Armed Forces minister resigns from Starmer’s cabinet after John Healey quits over military spending – live updates

Labor MP Al Carns, who has been touted as a possible future leadership candidate, told Sir Keir Starmer as he resigned: “Whilst I have no part in the defense investment plan, this distance allows me to say clearly that this plan is not designed for the threat we face.

“It is neither transformative enough nor adequately funded. We want our armed forces to operate on a quieter budget in a more dangerous world.”

In a letter to the outgoing prime minister as defense minister, Mr Carns said it had become clear that the spending he wanted would not happen.

He wrote: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve this country, first in uniform and then in government.

“I said there were issues facing this ministry that did not have easy answers and that there needed to be agreement across Government on the scale of the challenges we faced. It became clear to me that the change I wanted was not going to happen. Given the situation, I have decided to resign as minister of the armed forces.”

“We face a more unstable and dangerous world than we have in recent years, and having spent most of my adult life in uniform, I understand what public service at a moment like this requires.

“That’s why I can’t go on.

“As a Marine, I’ve watched what war looks like now. I’ve talked to those who saw it up close in Ukraine. The lesson is disturbing and clear.

“The nature of the conflict is changing too quickly for our procurement to keep pace. While our adversaries are arming for the next war, we are still purchasing capabilities fit for the last war. Platforms costing billions can be defeated by systems costing thousands. Any serious defense investment plan must start from this reality.”

Mr Carns said he resigned because he could not “conscientiously” defend a level of investment he knew was “insufficient for the task”.

He wrote: “I have sat in rooms, seen evaluations, and spoken to commanders who will be asked to do more with less, and I cannot in good conscience stand in front of the shipping box and defend a level of investment that I know is inadequate for the mission.

“A serious country finances its defense to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wants to face.”

Following John Healey’s resignation as defense minister, Al Carns announced his resignation as defense minister in a letter shared on social media.

Pamela Nash has resigned from her position as parliamentary assistant to John Healey following his decision to step down as Defense Minister.

In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, the Labor MP for Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke said: “Following the resignation of John Healey earlier today, I regret to inform you that I am resigning as Secretary of State for Defense and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Defense Ministerial Team. “This is not an action I take lightly.

“The defense of our nation is the most important responsibility of every government. Delays and difficulties in providing the necessary financing for the advancement of the defense investment plan were the last issue that damaged the public’s trust in us.

“We saw this clearly in last month’s election results: our government’s achievements are constantly overshadowed by mistakes and a failure to be bold when it matters most.

“Our country is more divided now than it has ever been in my lifetime, and our political opponents are both provocateurs and beneficiaries. If we fail to deliver a strong vision for the future of the UK and chart a clear, progressive route to get there, then we will be allowing the unthinkable to happen: those dissidents taking power. We must do better.”

“On a personal level, I want to thank you for the support you have given me. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to serve in our Labor Government that we have all worked so hard to get elected to.

“I will continue to fight from the backbenches for the future my constituents in Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke deserve, and I hope our movement can come together to achieve this for people across the UK.”

John Healey became the sixth Labor Minister to resign in the past month.

Here are all the politicians appointed by Sir Keir who have resigned, retired or been sacked in the two years since the election:

John Healey has resigned as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) following Pamela Nash’s decision to step down as Defense Minister over a dispute over funding for the armed forces, the Labor MP announced in a letter to the Prime Minister published on social media.

Read the full letter here:

Defense minister Al Carns has signaled that he will consider his position in government if the defense investment plan is not “right by the armed forces”.

Asked by Sky News whether he had considered his position, Mr Carns said: “I need to do the right thing by the armed forces in this situation and if I don’t think that is right then I will certainly consider my own position and from my point of view we have not signed that agreement at the moment.”

“I will decide my position once we complete this agreement.”

Mr Carns said he was “not expecting an offer” from No 10 to become the next defense minister.

He added that he did not know whether he would be sacked for giving outspoken answers in an interview with Sky News, and suggested he was trying to “keep my head down and keep doing the job”.

In a letter to John Healey following his resignation as defense secretary, the prime minister insisted that the government’s defense investment plan had delivered “an unprecedented increase in defense spending in a sustainable way”.

Sir Keir Starmer wrote on Thursday evening: “The world today is more dangerous and uncertain than at any point in our lifetimes. This requires a serious response to build our economic resilience and national defence.”

“Working together, we have achieved so much. We inherited a situation where our armed forces faced years of underfunding and neglect. Leading the coalition of the willing against Ukraine, defending our allies in the Gulf and working together with like-minded countries on a plan for the Strait of Hormuz has helped make the world safer. I am proud of our track record on funding. When we entered government in 2024, I took the decision to increase defense spending after the Conservatives underfunded our armed forces. This was despite cuts to the international aid budget The result was the highest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War. I will always appreciate the work you have done to make all this happen.

“And you’re right that we need to go further. The defense investment plan does just that; it delivers an unprecedented increase in defense spending in a sustainable way. It will deliver the resources our military needs to keep us safe and the clarity on planning that the British defense industry needs. It will make the big strategic investments we need for the long term and provide the certainty private finance needs to invest. It will transform, modernize and support our armed forces with the tools they need to change the way we fight and deter our enemies. And crucially.” It will ensure that the money spent is spent wisely and used to support jobs and growth in Britain.

“We are backing this with necessary investment. The spending increases supporting this plan will be sustainable and fair. They will mean a significant reallocation of funds across government departments and the right choices to protect our nation. Strong public finances are part of what keeps us safe; irresponsible borrowing only puts that at risk. “Making these decisions is never easy. I am determined to rebuild our country, which has been struggling with crises for years. I am sorry that you will no longer be able to be a part of this work.”

Sir Keir Starmer insisted a major defense funding plan would “deliver the resources our military needs to keep us safe” in a letter to John Healey in which he said he was upset that the prime minister had resigned as defense minister.

The Prime Minister also wrote: “I am determined to rebuild our country, buffered by years of crises. I am sorry that you will no longer be a part of it.”