British Defence Secretary Resigns Amid Budget Dispute

British Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned after a bitter, months-long dispute with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over military funding, warning that the government is not investing enough to keep the country secure.

In his resignation letter, Healey said the UK’s defence spending plans “fall well short” of what is needed at a time of rising global threats, including tensions linked to Russia and ongoing conflicts abroad. 

 “You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that ​the nation needs to defend the country,” Healey said in his letter to Starmer.

The government had pledged to gradually increase defence spending, but internal proposals would only raise it to about 2.68% of GDP by 2030—below what Healey and military leaders consider necessary for readiness and national security.  

His sudden exit adds pressure on Starmer’s leadership, coming just weeks before a key NATO summit and amid growing political tensions within the government.