John Healey has dramatically resigned as defence secretary, warning Sir Keir Starmer that his defence investment plan “falls well short of what is required”.
His shock resignation comes amid mounting tensions within the Cabinet over the publication of the long-delayed investment plan, which will set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade after a review of Britain's capabilities in June last year.
In his resignation letter to the prime minister, the defence secretary said: "This era for defence required further investment through the defence investment plan.
“The excellent and extensive cross-government work that completed in January - overseen by you, me and the chancellor - confirmed the scale of the challenge and the rising demands on defence.
"Since then, you have 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."
The letter adds: "However, your DIP financial settlement – which I was first given in full on Monday afternoon this week – falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time.
"The extra support is backloaded when the pressure of operations and imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years and it rises to just 2.68 per cent of GDP in 2030, when we will reach 2.6 per cent next year with the investment we are already making."
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