Home · World · Jun 11 archive
Premiership of Keir Starmer John Healey resigns as the United Kingdom 's Secretary of State for Defence in protest at a lack of government funding for the British Armed Forces , sa
Confirmed
Richard Barrons, a retired general who was one of three independent authors of last year’s strategic defence review, said the exercise had concluded that the UK now faced a more dangerous world and the armed forces and wider society “are in poor shape to deal with that reality”.
In his letter, Healey revealed that the government was planning to raise defence spending by just 0.08 of a percentage point of GDP between next year and 2030 – from 2.6% to 2.68% – and argued that it must hit 3% in 2030 to meet the challenge.
In a blistering resignation letter , Healey accused Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, of putting the country’s security at risk, saying the long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) fell well short of what was required.
The armed forces have "lost all faith" in Starmer, said Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch - you can see more political reaction in our earlier post. “Without a Dip that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe,” Healey said.
The prime minister described defence spending as his "number one priority" and said he had made "hard-edged decisions" to increase military funding. Starmer insisted the Dip would be funded properly and told Healey it had already required significant reallocations from other Whitehall budgets.
He said the government’s decision not to fully fund its own review “diminishes the UK’s standing within Nato, weakens our credibility with allies and increases our vulnerability to the realities of 21st-century conflict”.
Echoing the military chiefs over the risks faced by the UK, he highlighted Starmer’s explicit warning last week that UK intelligence had said there could be an attack by Russia on a Nato country as early as 2030. “Strong public finances are part of what keeps us safe – irresponsible borrowing only puts that at risk,” he said in his response to Healey.
The former chief of the defence staff Gen Nick Carter said: “We now live in very dangerous times.
What's confirmed
- Richard Barrons, a retired general who was one of three independent authors of last year’s strategic defence review, said the exercise had concluded that the UK now faced a more dangerous world and the armed forces and w
- In his letter, Healey revealed that the government was planning to raise defence spending by just 0.08 of a percentage point of GDP between next year and 2030 – from 2.6% to 2.68% – and argued that it must hit 3% in 2030
- In a blistering resignation letter , Healey accused Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, of putting the country’s security at risk, saying the long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) fell well short of what was
- The armed forces have "lost all faith" in Starmer, said Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch - you can see more political reaction in our earlier post.
- The prime minister described defence spending as his "number one priority" and said he had made "hard-edged decisions" to increase military funding.
- He said the government’s decision not to fully fund its own review “diminishes the UK’s standing within Nato, weakens our credibility with allies and increases our vulnerability to the realities of 21st-century conflict”
What's still developing
- In a blistering resignation letter , Healey accused Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, of putting the country’s security at risk, saying the long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) fell well short of what…
- Starmer insisted the Dip would be funded properly and told Healey it had already required significant reallocations from other Whitehall budgets.
- “Strong public finances are part of what keeps us safe – irresponsible borrowing only puts that at risk,” he said in his response to Healey.
- In his letter, Healey revealed that the government was planning to raise defence spending by just 0.08 of a percentage point of GDP between next year and 2030 – from 2.6% to 2.68% – and argued that it must hit 3% in…
- Echoing the military chiefs over the risks faced by the UK, he highlighted Starmer’s explicit warning last week that UK intelligence had said there could be an attack by Russia on a Nato country as early as 2030.
- “Without a Dip that meets the moment in this way, I am being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less…
- Richard Barrons, a retired general who was one of three independent authors of last year’s strategic defence review, said the exercise had concluded that the UK now faced a more dangerous world and the armed forces…
- He said the government’s decision not to fully fund its own review “diminishes the UK’s standing within Nato, weakens our credibility with allies and increases our vulnerability to the realities of 21st-century…