John Healey resigns as UK Defence Secretary following dispute with Starmer over defence spending

UK Defence Minister John Healey resigned from his post on Thursday (June 11) following a dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit the resources essential to defend the country. In a scathing resignation letter, Healey slammed the government's Defence Investment Plan (DIP), warning that a lack of funding leaves the UK dangerously underprepared amid rising global threats.

In his resignation letter to Stramer, he expressed that he never expected to write it but is doing so “now with great regret and reluctance.”

"Since then, 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. Since then, the demands on defence have increased still further, as have the UK commitments you have rightly made to allies. Conflict in the Middle East, with the UK now leading the multinational Strait of Hormuz military mission; High North security, with the UK now leading NATO's Arctic Sentry mission; increased Russian activity towards the UK and NATO nations and increased attacks in Ukraine, with the Paris Agreement confirming a British deployment to Ukraine after a ceasefire," he added.