UK Defense Secretary resigns, says military spending plans ‘too short’ – National
UK Defense Secretary John Healey unexpectedly resigned on Thursday, saying the government was unwilling to spend enough money on the military at a time of “increasing threats.” The resignation dealt another blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is already facing calls from his Labor colleagues for him to step down.
Healey told Starmer in a letter that the government’s Defense Investment Plan falls short of “what is needed at this critical time.”
Publication of the plan has been delayed amid reports of disagreements between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance.
Starmer has promised to increase UK defense spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027 and 3% by 2035. But many in the military say that’s not fast enough.
“You have not been able, and the Treasury Department has been unwilling, to make the resources the nation needs to protect the country at this time of growing threats,” Healey wrote in his resignation letter.
He said the spending plan set out by the Treasury, and presented to him on Monday, would see defense spending rise to just 2.68% by 2030, after hitting 2.6% next year.
Healey said that was not enough with the growing demands for defense and the commitment of the British military, citing the war in Iran, Russia’s all-out attack on Ukraine and threats from Moscow.
“Now I have no other choice but to hand in my resignation letter,” he said.
General Richard Barrons, who helped lead the defense review supporting the investment plan, said the government was “actively going backwards” by refusing to fund his review.
“It weakens the UK’s standing within NATO, weakens our credibility with allies, and increases our real risk of 21st century conflicts,” he said. “Allies and opponents will pay the same attention.”
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The government said it was bringing in “the largest defense spending since the Cold War.”
“This country is safer because of the decisions Keir Starmer has made and we will continue to do things that affect our country,” the statement said.
Healey is considered safe hands
Healey has been the UK’s defense secretary since the Labor Party government was elected in July 2024, and is regarded as a capable and active minister.
He played a key role in strengthening international support for Ukraine and assembling an international coalition to help ensure security when a ceasefire is reached. Healey also helped lead a maritime security force that will help keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping once the war with Iran ends.
The United Kingdom and other NATO member countries have faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to increase military spending. Trump has long questioned the importance of the military and has complained that America is providing security to European countries that are not pulling their weight.
The UK military is also seeking to reverse years of inflation in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and is increasingly testing the defenses of European nations with overt and covert activity.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, told of Healey’s resignation by the Associated Press during a news conference in Brussels, said Healey is someone “I have a lot of respect for.”
“What we see in the whole alliance is that countries are increasing their investment in defense, and it is not easy, because in the end there is always a trade-off with other costs, which are also important,” said Rutte.
Healey’s resignation is likely to fuel talk that Starmer’s days as prime minister are numbered. Already hurt by a series of missteps since Labor returned to power less than two years ago, Starmer has faced calls from his own party to step down.
In a sign of his waning authority, Starmer appears to have failed to bridge the gap between Healey’s ministry and Treasury chief Rachel Reeves over defense spending.
Olivia O’Sullivan, head of the UK in the World program at the Chatham House think tank, said the resignation was “very disappointing for Starmer,” especially since the prime minister had “a proven track record on defense and foreign affairs.”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to challenge Starmer for the leadership, if he returns to Parliament in the June 18 special election.
Justin Crump, a former British tank commander who heads the security company Sibylline, said Healey’s resignation “should not have been allowed to happen in a well-run government.”
“It also emphasizes the lack of control here, the lack of definition, the lack of resolution, the gap between words and presentation,” he said.
Associated Press reporters Mark Carlson in Brussels and Pan Pylas in London contributed to this report.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
