The crisis at the top of government deepened on Thursday as a second minister resigned from the Ministry of Defence over Keir Starmer's “inadequate” military spending plans. Al Carns, the armed forces minister, followed defence secretary John Healey out of the door, accusing the prime minister of failing to meet the threats the country faces.
Healey, one of Labour’s most experienced ministers, quit earlier in the day, telling Starmer in a letter that he was stepping down “with great regret and reluctance” but that the prime minister had been “unable, and the Treasury unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”. He claimed the long‑delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) fell “way short” and that he was being forced to make decisions that would “reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations”. Healey wanted defence spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2030, but the DIP offered only 2.68%.
“John Healey and Al Carns quit as defence ministers over 'inadequate' military spending plans, deepening Starmer's crisis”
Hours later, Carns – a former Royal Marine tipped as a potential successor to Starmer – also resigned. In his letter, he wrote: “A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.” He told the BBC the DIP “is not built for the threat we face” and “lacked innovation, lessons learnt from Ukraine”. He called for “bold and courageous decisions” on funding and said: “We need a new way of governing and we need it now.” At least one parliamentary private secretary at the MoD, Pam Nash, also quit around the same time.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy, speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, said discussions on defence funding were “ongoing” within government and insisted the prime minister had not been forced to re‑examine the plan. “We are looking very carefully at how we achieve it,” she said, adding that she was talking to her own department about making funding available.
Dan Jarvis, the security minister and a former British Army officer, was appointed defence secretary to replace Healey. He told the Sunday Telegraph he had a responsibility to ensure the armed forces got the equipment and funding they needed, but acknowledged “the challenge … at a point of constrained fiscal resource”.
The resignations have intensified the debate on defence spending and weakened Starmer, who is already facing questions about his leadership after poor election results. If Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham wins a by‑election in Makerfield, he is widely expected to challenge for the leadership. Carns, appearing to call for change, said: “We need a new way of governing and we need it now.”