British Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned just days before the British Government is due to publish its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP), dealing a serious blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a strongly worded resignation letter posted on X, Healey said he could not back a funding settlement he considered too weak to meet the UK’s growing security needs.
Addressing the Prime Minister, Healey wrote: “You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.”
He said the proposal he received on June 8 fell well short of what was required and would leave British forces without the warfighting readiness needed amid threats from Russia, instability in the Middle East and commitments to NATO. The plan, as drafted, would make the country less safe, he warned.
Healey had pushed for UK defence spending to reach 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, a level he said other European allies were moving towards. Reports said the Treasury had offered only to raise spending from 2.6 per cent next year to 2.68 per cent by 2030.
Government sources suggested the offer amounted to an extra £13 billion to £15 billion (€15.1 billion to €17.4 billion). That was far below the £28 billion (€32.5 billion) over four years that defence officials had said was needed to close capability gaps.
The DIP is due to be published before a NATO summit in Turkey that begins on July 7, with the UK already under pressure over military readiness. NATO members have committed to spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035.
Healey pointed to the war between Israel and Iran, with the UK leading a multinational naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz, and to heightened Russian activity against NATO states. He also cited the escalating Ukraine War and a Paris agreement committing British troops to Ukraine after any ceasefire.
Healey, who is respected within the defence community, is the fourth cabinet minister to leave the British Government since Labour took power in July 2024. His exit drew praise from Conservative figures, with former security minister Tom Tugendhat calling the resignation “principled” and saying the letter showed the administration had failed.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch had earlier accused Starmer of being “paralysed” over defence spending. Healey said he remained proud of what Labour had achieved in less than two years, including raising defence investment to 2.5 per cent of GDP earlier than expected.
My letter to the Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/j9z9nmLCb1
— John Healey (@JohnHealey_MP) June 11, 2026
Earlier the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, has written personally to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to warn that the government’s proposed defence investment plans are inadequate and fall well short of what is needed to prepare Britain’s armed forces for modern high-intensity conflict.
Healey’s departure leaves Starmer with a major headache. Replacing him with a credible figure who commands respect in the defence community will be challenging, especially as the government faces accusations of weakness on national security at a dangerous geopolitical moment.
This is the latest in a string of damaging resignations for Starmer’s government. It follows the high-profile departure of several senior figures in recent months, including former Chancellor Rachel Reeves and other ministers who clashed with No 10 over spending priorities and economic direction.
The pattern is fuelling accusations that Starmer’s administration is plagued by internal divisions and a lack of decisive leadership on national security.
