John Healey resigns as Defence Secretary saying Sir Keir Starmer's funding plan 'could make the country less safe'
In his letter, John Healey said: “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.”
John Healey has dramatically resigned as Defence Secretary saying that Sir Keir Starmer’s funding plan for the Armed Force “could make the country less safe”.
In a letter to Sir Keir earlier today, the Rawmarsh and Conisbrough said the Prime Minister had 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”.
The Dip, originally called for by the Strategic Defence Review almost exactly a year ago, has been long delayed by wrangling over funding.
Sir Keir promised the funding would be announced ahead of a Nato summit next month, although The Yorkshire Post understands that departments are still wrangling over potential cuts.
Mr Healey said he had received a financial settlement for the Dip on Monday afternoon which “falls well short of what is required”, with extra support coming after 2030 when the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”.
He said: “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.”
While the Government has committed to spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035, Mr Healey said the plan he was presented to him moved too slowly, with defence spending rising to just 2.68 per cent in 2030 after hitting 2.6 per cent next year.
Mr Healey said that this “could make the country less safe”.
“You know what defence needs,” he told the Prime Minister in his resignation letter.
Mr Healey explained that “demands on defence have increased still further”, pointing to the Iran war, threats from Russia in the High North, and escalation in the Ukraine conflict.
“You made the argument for this powerfully in your speech at the Munich Security Conference back in February,” he said.
“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.”
The South Yorkshire MP said he outlined that there are “credible ways” to meet the funding challenges.
It is understood that the Government has been looking to cut back on capital infrastructure and net zero projects to find cash for the Dip.
While Chancellor Rachel Reeves suggested on Tuesday that she would prefer the “pain of higher taxes” to fund the Dip, instead of more borrowing.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs Badenoch said that this “means tax rises are coming”.
The resignation places huge pressure on Sir Keir, as it comes just weeks after Wes Streeting quit as health secretary saying “where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift”.
Mr Healey is one of the most respected Cabinet secretaries amongst the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).
One source told this paper that this is “surely curtains” for the Prime Minister.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed that he will challenge Sir Keir if elected in the Makerfield by-election next week.