Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned in protest over government funding plans, sending shockwaves through Westminster just days before a critical NATO summit and underscoring growing tensions over European defence readiness.
Healey submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, calling the proposed Defence Investment Plan inadequate for the threats the country faces. His departure was followed hours later by Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who said he could not “in good conscience stand at the dispatch box and defend a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task.”
In his letter, Healey acknowledged the progress made by the Labour government since taking office, including raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP three years ahead of schedule, the biggest armed forces pay rise in nearly two decades, and leading the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine. But he argued that the current financial settlement falls short of what modern threats demand.
A Dangerous Time for Defence
The resignation lands at a particularly volatile moment for European security. Healey reminded Starmer in his letter that British intelligence assessments indicate Russia could be ready to attack NATO member states as soon as 2030. The UK is also currently leading two major multinational missions: the Strait of Hormuz military operation in the Middle East and NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission in the High North.
“We came into government recognising Britain faced a new era of threat which demanded a new era for defence,” Healey wrote. “Since then, the demands on defence have increased still further, as have the UK commitments you have rightly made to allies.” He called for a commitment to reach 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, a target he said would have strong cross-party support and mirrors steps being taken by other European allies.
“Your DIP financial settlement falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time.” — John Healey, resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Starmer Defends His Record
Starmer responded with a letter of his own, defending the government’s approach and expressing pride in its record on defence funding. He pointed to the UK’s leadership of the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine, support for Gulf allies, and work on the Strait of Hormuz mission as evidence of commitment.
“When we entered government in 2024, I took the decision to increase defence spending after the Conservatives hollowed out our armed forces,” Starmer wrote. “That required a cut to the international aid budget but the result was the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.” He insisted the Defence Investment Plan provides resources while ensuring “the money spent is spent wisely and used to back jobs and growth here in Britain.”
The Prime Minister also faces mounting pressure from within his own party, with former NATO secretary-general George Robertson among those publicly warning that complacency on defence puts the country “in peril.” The government’s popularity has declined sharply since its 2024 landslide election victory, and the double resignation threatens to further destabilise its standing ahead of the NATO summit.
NATO Summit Looms
The timing of the resignations is particularly significant. The publication of the government’s full defence funding plans had already been postponed multiple times amid deep cabinet disagreements, and the announcement is now expected before a NATO summit next week. Britain has committed to reaching 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035 under NATO’s updated guidelines, but critics say the path to that target remains dangerously underfunded.
With Healey and Carns both gone, Starmer must now find replacements willing to defend a spending plan that has already split his top team. The vacancies come as European NATO members face increasing pressure to accelerate defence buildups amid growing concern about Russian military readiness and expansionist ambitions.