When two ministers quit the same department in a single day, it's rarely about a small disagreement – and the resignation of UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns in June 2026 was a clear sign that the country's military spending plans were in deep trouble.
The row centres on the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), a ten-year blueprint for funding new military equipment and infrastructure. The plan was due last autumn but has been repeatedly delayed. Healey and Carns resigned because they believed the Treasury had not allocated enough money to meet rising threats. New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has taken over and is expected to “reprioritise” aspects of the plan, according to multiple government sources. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that discussions about defence funding were “ongoing” and “not finished”.
“Why the UK's Defence Investment Plan is at the centre of a government crisis over military funding.”
The DIP has been delayed multiple times. Healey wanted spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2030, in line with European allies. In his resignation letter, he accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves of being “unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”. He claimed he was “being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations”. Carns, a former Royal Marine, said the DIP “is not built for the threat we face” and called for “a new way of governing”. Allies of Healey told the BBC that “more money is coming, but only as a result of Healey resigning… this is another unbelievable U-turn”.
For UK readers, this matters because defence spending directly affects national security, military readiness, and the UK's commitments to NATO. The row also highlights ongoing tensions between the Treasury and other government departments over limited budgets. It raises the question of whether the government will cut other areas – such as welfare, as proposed by Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge – or find new money for defence. The situation also puts pressure on Starmer's leadership, with Carns appearing to call for a change of leader and a potential leadership challenge from Andy Burnham looming.
Q: What is the Defence Investment Plan (DIP)? A: The DIP is a government plan that sets out how the UK will fund its military equipment and infrastructure over the next ten years. It was due last autumn but has been repeatedly delayed, and its funding level caused the defence secretary to resign.
Q: Why did John Healey resign as defence secretary? A: Healey resigned because he believed the DIP's financial allocation, finalised on Monday, was insufficient. He said it would reduce the readiness of the armed forces and put personnel at risk. He wanted a target of 3% of GDP defence spending by 2030.
Q: What happens next with the UK's defence spending? A: The new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis, will revisit the plan and may reprioritise spending. The DIP is expected to be published before the NATO summit next month. Conversations within government about funding are ongoing, and other departments are being asked to contribute.
What happens next: The DIP is expected to be published before the NATO summit next month. Jarvis will negotiate with the Treasury, and his allies say he has a strong hand because the government cannot afford another resignation. The G7 summit in France will also discuss defence threats. Starmer insists defence is his top priority and has declared he will fight any leadership challenge.