Ministers to look again at defence investment plan after Healey’s resignation
Government rethinks defense investment plan, Independent He understands this after John Healey dramatically resigned earlier this week, accusing the prime minister of being “unwilling to commit the resources” needed to keep Britain safe.
It came after Cabinet minister Lisa Nandy suggested more money would be allocated for defence, saying she did not believe Mr Healey’s replacement, Dan Jarvis, “would take the job if he wasn’t confident we could meet that moment”.
None of the 10 sources suggested the defense investment plan had been reopened following Mr Jarvis’ appointment, telling The Independent: “Frankly you would have expected him to have had the chance to look at the Bottom and consider issues such as whether Healey had the right balance of how the money would be paid out.” [is] was spent.”
Speaking to Sky News, culture minister Lisa Nandy said government departments were considering further cutting their budgets to fund defence, and that the country’s security remained ministers’ top priority.
Dodging questions about whether Mr. Jarvis would have been offered more money than his predecessor, Mr. Healey, he said: “I don’t think he would have taken the job if he wasn’t confident we could meet that moment.”
“A clear picture is emerging in this government that we are diverting resources from other departments to fund defence, including my own and including other departments, and we continue to do that,” Ms Nandy said.
“So defense remains the highest priority and I disagree that we are not allocating the resources we need. But when the threat level changes, when the global situation changes, we have to change our approach.”
But the culture secretary disputed Mr Healey’s claim that Sir Keir Starmer had not allocated the resources the country needed to defend itself at a time when threats were increasing.
“I disagree with him on that point, because these are discussions that are being had right now,” he said.
It comes after Dan Jarvis, himself a former soldier, promised to give the armed forces the funding they need after his predecessor resigned over the issue and said he had a “huge responsibility” to troops who risk their lives for the country.
Mr Healey and then Armed Forces Minister Al Carns resigned on Thursday over the long-delayed defense investment plan (Dip), significantly reducing his chances of surviving the leadership challenge.
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Jarvis said: “I think you’ll appreciate it’s quite early days for me and I’m working through the details of all this – but I’m determined to make absolutely sure we deliver for defence.
“This is a moment of challenge. It is our government’s responsibility to rise to meet this moment of challenge, and I will work to achieve that.”
“Defense of our nation is a collective effort… I have a huge responsibility in this right now, but so do all those people who are putting themselves at risk tonight, tomorrow, next week, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
The new defense minister added: “I now have a responsibility to them to make sure they get what they need and people need to be very clear about my determination to carry out those duties, they need to make sure they do that.” [get] exactly what they need.”
Andy Burnham, who hopes to return to Westminster in the Makerfield by-election and has made no secret of his Labor leadership ambitions, has already said he would not be “flickering” about reducing the welfare bill to fund defense spending.
The mayor of Greater Manchester said the “world has changed” and it was “clear” the government would have to adjust its assumptions about defense spending in response.
