Defence Secretary John Healey has quit his post with all the drama of a Shakespearean tragedy, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves of putting the nation's security at risk because they wouldn't spend enough on the military. In a resignation letter that reads less like a polite farewell and more like a scathing Yelp review, Healey declared the government's long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) was about as effective as a paper umbrella in a hurricane.
Healey revealed that Starmer's plan would boost defence spending from 2.6% to 2.68% of GDP between next year and 2030 - a rise of just 0.8% - when he insists it needs to hit 3% by 2030 to handle the threats. The government has promised to reach 3.5% by 2035 per a Nato target, and Starmer has vaguely expressed ambition to get to 3% in the next parliament. The Dip was supposed to be published today, but has, shockingly, been delayed.
"You have been 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," Healey wrote, presumably while polishing his CV. He added that he couldn't accept a Dip that doesn't give the forces what they need, leaving him with no choice but to resign.
Healey pointed to Starmer's own warning that UK intelligence says Russia could attack a Nato country as early as 2030. He also revealed he only learned of the final spending plans on Monday, and that the extra support was "backloaded" when the need for readiness is most urgent in the first two years. Without a proper Dip, he argued, he'd have to reduce force readiness and increase risks to personnel, making the country less safe.
Healey's departure lands like a grenade in the middle of an already chaotic week for Starmer. The prime minister is meeting G7 allies in France next week, facing a Makerfield byelection on Thursday, and heading to Ankara for a Nato summit in early July. Cabinet relations have been shredded by the row over the Dip, leading to some of the worst infighting since Labour took power. Several departments agreed to cut their capital budgets by about 1% to fund extra military spending.
Healey acknowledged the strain on other departments in his letter, thanking colleagues for their support. He was among several cabinet ministers who privately urged Starmer to consider his position last month to avoid a leadership contest, though his allies ruled that out on Thursday.
Starmer now needs to appoint a new defence secretary ASAP. Security minister Dan Jarvis and armed forces minister Al Carns are in the running, though Carns has called the Dip not fit for purpose and wants Starmer to reopen it.
Starmer agreed in February last year to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, thinking that would cover the strategic defence review's promises. That review was published last June alongside a spending review confirming nearly £20bn extra for the MoD over five years. Defence officials, however, soon said they'd need another £28bn over four years. Healey requested about £18bn from the Treasury, but Reeves refused to go above £12bn for weeks. Starmer eventually pressured her to agree to about £15bn, funded partly by other departments cutting capital budgets by about 1%, with energy and transport taking the biggest hits.