British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is facing yet another major challenge following the double resignations of Defense Secretary John Healey and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Al Carns.
The two senior defense officials resigned over a dispute with the prime minister about security funding, which both men argued was not at the level required to keep Britain safe.
The resignations come just one month after a spate of departures shook the government, raising questions about Starmer's ability to remain in his role.
The highest profile resignation last month saw Secretary of Health Wes Streeting leave his cabinet position, citing a loss of confidence in Starmer's leadership. The days prior had also seen resignations from a number of junior ministers, including Jess Phillips, Alex Davies-Jones, Zubir Ahmed and Miatta Fahnbulleh.
Those departures came just days after the British local elections, widely regarded as a significant setback for Labour and a victory for Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
The latest blows to the government began with Healey's resignation, which he attributed to the failure "to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats".
A Budget Written for a Calmer World
The flashpoint arose around the UK’s Defense Investment Plan (DIP), which was due last year and which required coordination between Healey, Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to meet its financial demands.
According to Healey's resignation letter, the DIP financial settlement he received earlier this week fell "well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time".
“After explaining to you that I would not be able to accept a DIP settlement that does not give our Forces the resources they need, I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation as your Defence Secretary”, Healey wrote in his letter to the prime minister.
Healey’s shock departure was followed hours later by Carns, who similarly took issue with a DIP he described as neither "transformative enough nor sufficiently funded".
Carns pointed to the nature of modern warfare as revealed in Ukraine, where he said platforms costing billions can be "defeated by systems that cost thousands". The DIP as it stands, he argued, asks the British armed forces to "operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one".
Carns’ criticisms of the government went beyond those of Healey, who was regarded as one of Starmer’s most loyal ministers. The former soldier and military advisor said that “too many working people in this country feel insecure even when they are doing everything right”.
“They work hard, contribute, pay their taxes, and still feel one setback away from trouble”, he said, adding that “public confidence in our institutions is weakening” and that politics appears more “performative” to the public each day as “life gets harder”.
In response to the resignations, Starmer defended his record on defense, telling the BBC that he has made “hard-edged” decisions to increase defense spending. He added that defense would be his top priority at every spending review. On his leadership, Starmer said he has a "duty" to continue in his position and would prefer to avoid the "chaos" of a leadership contest.
Starmer subsequently appointed Labour MP Dan Jarvis, also a former soldier, as the new defense secretary. “The defense of our nation is the first duty of government”, Jarvis said following the announcement.
“Our Armed Forces carry out that duty every day with professionalism, courage, and extraordinary skill”, he added, calling it an “honour and a privilege to serve alongside them again”.
An Uncomfortable Moment for NATO
Britain’s allies are likely to be unsettled by the dispute, particularly ahead of next week’s meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
The United States’ Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby responded to Healey’s resignation on X by saying there was again a great need for greater British military strength at this critical time. “We urge the UK to meet that need with urgency, scale and determination”, Colby wrote.
Starmer has previously pledged to raise military spending to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, a commitment Healey referenced in his resignation letter.
Healey claimed, however, that the plans he had seen indicated spending would rise to just 2.68% of GDP by that date, against a projection of 2.6% next year based on current investments.