John Healey has become the 21st politician appointed by Sir Keir Starmer to leave government service since the general election in July 2024.
Mr Healey accused Sir Keir of failing to properly fund the nation's defence investment plan during a “dangerous time”.
In his resignation letter, Mr Healey said that the prime minister had been “unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”.
Mr 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.
Resigned as transport secretary after failing to correct police records in 2013 regarding a stolen mobile phone.
Resigned as economic secretary to the Treasury after an investigation by the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
Sacked from job as under-secretary of state for public health and prevention for comments in a WhatsApp group.
Resigned as government whip in the House of Lords over personal reasons.
Resigned as international development minister and minister for women over cuts to the international aid budget.
Retired after holding post of minister of state in Department for Energy Security.
Resigned as minister of state in Department for Energy Security because of ill health.
Resigned as government whip in the House of Commons over proposed cuts to disability benefits.
Resigned as government whip in the House of Lords over personal reasons.
Resigned as homelessness minister in Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government after allegations she increased rent on a property she owned.
Resigned as housing secretary and deputy prime minister after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on a flat.
Resigned as minister for investment to spend more time with her young family.
Sacked as ambassador to the US after emails revealed the depth of his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Resigned as Cabinet Office minister over reports the thinktank he used to run paid a PR firm to investigate journalists’ backgrounds.
Resigned as minister for public health and prevention as undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Resigned as communities minister, saying her constituents had made it “really clear they had lost faith and confidence in the prime minister” amid fallout from Labour’s local election losses.
Resigned as safeguarding minister, criticising the prime minister’s failure to be “bold” and accusing him of failing to act fast enough on violence against women and girls.
Resigned as minister for victims and tackling violence against women and girls amid fallout from Labour’s local election losses, urging the prime minister to set out a timetable for his departure “in the country’s interest”.
Resigned as minister for health innovation and safety after losing confidence in the prime minister after the party’s poor performance in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
Resigned as health secretary after “unprecedented” local election defeats, criticising Sir Keir’s leadership and saying “where we need vision, we have a vacuum”.
Resigned as defence secretary, accusing Sir Keir of failing to properly fund the Defence Investment Plan.
