UK: Defence Secretary resigns. Another blow for Starmer
The British Defence Secretary, John Healey, has unexpectedly resigned in a letter addressed to Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer
LONDON – Another blow to the Labour Government: John Healey, the respected Defence Secretary, resigned today in a scathing letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in which he expressed his deep frustration at the lack of resources allocated to the armed forces and Britain’s security.
“You have been incompetent, and the Treasury has been reluctant to allocate the necessary resources to defend the country,” Healey wrote, addressing Starmer.
A surprise
Healey’s dramatic departure comes as a surprise, as the Labour Party veteran, who has been an MP for almost thirty years, was regarded not only as serious, knowledgeable and devoted to Labour, but also as excessively loyal.
However, this does not come as a complete surprise, as there have been rumours for weeks of serious disagreements between the Ministry of Defence – which is calling for more funds to tackle current challenges – and the Treasury, which is determined to keep spending in check.
The arduous process of the Defence Plan
The clearest sign that the tensions were real was the postponement of the publication of the Defence Investment Plan, which was due to be presented last October and was subsequently delayed several times without any clear explanation. The reason was precisely the standoff between the two ministries over the funds to be allocated to defence. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has always maintained that her role is to keep public spending in check with the promised rigour.
