Starmer latest: New defence secretary to speak this morning after cabinet resignations leave PM in turmoil

The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

The business secretary confirmed his department had agreed to cut defense funding and said it was an “easy decision”.

Peter Kyle said when asked if he had been asked to cut the departmental budget. Sky News: “That’s true, and I’m taking a deduction to contribute.”

“It was an easy decision for me to make, even though it was difficult to implement. But I made the decision within seconds of being asked, because this is a fundamental objective of the government, and if that means that I and my department have to make sacrifices to make it happen, I will do that and I will make sure that this plan is funded, that we do what we need to do. And it’s entirely up to the government to do that,” he said.

Mr Kyle added: “We have to make difficult decisions from time to time, and if you accept that our primary mission for the government is growth, and then you accept that our absolute critical priority is to ensure security for our country, then when you are asked to do things you have to judge them against those priorities that we have as the overall mission of our government to secure our people and our defense and to deliver growth to our economy.”

“So when I’m asked to do something, I’ll do it in the blink of an eye if that’s what these things are for.”

The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has led the country “decisively” when it comes to defence, a Cabinet minister said, saying increasing defense spending “irresponsibly” would be a “zero-sum game”.

Peter Kyle told Sky News: “Where we are now, 3 per cent or 2.5 per cent or 2.6 per cent is more important in a growing economy because it produces more money.

“If we do it irresponsibly, then you affect the growth of our economy and it becomes a zero-sum game. “If we do it irresponsibly, it’s fool’s gold.

“We are doing this responsibly in a way that delivers growth to our economy and also, remember, we have designed an extremely complex plan and we want to make sure it benefits British jobs and British businesses, so it improves the resilience of both our economy and our defence.

“These are extremely challenging things and, you know, the Prime Minister has done this with determination since the day he started.

“Remember, last year someone resigned from the Cabinet simply because of the way and pace they increased money and defense spending.” “So these are challenging things, and he showed quite remarkable purpose in doing it.”

Political editor David Maddox highlights that the factors precipitating John Healey’s resignation go far beyond the debate over defense spending…

The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

The Trade and Trade Secretary has insisted defense is a “priority” for the government despite John Healey’s shock resignation on Thursday.

Speaking to Sky News about the former defense secretary’s harsh criticism of Sir Keir Starmer’s defense approach, Peter Kyle said: “We are doing something really difficult. “We are increasing investment in our defense services at a point where the world is changing rapidly, events in the world are changing rapidly, and we need to get it right.

“We need to fund this. This is a priority of the government.

“We have already moved the funding to 2.6 per cent. We promised in this parliament that we would get to 2.5 per cent, so we got to 2.6 per cent years earlier than people thought.

“We are now entering a truly challenging period to determine what the next decade will look like, at a time of global challenges, global instability in conflicts that directly impact our economy and our country, and technology that is profoundly transforming defence.

“We are setting out what this will look like ahead of the NATO summit in early July and we are just finalizing those plans. We now have a new Secretary of State to take this forward.”

Following the departure of John Healey, Dan Jarvis was announced by Downing Street as his successor as Defense Secretary.

Mr Jarvis, a Parachute Regiment veteran who served as security minister, is now expected to defend an expected £13.5bn increase in defense spending; This figure, military chiefs say, is far below the funding needed to transform the armed forces.

Although the government has committed to spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defense by 2035, Mr Healey said the plan presented to him on Monday was progressing too slowly, with defense spending rising to just 2.68 per cent in 2030 after reaching 2.6 per cent next year.

Sources said the deal proposed by the Treasury did not set a date for increasing spending to 3% and was trying to force the Ministry of Defense to plan to reach that figure only in 2034/35.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle has denied the defense investment plan (Dip) is in ruins as a result of the resignations of John Healey and Al Carns.

he said Times Radio “A plan is being developed” and “we are committed to getting it right.”

“We’re talking about huge amounts of money going to defense at a time when we need to modernize the way we think about defense but also make sure we do it in a way that benefits British businesses,” he said.

“This is extremely complex. Now, the Prime Minister has sort of done this throughout this whole process, he’s served the defense in a formidable way.

“Of course he had to make difficult decisions.”

Mr Kyle said his ministry had made cuts to contribute to an increase in defense funding but would not reveal details ahead of the publication of the Dip, which will be published before next month’s NATO leaders’ summit.

“The plan will be announced shortly before the NATO summit,” he said.

A Conservative MP has said the government has “turned in on itself” following the resignation of John Healey.

Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake said in a post on X: “Labour’s own men tell you everything you need to know.”

He added: “Wes Streeting: Reeves has no growth plans.

“Pat McFadden: All Labor wants to do is pay more taxes to get more help.

“John Healey: Starmer will not fund our armed forces.

“Jess Phillips: The Prime Minister only took action against Mandelson when it was necessary to save his life to protect women and girls.”

“The enemy is at the door and we are still not taking it seriously,” a former security minister has warned after John Healey quit as defense minister over a dispute over long-term funding for the military.

Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative MP and former soldier, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that Mr Healey’s remarks when he resigned accusing the Prime Minister of failing to properly fund the Defense Investment Plan (DIP) were “damning”.

He added: “The truth is that the enemy is at the door and we are still not taking it seriously.

“So it’s like, ‘If not now, when?’ one of the questions. understands.”

The former security minister is a former Parachute Regiment member who served in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.

He was once thought to have ambitions of becoming Labor leader but the Barnsley North MP has kept a relatively low profile.

He was elected as the first Mayor of South Yorkshire in 2018 and was appointed Shadow Minister for Security in September 2023 after leaving the mayoralty.