfare. We need to help people who need the most help in the nation but also get the balance right across defence.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said he was “sad” to see Healey go but added that he had “faith” in the prime minister and chancellor to fund and deliver a defence plan. Asked if he believed Starmer would still be leader by the next election, Kyle did not directly answer, saying: “This is a prime minister with a purpose. I am proud to be delivering that purpose with him.”
The resignations further weaken Starmer, who has faced questions about his leadership after poor election results at the beginning of May. If Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham wins the by-election in Makerfield, he is widely expected to challenge for the leadership. The prime minister now must decide whether to rewrite the DIP in light of the criticism or stick by his pledge to publish it before next month’s Nato summit.
Dan Jarvis, the security minister and a former British Army officer, has been appointed to replace Healey in the cabinet role and will take responsibility for delivering the DIP, initially expected in autumn last year. It will set out how new equipment and infrastructure will be funded over the next 10 years.
In a separate interview with Channel 4 News, Carns – who resigned earlier this week – also spoke about a shadow fleet operation that he said “saved thousands of lives in Ukraine”.