Sir Keir Starmer’s beleaguered premiership has been shaken by the resignations of defence ministers John Healey and Al Carns over military funding.
In a scathing takedown of No 10, Mr Healey warned that the defence investment plan (DIP) “falls well short of what is required”, and accused the prime minister and the chancellor of having been “unwilling to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats".
The defence secretary was joined in his exit from the cabinet by armed forces minister Mr Carns, as well as two parliamentary aides, heaping pressure on the prime minister, who is already facing the threat of a leadership challenge.
Writing on X, Mr Carns said the DIP was “neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded”. He added: “Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning.”
Sir Keir, who issued a defence of the spending plan, has appointed Dan Jarvis to replace Mr Healey. Parliamentary private secretaries Pamela Nash and Rachel Hopkins resigned on Thursday night.
Tensions have been mounting in the cabinet over the publication of the long-delayed DIP, which will set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded in the next decade.
Read MoreJohn Healey’s resignation is the beginning of the end for Starmer
All the politicians who have left Keir Starmer’s government since 2024 election
Key Points
- Starmer welcomes in Dan Jarvis as defence secretary
- John Healey’s resignation is the beginning of the end for Starmer
- Day of drama in government: A timeline
- Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before resigning as Armed Forces minister
- 'I’m staying on as a defence minister' - Luke Pollard
Recap: Dan Jarvis announced as Defence Secretary
07:45 , Rebecca WhittakerFollowing John Healey’s departure, Dan Jarvis was announced by Downing Street as his successor as Defence Secretary.
Mr Jarvis, a Parachute Regiment veteran who has been serving as security minister, will now be expected to defend what is expected to be a £13.5 billion uplift in defence spending, a figure which military chiefs say is far short of what is needed to fund the transformation of the armed forces.
While the Government has committed to spending 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035, Mr Healey said the plan he was presented with on Monday moved too slowly, with defence spending rising to just 2.68% in 2030 after hitting 2.6% next year.
Sources said the deal offered by the Treasury did not put a date on increasing spending to 3%, and had tried to force the MoD to plan to only reach that figure in 2034/35.
Business Secretary says they are 'determined' to get the defence investment plan right
07:31 , Rebecca WhittakerBusiness Secretary Peter Kyle denied the defence investment plan (Dip) was in tatters as a result of the resignations of John Healey and Al Carns.
He told Times Radio “the plan is being developed” and “we are determined to get it right”.
“We are talking about an enormous amount of money going into defence at a period of time where we have to modernise the way we think about defence, but also make sure that we do so in a way that benefits British jobs,” he said.
“This is highly complex. Now, the Prime Minister, all the way through this, has done it in a way, has delivered for defence, in a way that is challenging.
“Of course, he has had to take tough decisions.”
Mr Kyle said his department was making cuts in order to contribute to the increase in defence funding, but he would not reveal details before the publication of the Dip, which is due to be released before next month’s summit of Nato leaders.
“The plan will be set out in a short amount of time before the Nato summit,” he said.
Conservative MP says the government is 'turning in on itself'
07:30 , Rebecca WhittakerA Conservative MP has said the government is “turning in on itself” following John Healey’s resignation.
MP for Thirsk & Malton Kevin Hollinrake said in a post on X: “Labour's own people are telling you everything you need to know.”
He added: “Wes Streeting: Reeves has no plan for growth.
“Pat McFadden: all Labour want to do is tax more to pay more benefits.
“John Healey: Starmer won't fund our armed forces.
“Jess Phillips: PM only acted to protect women and girls when it needed to save his own skin over Mandelson.”
Labour's own people are telling you everything you need to know.
— Kevin Hollinrake MP (@kevinhollinrake) June 11, 2026
Wes Streeting: Reeves has no plan for growth.
Pat McFadden: all Labour want to do is tax more to pay more benefits.
John Healey: Starmer won't fund our armed forces.
Jess Phillips: PM only acted to protect women…
Watch: UK's enemies 'will be glad to see Healey go', warns former Nato assembly chair
07:20 , Rebecca WhittakerFormer security minister says government is not taking military funding seriously
07:11 , Rebecca WhittakerA former security minister has warned that “the enemy is at the gate and we’re still not taking this seriously” after John Healey quit as defence secretary over a dispute about long-term funding for the military.
Tom Tugendhat, Conservative MP and a former soldier, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Mr Healey’s words as he resigned, accusing the Prime Minister of failing to properly fund the Defence Investment Plan (Dip), were “damning”.
He added: “The reality is now the enemy is at the gate, and we’re still not taking this seriously.
“So, it’s one of those ‘If not now, when?’ moments.”
Who is new defence secretary Dan Jarvis?
07:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe former security minister is a former member of the Parachute Regiment who served in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.
He was once thought to have ambitions to become the Labour leader, but the Barnsley North MP has kept a relatively low-profile.
In 2018, he was elected as the first Mayor of South Yorkshire, and after leaving the mayoralty, he was appointed Shadow Security Minister in September 2023.
Recap: Who resigned and why last night as Starmer faces turmoil
06:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainSir Keir Starmer suffered another hammer blow to his authority as the armed forces minister followed John Healey in leaving the government.
Al Carns quit as a defence minister on Thursday evening, writing to the prime minister to tell him he could not defend “a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task”.
Mr Healey had earlier resigned as defence secretary claiming Sir Keir had been “unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling”, to provide adequate funding for the defence investment plan (DIP).
Starmer welcomes in Jarvis as defence secretary
05:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainDan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer, was appointed John Healey’s successor late on Thursday.
Sir Keir Starmer said he was pleased to make the appointment, as the government works to “meet the growing threats facing our country."
He wrote: “My first duty is to keep the British people safe, and I will always do what is necessary to protect our national security.
“I am pleased to appoint Dan Jarvis as Defence Secretary as we strengthen our armed forces and meet the growing threats facing our country.”
Farage accused of sinking to ‘new low’ after reinstating Reform councillor behind racist social media post
03:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainNigel Farage has been accused of sinking to a “new low” after a Reform UK councillor who was under investigation following allegations of racist social media activity has been reinstated by the party.
Glenn Gibbins, who was elected to Sunderland City Council in May, was suspended from the party shortly after his election after being accused of posting racist comments online about the city’s Nigerian community.
In March 2024, Mr Gibbins posted online: “Carnt [sic] believe amount of Nigerians in town… should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes!!”
Farage accused of ‘new low’ after reinstating councillor despite racist Facebook post
John Healey’s resignation is the beginning of the end for Starmer
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainOn a political earthquake Richter scale rating, the shock resignation of John Healey as defence secretary in a row over armed forces funding is the sort of event that would bring tall buildings with dodgy foundations crashing to the ground.
Healey may not be one of the headline names in the cabinet, but he is highly respected and will always be a Labour loyalist first and foremost. This is not a man who makes a habit of rocking the boat.
So the fact that he has now lost confidence in Keir Starmer’s government, joining the almost 100 Labour MPs who have already publicly declared that they feel the same, is a sign that it really is over for the prime minister.
David Maddox has more:
John Healey’s resignation is the beginning of the end for Starmer
Day of drama in government: A timeline
Friday 12 June 2026 00:45 , Alex Ross12.09pm: John Healey resigns as defence secretary, telling the prime minister the financial settlement for defence plan fell “well short of what is required”, with extra support coming after 2030 when the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”
6.35pm: Sir Keir Starmer issues a strong defence of his spending plans, telling Mr Healey Labour had implemented the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, adding: “You are also right that we have to go further. The defence investment plan does just that.”
7.44pm: Pamela Nash, Mr Healey’s parliamentary private secretary, resigns, describing the “delays and difficulties” that had dogged the Defence Investment Plan as “the latest issue that is damaging to the trust of the public in us”
8.22pm: Al Carns resigns as a defence minister, saying he could not defend “a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task”
9.07pm: Dan Jarvis appointed new defence secretary
Watch: Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before resigning as Armed Forces minister
Friday 12 June 2026 00:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before resigning as Armed Forces minister
'I’m staying on as a defence minister' - Luke Pollard
Thursday 11 June 2026 22:33 , Alex RossFollowing the resignations of John Healey and Al Carns, some will have wondered if defence minister Luke Pollard would also step down.
But taking to X tonight, Mr Pollard said he will stay on.
He wrote: “John Healey is a friend and a mentor. He is one of the most serious and decent public servants I know. I respect his decision to leave the government today, and I’m grateful for all he’s done for our nation.
“The threats the UK faces are real and they’re growing. We need to meet this moment. I’m staying on as a defence minister to play my part in getting this right.”
Profile: Al Carns, ex-Royal Marine touted as potential future Labour leader
Thursday 11 June 2026 22:15 , Jane Dalton
Who is Al Carns – the dark horse who could change a Labour leadership race
Watch: Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before he resigned
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:58 , Jane Dalton Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before resigning as Armed Forces minister
'We will give our armed forces the capabilities they need,' Starmer pledges
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:41 , Jane DaltonAs he appointed Dan Jarvis to replace John Healey, the prime minister said: “My first duty is to keep the British people safe, and I will always do what is necessary to protect our national security.
“I am pleased to appoint Dan Jarvis as Defence Secretary as we strengthen our armed forces and meet the growing threats facing our country.
“This Labour government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.
“In a dangerous and volatile world, we will give our armed forces the capabilities they need to defend Britain and keep our nation secure.”
Analysis: Starmer faces end game as Healey and Carns resign
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:22 , Jane Dalton
Starmer in fresh crisis as Healey quits with attack on PM’s plan to protect UK
Jarvis was tipped to replace Healey
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:11 , Jane DaltonThe Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin earlier tipped Dan Jarvis as a successor to John Healey:
Who could replace John Healey as defence secretary?
Dan Jarvis is new defence secretary
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:07 , Jane DaltonBreaking news: Dan Jarvis has been appointed Defence Secretary, Downing Street has announced.
Carns slates 'budget written for calmer world'
Thursday 11 June 2026 21:00 , Jane DaltonLabour MP Al Carns, who has been touted as a possible future leadership candidate, told Sir Keir Starmer as he resigned: “While I had no hand in the defence investment plan, that distance does allow me to say plainly that it is not built for the threat we face.
“It is neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded. We are asking our armed forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one.”
Change I pushed for won't come, says Carns as he quits
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:57 , Jane DaltonIn his letter to the prime minister standing down as defence minister, Mr Carns said it had become clear that the spending he had wanted would not come.
He wrote: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve this country, first in uniform and then in government.
“I have said that there are issues facing this department that do not lend themselves to easy answers, and that there needs to be agreement throughout the Government about the scale of the challenges we face. It has become clear to me that the change I had pushed for is not going to come. Given the situation, I have decided to resign as minister for the armed forces.
“We face a more unstable and dangerous world than at any point in recent decades, and having spent most of my adult life in uniform, I understand what public service in such a moment demands.
“It is for this very reason I cannot continue.
“I have watched, as a Marine, what war looks like now. I have spoken to those who have seen it up close in Ukraine. The lesson is uncomfortable and it is unambiguous.
“The character of conflict is changing faster than our procurement can keep up with. We are still purchasing capability suitable for the last war while our adversaries arm for the next one. Platforms that cost billions can be defeated by systems that cost thousands. Any serious defence investment plan has to start from that reality.”
Carns: I could not defencd inadequate defence funding
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:54 , Jane DaltonMr 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 resigns as a defence minister in another blow to Starmer
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:28 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAl 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.
We owe those who serve the UK the kit to do the job and the loyalty to stand by them when it's done. We are failing on both.
— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) June 11, 2026
I’ve spent my whole time in government making that case. Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning as Minister for the Armed Forces.
Letter to the PM… pic.twitter.com/HDCIOcVsA5
Pamela Nash's resignation letter in full
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPamela 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.”
All the politicians who have left Keir Starmer’s government since 2024 election
Thursday 11 June 2026 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainJohn 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:
All the politicians who have left Starmer’s government since 2024 election
