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

Mr Carns said he quit because he could not “in good conscience” defend a level of investment he knew “to be inadequate to the task”.

He wrote: “I have sat in the rooms, seen the assessments, and spoken to the commanders who will be asked to do more with less, and I cannot in good conscience stand at the dispatch box and defend a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task.

“A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.”

Al Carns has resigned as a defence minister, he has announced in a letter to the Prime Minister shared on social media, following John Healey’s exit as defence secretary.

Pamela Nash has resigned from her post as a parliamentary assistant to John Healey, following his decision to quit as Defence Secretary.

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

“The defence of our nation is the most important responsibility for any government. The delays and difficulties with securing the necessary funding to progress the defence investment plan has been the latest issue that is damaging to the trust of the public in us.

“We saw this laid bare in last month’s election results. Our Government’s successes are consistently drowned out by mistakes and the 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 the provokers and the beneficiaries. If we cannot provide a strong vision for the UK’s future, and enact a clear, progressive route to get there, then we are allowing the unthinkable: for those opponents to take power. We must do better.

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

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

John Healey is the sixth Labour minister to resign in just the past month.

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

Pamela Nash has resigned as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to John Healey, following his decision to quit as Defence Secretary in a dispute over funding for the armed forces, the Labour MP announced in a letter to the Prime Minister published on social media.

Read the full letter here:

Defence minister Al Carns signalled he would consider his position in government if the defence investment plan is not “right by the armed forces”.

Asked by Sky News if he was considering his position, Mr Carns said: “So, within the situation, I need to do what’s right by the armed forces, and if I don’t think that’s right, then I will absolutely consider my position, and from my perspective, at the moment, we have not closed with this deal.

“When we are closed with this deal, I will decide my position.”

Mr Carns said he was “not expecting an offer” from No 10 to be the next defence secretary.

He added he did not know if he would be sacked for giving frank answers during the interview with Sky News and suggested he was trying to “keep my head down and get on with doing the job”.

In his letter to John Healey following his resignation as defence secretary, the prime minister insisted the government’s defence investment plan delivered “an unprecedented increase in defence 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. That requires a serious response to build our economic resilience and our national defences.

“We have achieved a great deal working together. We inherited a situation where our armed forces had faced years of underfunding and neglect. Our work leading the coalition of the willing on Ukraine, defending our Gulf allies, and working together with like-minded nations on a plan for the Strait of Hormuz has helped make the world more secure. I am proud of our record on funding. When we entered government in 2024, I took the decision to increase defence spending after the Conservatives hollowed out our armed forces. That required a cut to the international aid budget but the result was the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. I will always do what is needed to keep our country safe. I thank you for your work to deliver on all of this.

“You are also right that we have to go further. The defence investment plan does just that — delivering an unprecedented increase in defence spending in a sustainable way. It will provide the resources our military needs to keep us safe and the clarity the British defence industry needs to plan. It will make the big strategic investments we need for the long-term and give the certainty which private finance needs to invest. It will allow our armed forces to transform and modernise and back them with the tools they need to change the way we fight — and to deter our enemies. And crucially it will ensure the money spent is spent wisely and used to back jobs and growth here in Britain.

“We are backing this with the necessary investment. The increases in spending that underpin this plan will be sustainable and fair. They will mean significant reallocations of funding from 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.“Taking these decisions is never easy. I am determined to rebuild our country after years of being buffeted by crises. I am sorry that you will not be part of that work going forward.”

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted a key defence funding plan “will provide the resources our military needs to keep us safe” in a letter to John Healey, who the prime minister said he was sorry to see resign as defence secretary.

The PM also wrote: “I am determined to rebuild our country after years of being buffered by crises. I am sorry you will not be part of that going forward.”

Here is the prime minister’s letter to John Healey in full:

The Labour MP for Croydon West said the resigned defence minister is a “great man to work for”.

In a post online, Sarah Jones MP said: “I was in John’s team as shadow housing minister. A great man to work for – always interested in people and very kind. Such important qualities we don’t always value enough.”