Sir Keir Starmer was battling to contain the worst political crisis of his premiership on Friday, a day after two defence ministers resigned in a row over military funding. The prime minister told the BBC he had a “duty” to stay on, insisting he had made “hard-edged” decisions including cuts to overseas aid to pay for defence. But in his resignation letter, the former defence secretary John Healey accused Starmer of being “unable” to commit the spending needed to keep the country safe. Hours later, armed forces minister Al Carns followed him out of the door.
The resignations laid bare a deepening rift over the government’s defence investment plan (DIP), which was due last autumn but has been repeatedly delayed. Healey wanted spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2030, but the proposed DIP would only take it to 2.68%. The government has committed to 3.5% by 2035, but the New Statesman reported that the 2023-2033 equipment plan is already £17bn in the red, and the F-35 programme’s full through-life cost may reach £70bn – a “disappointing return” on the £11bn spent so far, according to the National Audit Office. The Daily Mail reported that Starmer’s offer of an extra £13.5bn over four years would leave the MoD without enough money for its existing equipment programme, forcing the new defence secretary to make “very significant cuts” within two weeks if no more money is found.
“Two defence ministers resigned accusing Starmer of failing to fund the military, as the PM insisted he had a duty to stay.”
Starmer, who spent years cultivating defence orthodoxy as a badge of seriousness, now finds that orthodoxy turning on him. In a veiled warning to potential leadership challengers, he said: “Whoever is prime minister is going to face the same prevailing winds as I am facing, none of that is going to change.” He acknowledged he needed to “turn things around” but said he did not want to “plunge” the country into the “chaos” of a leadership election. “If it does happen, I will fight,” he added.
The new defence secretary is Dan Jarvis, who replaced Healey. Louise Sandher-Jones becomes armed forces minister, Calvin Bailey veterans minister, and Angela Eagle security minister. Healey’s resignation was triggered by the internal row over the DIP, which sets out how new military equipment will be paid for over the next decade. Starmer rejected Healey’s analysis, calling defence his “number one priority” and vowing to prioritise it at future spending reviews. But with chancellor Rachel Reeves trapped inside her own fiscal rules, and European Nato states already spending far more than Russia ($559bn against Russia’s $190bn in 2025), the question is whether the prime minister can survive the ratchet he helped tighten.