London (HRNW)- British Defence Secretary John Healey has resigned from his position, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of failing to allocate sufficient financial resources to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities.
According to foreign media reports, John Healey stated in his resignation that the United Kingdom requires significantly greater investment in defence in light of growing global security threats. However, he said the government and the Treasury were unwilling to provide the necessary resources.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Healey argued that the proposed defence investment plan falls short of the needs of the British armed forces and could weaken national security.
He revealed that he had recently been briefed on the full details of the government’s defence spending strategy, under which defence expenditure is expected to reach only 2.68 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030. According to Healey, current global circumstances require substantially higher investment.
The former defence minister warned that the limited budget could have forced him to make decisions affecting military readiness, operational capabilities, and the safety of service personnel, prompting his decision to step down.
The Starmer government has previously pledged to increase defence spending, with plans to raise the defence budget to 2.5 percent of GDP from next year and eventually increase it to 3 percent and later 3.5 percent.
Political analysts are describing Healey’s resignation as a significant setback for Prime Minister Starmer, particularly at a time when the UK faces growing international security challenges, including tensions involving Russia and increasing pressure from NATO allies to boost defence expenditure.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Defence Committee Chairman Tan Dhesi said that Healey’s concerns should be taken seriously, adding that the resignation of an experienced defence minister over funding issues is a major and concerning development.
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