British Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned over a dispute regarding defence spending
The UK’s Defence Secretary, John Healey, has resigned over his disagreement with the government’s defence investment plan, which was due to be unveiled shortly, reports The Guardian.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he stated that the defence investment plan does not meet the needs of the country and the armed forces in the current circumstances. According to Healey, the document “falls far short of what is required for defence and the country at this perilous time”.
The minister noted that the need for additional funding for the defence sector was clear, and calculations regarding the necessary expenditure had been completed as early as January. At the same time, he said, the government had been unable, and the Ministry of Finance unwilling, to allocate the resources which, in his view, are needed to defend the country in the face of growing threats.
Healey reported that he had only seen the final version of the financial agreements on defence on Monday. He emphasised that the proposed additional funding has been deferred to later years, whereas the greatest burden and the need to increase combat readiness fall on the next two years.
According to him, the share of defence spending is set to rise to 2.68% of GDP only by 2030, whereas next year, taking current investments into account, the figure will reach 2.6%.
In the letter, the minister also recalled Keir Starmer’s previous statements regarding the risk of a possible Russian attack on NATO countries by 2030 and noted that the Prime Minister has a good understanding of the defence sector’s needs.
“Without a defence investment plan that is fit for purpose, I am forced to make decisions that could reduce the readiness of our forces, increase risks to service personnel during operations and make the country less secure,” - Healey wrote.
He added that he had previously warned the Prime Minister that it would be impossible to support a plan that did not provide the military with the necessary resources. Following the approval of this version of the document, according to Healey, he had no choice but to resign from his post as Defence Minister.
