Sir Keir Starmer has said it is his “duty” to carry on as prime minister and said he does not want to plunge the country into the “chaos” of a leadership election.
In an interview with the BBC, the beleaguered PM vowed that he will fight any contest, should one be mounted by former health secretary Wes Streeting or Andy Burnham.
“And let me just be clear with you,” he said. “That's not about personal vanity. It's not about stubbornness.
“It's out of a very deep sense of duty. I was elected to serve this country notwithstanding the difficult circumstances that is what I am doing.”
His comments come after the resignation of defence secretary John Healey over military funding on Thursday, plunging his cabinet into further chaos.
Sir Keir said he has taken “hard-edged” decisions to increase defending spending, citing cuts to overseas aid, and said it will be the “number one priority at every spending review”
Key Points
- Starmer says it is his 'duty' to carry on as PM
- PM: I’ve made ‘hard-edged decisions’ on defence
- Al Carns accuses the government of 'lack of innovation'
- Who is new defence secretary Dan Jarvis?
- John Healey’s resignation is the beginning of the end for Starmer
Recap: Starmer says it is his 'duty' to carry on as PM
17:50 , Rebecca Whittaker
Sir Keir Starmer has said it is his “duty” to carry on as prime minister and says he does not want to "plunge" the country into the "chaos" of a leadership election.
However, he vowed that if a contest should be triggered, he would fight to stay in his role.
“I don't think we should plunge the country into the chaos of a leadership election,” he told the BBC.
“I don't think [a leadership challenge] should happen, but if it does then I will fight.
“And let me just be clear with you. That's not about personal vanity. It's not about stubbornness.
“It's out of a very deep sense of duty. I was elected to serve this country notwithstanding the difficult circumstances that is what I am doing.”
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has said he is likely to launch a leadership challenge, as well as Andy Burnham should he be elected in the Makerfield by-election on 18 June.
Watch: Starmer says it is 'his duty' to carry on as PM
17:20 , Rebecca Whittaker
Party leaders react to John Healey and Al Carns resignations
16:50 , Rebecca Whittaker
Politicians have continued to react to the resignations of John Healey and Al Carns over the prime minister’s defence funding plan.
Leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski said in a post on X: “Real security means traditional defence, yes. But also resilient public services, a world class health service."
Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage added: "Labour has failed us all".
In a post on X he said John Healey and Al Carns are "leaving because the government will not commit to increase defence spending at a time when we've probably never been more under threat".
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey has also said Mr Healey’s resignation is "a wake-up call for Starmer and Burnham."
"We cannot afford years more political chaos while our national security is put at risk," he wrote on X.
Recap: 'I’ve made ‘hard-edged decisions’ on defence', says Starmer
16:20 , Rebecca Whittaker
Our political reporter Athena Stavrou writes:
The prime minister defended his record on defence spending on Friday, insisting he has had to make “hard-edged decisions” in the face of a “very volatile world”.
Pointing to conflicts in Ukraine in the Middle East, Sir Keir told the BBC: “We absolutely have to step up to that. That requires me as prime minister to make hard edged decisions.”
He added: “When it comes to defence, it's my number one priority. And I have taken the difficult decisions to make sure that we are safe as a country because that is my number one priority.”
US puts pressure on Starmer to boost military spending
15:50 , Rebecca Whittaker
Washington has urged the prime minister to boost it’s military spending after former defence secretary John Healey resigned.
US under-secretary of war, Elbridge Colby, put further pressure on Keir Starmer and urged the UK to bolster the military with “urgency, scale, and determination.”
In a post on X, he wrote: “The United Kingdom has an extraordinarily proud military history.
“It commands our respect. There is again a great need for more British military strength in this critical time.
“We urge the UK to meet that need with urgency, scale, and determination.”
The United Kingdom has an extraordinarily proud military history. It commands our respect. There is again a great need for more British military strength in this critical time. We urge the UK to meet that need with urgency, scale, and determination. 1/ https://t.co/MMvJZFRyCW
— Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby (@USWPColby) June 12, 2026
Analysis: Dan Jarvis is a fine choice for defence secretary – but how long will he last?
15:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Political editor David Maddox explains why Dan Jarvis could end up being for Labour what former defence secretary Ben Wallace was for the Tories.
Read more here:
Dan Jarvis is a fine choice for defence secretary – but how long will he last?
Watch: Defence will be number one priority at every spending review, says Starmer
15:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Comment: Don’t blame Rachel Reeves for Keir Starmer’s unholy defence mess
15:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
The PM is First Lord of the Treasury, and he must carry the can for the catastrophic political miscalculation that will now cost him his job – but the big question is who Andy Burnham picks for No 11, says John Rentoul.
Read more here:
Don’t blame Rachel Reeves for Keir Starmer’s unholy defence mess
Streeting tells Starmer to 'make choices. decide. lead'
14:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has told the prime minister to “make choices. decide. lead” in a post on social media reacting to the spending row.
He said the “failure to make the right choices on the Defence Investment Plan is just a symptom of the indecision at the heart of this Government.”
The Labour leadership hopeful added that the prime minister has said defence is "a number one priority" and “Growth was meant to the number one priority.”
He wrote on X: “There's not enough money for defence, but today the Government announced £4.5 BILLION for walking and cycling. Make choices. Decide. Lead.”
The failure to make the right choices on the Defence Investment Plan is just a symptom of the indecision at the heart of this Government, as I told The News Agents last week. pic.twitter.com/wCUB2MxjHv
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) June 12, 2026
Could Starmer resign and who are the top contenders to replace him as prime minister?
14:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
The future of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership has been called into question once again after his defence secretary dramatically resigned over Armed Forces spending on Thursday.
John Healey, once one of the prime minister’s key allies, accused Sir Keir in a damning resignation letter of being “unable” to secure adequate funding from his chancellor to fund the government’s defence investment plan (DIP).
Read more here by Athena Stavrou:
When might Starmer resign and who could replace him as prime minister?
Party leaders react to John Healey and Al Carns resignations
14:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Politicians have continued to react to the resignations of John Healey and Al Carns over the prime minister’s defence funding plan.
Leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski said in a post on X: “Real security means traditional defence, yes. But also resilient public services, a world class health service."
Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage added: "Labour has failed us all".
In a post on X he said John Healey and Al Carns are "leaving because the government will not commit to increase defence spending at a time when we've probably never been more under threat".
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey has also said Mr Healey’s resignation is "a wake-up call for Starmer and Burnham."
"We cannot afford years more political chaos while our national security is put at risk," he wrote on X.
Watch: No 10 release video of new defence secretary talking with PM and UK’s military chief
14:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
'Governemnt is not being honest about what getting ready for was will cost,' Al Carns says
13:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Former defence secretary Al Carns has warned the UK is not ready for war and is not “being honest about what getting ready will cost.”
In a post on X he said: “The next war won't be won by armies, navies or air forces alone. It'll be won by the country whose 19 year olds can code, whose factories can build drones in weeks not years, and whose grid stays on when someone tries to switch it off.
“Industry. Society. Economy. That's the fight now.
“We're not ready. And we're not being honest about what getting ready will cost.”
It comes after he joined John Healey and resigned from cabinet over the prime minister’s defence funding plan.
The next war won't be won by armies, navies or air forces alone.
— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) June 12, 2026
It'll be won by the country whose 19 year olds can code, whose factories can build drones in weeks not years, and whose grid stays on when someone tries to switch it off.
Industry. Society. Economy. That's the…
I want to free up resources from welfare, Starmer says
13:33 , Rebecca Whittaker
Our political reporter Athena Stavrou writes:
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted his government is reforming welfare amid accusations that the government is prioritising the benefits bill over defence.
The prime minister told the BBC that he does want to “free up more resources from welfare”, after John Healey resigned as defence secretary.
“Let me take that head on because I know that's a point that's made and the answer is that is we are reforming welfare,” he said.
“Yeah, I do want to free up more resources from welfare,” Sir Keir said.
“The question is how you do that? I think the right way to do that is to put in place the support to get people into work, I believe that that is the right approach."
Analysis: Starmer's decision to continue digging his heels in appears increasingly misguided
13:27 , Holly Evans
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke says:
As Sir Keir Starmer's premiership reaches new lows with the collapse of his top defence team, the PM continues to dig his heels in.He has once again insisted that he won't walk away, nor will he take a leadership challenge lying down.
Sir Keir has insisted that his decision to cling on is not about "personal vanity" or "stubbornness".
But as even his most loyal allies turn their back on the prime minister, with devastating consequences for the running of the country, his claims that he will stay in post are sounding increasingly hollow - and increasingly misguided.
Starmer: 'I need to turn things around'
13:24 , Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer said he needed to “turn things around” as he insisted he wanted to lead Labour into the next election.
Asked if he would lead the party into the next general election, he told the BBC: “I’ve always been clear that that’s what I want to do.
“But look, I recognise that given where we are, I need to turn that around and that’s what I intend to do.”
'We are seen as a leading member of Nato,' Starmer argues
13:17 , Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer said he disagreed with former senior military figures who said the Government was not spending enough on defence.
Asked about comments by General Sir Richard Barrons and General Sir James Everard about funding and Britain’s standing in Nato, the Prime Minister told the BBC: “I have the highest respect for the individuals that you have quoted, but I don’t agree.
“These are hard-edged decisions and we are seen as a leading member of Nato.”
Sir Keir pointed to the UK’s role in the “coalition of the willing” formulating security guarantees for Ukraine, and the Anglo-French coalition planning for a deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
Starmer: I’ve made ‘hard-edged decisions’ on defence
13:16 , Athena Stavrou
The prime minister defended his record on defence spending on Friday, insisting he has had to make “hard-edged decisions” in the face of a “very volatile world”.
Pointing to conflicts in Ukraine in the Middle East, Sir Keir told the BBC: “We absolutely have to step up to that. That requires me as prime minister to make hard edged decisions.”
He added: “When it comes to defence, it's my number one priority. And I have taken the difficult decisions to make sure that we are safe as a country because that is my number one priority.”
Starmer says it is his 'duty' to carry on as PM
13:14 , Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer has said it is his “duty” to carry on as prime minister and says he does not want to "plunge" the country into the "chaos" of a leadership election.
However, he vowed that if a contest should be triggered, he would fight to stay in his role.
“I don't think we should plunge the country into the chaos of a leadership election,” he told the BBC.
“I don't think [a leadership challenge] should happen, but if it does then I will fight.
“And let me just be clear with you. That's not about personal vanity. It's not about stubbornness.
“It's out of a very deep sense of duty. I was elected to serve this country notwithstanding the difficult circumstances that is what I am doing.”
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has said he is likely to launch a leadership challenge, as well as Andy Burnham should he be elected in the Makerfield by-election on 18 June.
Starmer vows defence will be 'number one priority' at next spending review
13:12 , Holly Evans
Defence will be “a number one priority” at the next spending review, Sir Keir Starmer said.
Asked about John Healey’s criticism of defence funding, the Prime Minister told the BBC: “We have another spending review coming up and before the end of this Parliament, and defence will be a number one priority in that space.”
He also denied this was a promise of “jam tomorrow”, saying: “It’s very important that when I make commitments on something as important as defence that I’m able to point to what the funding is.”
He added: “I’ve tackled it head on and I have taken the decision to reallocate from other departments. That’s not easy.”
Lib Dems plan to table a Humble Address forcing government to come clean on Defence Investment Plan shambles
13:03 , David Maddox
The Liberal Democrats plan to table a Humble Address motion in Parliament to force the government to publish all hidden documents and minutes exposing the “dysfunction and discord” behind the delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP).
The Government was expected to finally publish the Defence Investment Plan today (Friday 12th June), over six months after it was originally due.
It has, however, yet again been delayed due to ferocious disagreement between departments over how to fund a much-needed boost to defence spending, and the resignations of Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns.
The speculated £18 billion boost is now reportedly being cut to £13.5 billion, despite reports that the UK is facing a £28 billion defence spending shortfall.
The National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, has suggested that anything less than £18 billion would mean Britain would struggle to defend itself.
The Liberal Democrats are planning to use all parliamentary tools at their disposal, including pushing for an Emergency Debate when Parliament returns on Monday, and using future opposition days to force the Government to publish all relevant documents, including meeting minutes for those attended by Ministers and officials from Number 10, the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence held since 2nd June 2025, to discover the depth of dysfunction and discord between departments over the DIP.
Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson, James MacCleary MP said: “The continuous delay to the Defence Investment Plan is both shambolic and dangerous. While global threats mount, the Government is caught in a gridlock of ministerial infighting, putting our national security on hold and at risk while they bicker over the budget.”
No 10 still finalising Dip with new defence secretary
12:56 , Holly Evans
Work to finalise the government’s defence investment plan is still ongoing, Downing Street has insisted.
The prime minister’s spokeswoman would not be drawn on the nature of discussions between the prime minister and Dan Jarvis, the new defence secretary.
“Work to finalise the Defence Investment Plan continues at pace with the new Defence Secretary and the prime minister has been clear that he is determined to publish it before the Nato summit in July,” she said.
Asked whether the numbers given to John Healey on Monday were “set in stone”, the spokeswoman repeated her answer.
Who is Dan Jarvis, the ‘steely-eyed messenger of death’ taking on the Ministry of Defence?
12:50 , Rebecca Whittaker
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer once known as the "steely-eyed messenger of death", has been appointed defence secretary, a role that could test his reputation for calm amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and a contentious debate over defence spending.
Read more here:
Who is the new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis?
'There isn’t a zero sum choice' between defence and welfare spending, Downing Street says
12:40 , Rebecca Whittaker
Downing Street denied there was a “zero sum choice” between defence funding and welfare spending.
A No10 spokeswoman said: “There isn’t a zero sum choice here.
“Over the spending review and before the Dip (Defence Investment Plan), the defence budget has been growing faster than any other major Government department.
“We are investing in defence and reforming the welfare system and I would point out that the last government did neither.”
Downing Street has denied putting off making decisions on defence
12:35 , Rebecca Whittaker
Downing Street denied that it was “putting off” tough decisions on funding defence.
Asked whether the Government was putting off such decisions by “backloading” commitments on spending, a No10 spokeswoman said: “No, I reject that.
“And I would just remind you of what our commitments are on defence spending: increasing defence spending to 2.6% next year, with the aim of increasing it to 3% in the next Parliament when fiscal conditions allow.
“So we have committed to that and we’re also committed to the Nato target of reaching 3.5% of GDP by 2035.”
Watch: John Healey’s resignation is the beginning of the end for Starmer
12:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Analysis: Scaled back defence announcement is a sign of a government in retreat
12:11 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Sir Keir Starmer's major defence announcement today has been left in tatters after John Healey's shock resignation yesterday.
The prime minister was meant to be standing alongside Mr Healey at a factory in Swindon, which was to be converted into a drone testing site as part of a significant technological upskilling of the military.
But, with Sir Keir's MoD torn to shreds by both Mr Healey and Al Carns, who also resigned as armed forces minister yesterday, his big moment in front of the podium has been called off.
Not only is the prime minister not expected to attend today's event, the new defence secretary Dan Jarvis is yet to speak to the media.
It is not yet known whether he will speak to journalists at all, with Sky News reporting that he is currently giving the planned speech to drone defence companies behind closed doors - a far cry from the major publicity circus today was meant to be.
There has so far been no real attempt to show that the MoD is building back better after the chaos of yesterday. Instead, the scaled back event is a clear sign of a government in retreat.
How much does the Government spend on defence?
11:54 , Rebecca Whittaker
Spending on the military, equipment and operations, including aspects such as the armed forces and the intelligence services, was £64 billion in 2024-25.
This figure represents 5.5% of overall Government spending and 2.2% of GDP, the highest proportions in both indicators since 2011-12.
The £59 billion spent in 2023-24 was the first annual total decrease in defence spending since 2016-17 while between 2016-17 and 2019-20, there were historic lows in defence spending as a percentage of GDP.
All the politicians who have left Keir Starmer’s government since 2024 election
11:35 , Rebecca Whittaker
Here are all of the politicians appointed by Sir Keir Starmer 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
Could Starmer resign and who are the top contenders to replace him as prime minister?
11:20 , Rebecca Whittaker
The future of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership has been called into question once again after his defence secretary dramatically resigned over Armed Forces spending on Thursday.
John Healey, once one of the prime minister’s key allies, accused Sir Keir in a damning resignation letter of being “unable” to secure adequate funding from his chancellor to fund the government’s defence investment plan (DIP).
Read more here by Athena Stavrou:
When might Starmer resign and who could replace him as prime minister?
'The defence of our nation is the first duty of government,' says Jarvis
11:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
The former security minister Dan Jarvis, who has been announced as John Healey’s successor, has posted on social media following his appointment.
He wrote in a post on X: “The defence of our nation is the first duty of government.
“Our Armed Forces carry out that duty every day with professionalism, courage, and extraordinary skill.
“It is a huge honour and a privilege to serve alongside them again.”
The defence of our nation is the first duty of government.
— Dan Jarvis MP (@DanJarvisMBE) June 12, 2026
Our Armed Forces carry out that duty every day with professionalism, courage, and extraordinary skill.
It is a huge honour and a privilege to serve alongside them again. https://t.co/n1NxNIY8sm
Watch: No 10 release video of new defence secretary talking with PM and UK’s military chief
11:10 , Rebecca Whittaker
UK's ex-national security adviser says he hopes Jarvis 'extracted a commitment to more funding' when he accepted job
11:08 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
Lord Ricketts, the UK's former national security adviser, told The Independent: "You cannot just continue with the DIP on the money now on offer. It’s dead in the water after Healey’s devastating critique.
"How can (Dan) Jarvis credibly sell a plan which his far more experienced predecessor condemned as increasing the risk to personal and making the country less safe?”
He also said: "I hope Jarvis extracted a commitment to more funding."
Healey's resignation 'shows how little authority Keir Starmer has left'
11:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, told Sky News that John Healey's resignation "shows how little authority Keir Starmer has left".
But he said he disagrees with the arguments put forward by both Al Carns, who also resigned yesterday, and the former defence secretary.
He told Sky News: "What John Healey did was show how little authority Keir Starmer has left.
"I don't agree with John Healey or with Al Carns that there is a slam dunk argument for cutting public services to spend on defence. Al Carns himself said yesterday in interviews that defence procurement is not fit for use, so why put more money into a system that's not actually fit for purpose?"
He added: "We seem to be being asked to cut public services to spend lots of money on big toys for the boys, when there's all kinds of different ways that we need to strengthen our country.
"The big thing is, a country needs to be worth fighting for. And a country with public services that are shredded to fund overspending in the MoD on big projects."
Dan Jarvis urged to 'keep fighting!' for more military spending by former defence secretary
10:41 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who served as both defence secretary and foreign secretary under John Major, told The Independent his advice to the new defence secretary would be "keep fighting!"
He added that, with increasing pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, he would also tell Dan Jarvis to remember "you’ll soon have a new Prime Minister!”
Ex -security minister says defence investment plan is 'no good'
10:40 , Rebecca Whittaker
Ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat stressed that the defence investment plan is not good enough.
Speaking to LBC following John Healey’s resignation, he said: “The first duty of the government, as Keir Starmer has said himself, is to keep us safe. And as he said himself again in Munich security Conference, we are firmly expecting Russian threats to Nato by 2030.
“All of the promises that have been made, everything that we heard about the defence investment plan, is that those promises will be coming roughly around the time the Russians will. Well, frankly, that’s no good.
“Anybody who has been in the military for half a day, let alone for the two years that John Healey has been in the MOD doing the best job he can, knows that you need to get the kit in early to deter your enemies. You don’t want to be trying to make sure it fits on the day they arrive.”
Recap: Who is new defence secretary Dan Jarvis?
10:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
The former security minister Dan Jarvis has been announced as John Healey’s successor.
He is a former member of the Parachute Regiment and served in the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland.
In 2010, he was shortlisted but not selected for the seat of Islwyn. He later entered Parliament in 2011 when he won the Barnsley Central by-election when he became the first serving Army officer since the Second World War to resign his commission in order to contest a Commons seat.
He was once thought to have ambitions to become the Labour leader, but the Barnsley North MP has kept a relatively low-profile and has chosen instead to focus on his parliamentary and mayoral responsibilities.
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.
Yesterday he was appointed as Defence Secretary.
Dan Jarvis was the perfect pick for Starmer in a crisis
10:16 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Independent’s Politics Editor David Maddox reports:
When prime ministers are met with international crises they sometimes turn to the SAS for special operations to sort out the problem.
So with Keir Starmer facing a political crisis with the resignation of his defence secretary John Healey, it felt appropriate that he was able to turn to a former SAS commander to help save him from a desperate predicament.
Mr Jarvis had a very distinguished career as a military commander in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland seeing action on many occasions and serving with the UK’s most elite forces.
When people are questioning the prime minister’s commitment to defence spending with Mr Healey’s resignation and that of former Royal Marines commander Al Carns, then being able to turn to Mr Jarvis was the perfect solution.
Mr Jarvis also comes with serious political experience as a former metro mayor and most recently the security minister.But even someone as well qualified as him will struggle to save a prime minister whose government seems to be in its death throes.
He also will have the unenviable task of justifying the failure to fund defence properly.Maybe this is a pill Mr Jarvis can swallow knowing that by the summer there is likely to be a new prime minister.
Pictured: Newly appointed defence secretary at Downing Street
09:59 , Rebecca Whittaker
Dan Jarvis, the newly appointed defence secretary, has arrived in Downing Street after defence minister John Healey resigned.
No 10 release video of new defence secretary talking with UK’s military chief - with no sound
09:48 , Rebecca Whittaker
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
Downing Street is keen to claim the growing crisis over the UK’s defences is under control.
This morning they have released a video of Keir Starmer and his new defence secretary Dan Jarvis, just hours into the job, which shows them talking with UK's military chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton.
He hit the headlines earlier this week when it emerged he had written to PM expressing concern that an offer of around an extra £13bn to fund a major investment plan for defence was not enough.
In the hours that followed the defence secretary John Healey, one of his ministers and two other Labour MPs all dramatically quit the Ministry of Defence in protest over the lack of funds.
That left the PM scrambling to find a new defence secretary at a time of huge global uncertainty and with conflicts raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. This morning’s video is clearly meant to send the signal that the crisis is now under control.
However, there is no sound on the footage, meaning we cannot actually hear what Sir Richard is telling the politicians.
Watch: Armed Forces Minister signals he may reconsider if investment plan is not 'right by the armed forces'
09:45 , Rebecca Whittaker
Keir Starmer faces endgame as John Healey and Al Carns resign over defence spending plans
09:30 , Rebecca Whittaker
Sir Keir Starmer’s chances of seeing off a leadership challenge are in serious doubt after defence secretary John Healey and armed forces minister Al Carns both resigned, accusing the prime minister of being “unwilling to commit the resources” needed to keep Britain safe.
In a scathing letter laying out the sorry state of UK defences, Mr Healey said funding for the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) “falls well short of what is required”, with extra support not coming until after 2030 even though the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”.
Read more here by Millie Cooke and David Maddox:
Endgame looms for Starmer as ministers resign over armed forces spending
Conservative leader warns armed forces 'have lost faith' in Starmer
09:22 , Rebecca Whittaker
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned the armed forces have “lost their faith” in the prime minister after the defence secretary resigned.
In a post on X she wrote: “First the Defence Secretary resigned saying the government is making the country and our troops less safe.
“Then the Veterans Minister went, saying the government is abandoning our veterans and it’s harming our national defence. It’s clear the armed forces have lost all faith in Keir Starmer.
“A Prime Minister who cannot command the respect of our military cannot continue in office. Britain’s national security must come before Keir Starmer’s ego. The Prime Minister’s time is up.”
First the Defence Secretary resigned saying the government is making the country and our troops less safe.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) June 12, 2026
Then the Veterans Minister went, saying the government is abandoning our veterans and it’s harming our national defence.
It’s clear the armed forces have lost all faith in…
Watch: John Healey warns Labour to ‘get serious’ over UK security in May speech
09:15 , Rebecca Whittaker
Defence Secretary says Sir Keir Starmer needs to 'steady the ship'
09:12 , Rebecca Whittaker
Al Carns said Sir Keir Starmer and new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis now had to “steady the ship”.
The former armed forces minister told GB News: “The PM needs to stay, we need to steady the ship.
“Dan Jarvis has gone into defence as the Secretary of State, he is a good man, Parachute Regiment background, a good soldier in his day he will have a good hand in steadying the portfolio.
“We need to get the transformation into the defence investment plan and we need the Government to find more resource to move this forward as fast as we can.”
Lessons of the war in Ukraine were not being learned, says Al Carns
09:05 , Rebecca Whittaker
Al Carns said there were problems with both the level of funding and the type of equipment being bought for the military.
He told GB News that the lessons of the war in Ukraine were not being learned.
“I want to see a higher percentage for uncrewed systems, AI, data – data is the new gunpowder – and we’ve got to move that forward if we are going to win the next war,” he said.
On funding, he said “the Government needs to move on that” but the defence investment plan was not “transformative enough”.
“I understand why No 10 would have pushed back a little bit but I also recognise that No 10 needs to ease and put more money into defence,” he said.
“But we have got to buy the right kit, not the wrong kit or legacy systems that will not serve our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women well in the next conflict.”
