On the 11th of June, after several months of discussions on defense funding, British Defense Minister John Healey resigned; he accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of not being able to direct the funds needed for national security, Reuters writes.
Healey’s resignation, combined with sharp criticism of the prime minister, is another sign that Starmer’s ability to control the situation is waning and highlights a crisis at the heart of government – it has yet to figure out how to increase defense spending when funds are tight and the welfare budget needs to be increased.
Healey has so far been very loyal, but has reached an impasse in negotiations on additional military spending with Starmer and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves. He said that Starmer has been unable and the Treasury seems unwilling to divert the necessary resources needed to defend the country.
Starmer reacted to Healey’s resignation with regret and appointed security minister Dan Jarvis to act as defense minister. Meanwhile, Deputy Defense Secretary Al Carns has also resigned, saying the spending plan is not commensurate with the threats the country faces.
The unexpected resignation is another blow for Starmer, who will face political challenges in the coming months.
British Health Minister Wes Streeting resigned in May. He said Starmer lacked a broader vision. On the other hand, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who is trying to return to big politics, is currently targeting Starmer’s place.
Britain has historically been a serious military power, but in March it was unable to immediately send a warship to the Cyprus military base that was hit by an Iranian drone. The British already have to deal with the gradual withdrawal of the US from the defense of Europe, and additional investments in defense are intended to make the British armed forces ready for real warfare.
Starmer has pledged the biggest extra defense funding since the Cold War, aiming to raise it to 3% of GDP, which would mean tens of billions of pounds of extra money. However, Healey pointed out that the current plan will only increase defense spending to 2.68% of GDP by 2030. Germany plans to allocate 3.7% of GDP to defense by 2030, while France will lag behind the British with 2.5% of GDP.
The former commander of the Joint Forces, General Richard Barrons, told Reuters that he was angry at the government’s failure to fulfill its promises.
The general emphasized that the government clearly understands what threats Great Britain is facing
and speaks correctly about defense, but is unable to back up its words with concrete decisions.
Healey said the extra funding Starmer had pushed for was insufficient to counter the threat posed by Russia.
The former defense minister previously held this position in the governments of Prime Minister Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was able to cooperate well with his colleagues and the defense sector. Many have now suggested that Healey’s resignation is such a blow to the British government that Starmer may have to step down in the coming months.
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