UK defense secretary and armed forces minister resign over budget disputes

On June 11, 2026, UK Defence Secretary John Healey resigned from his position, citing irreconcilable disagreements with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over insufficient defense funding. Following Healey's departure, Al Carns, the Minister for Armed Forces, also resigned in protest of the government's proposed defense investment plan. Both officials argued that the current budget levels fail to address increasing international security threats, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and regional instabilities. In response to the cabinet crisis, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Dan Jarvis as the new Secretary of Defence. Jarvis, 52, is a former Parachute Regiment officer who previously served as an Under-Secretary of Defence with responsibility for counter-terrorism and national security. The resignations have intensified political pressure on Starmer, with some Labour Party members reportedly calling for him to clarify his future as party leader. The administration is now facing heightened scrutiny regarding its geopolitical strategy and the allocation of state resources to the military.