The resignations came within hours of each other on Thursday, plunging Keir Starmer's government into its gravest crisis yet. First John Healey quit as defence secretary, accusing the prime minister and chancellor of being “unable” and “unwilling” to commit the resources needed to keep the country safe. Then Al Carns, the armed forces minister, walked out, declaring: “We need a new way of governing and we need it now.”
Carns, a former Royal Marine, said the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) – which sets out how equipment and infrastructure will be funded over the next decade – “is not built for the threat we face” and “lacked innovation, lessons learnt from Ukraine”. In a devastating resignation letter, he wrote: “A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.”
“Two defence ministers resigned over military funding as Keir Starmer insists he has a duty to stay on as prime minister.”
Healey, a veteran of the New Labour years, blamed the Treasury directly, saying he was “being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations”. He had wanted defence spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2030. The government has committed only to 2.68% by 2035, with a longer-term pledge of 3.5%.
Late on Thursday, Dan Jarvis, a former British Army officer and the security minister, was appointed defence secretary. Louise Sandher-Jones took over as armed forces minister, Calvin Bailey as veterans minister, and Angela Eagle as security minister. At least one parliamentary private secretary, Pam Nash, also resigned from the Ministry of Defence.
Facing questions about his leadership, Starmer told the BBC he had a “deep sense of duty” to stay on. “Whoever is prime minister is going to face the same prevailing winds as I am facing,” he said. He acknowledged he needed to “turn things around” but insisted defence was his “number one priority” and pointed to cuts to overseas aid as evidence he could make hard-edged choices. Asked about welfare cuts to fund defence, Starmer said changes to help people into work would “free up resources”.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said he was “sad” to see Healey go but expressed faith in the prime minister. However, the resignations have emboldened potential challengers. Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, is widely expected to challenge for the leadership if he wins the Makerfield by-election. Some Labour MPs are urging Burnham to axe the triple lock on state pensions to free up cash for defence.
The prime minister now faces a stark choice: rewrite the defence investment plan to satisfy his critics, or stick by his pledge to publish it before the Nato summit next month. With two ministers gone and the DIP still in limbo, the question of who can credibly lead the country's defence has never been more urgent.