Starmer has pledged to boost UK defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2027 and 3% by 2035. But many in the military say that isn\u2019t fast enough.<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom and other NATO member nations have faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to increase military spending. Trump has also criticized Starmer for not being more involved in the US-Israeli war with Iran. He has long questioned the value of the NATO military alliance and complained that the United States provides security to European countries that don\u2019t pull their weight.<\/p>\n
\t Healey wrote in his resignation letter that the spending plan put forward by the Treasury, and presented to him on Monday, would see defense spending rise to just 2.68% in 2030, after hitting 2.6% next year.<\/p>\n \u201cYou 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,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n Healey said that the increase isn\u2019t enough with growing demands on defense and British military commitments, citing the Iran war, Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine and threats from Moscow.<\/p>\n \u201cI am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Gen. Richard Barrons, who helped lead a defense review that underpins the investment plan, said the government is \u201cactively going backwards\u201d by refusing to fund its own review.<\/p>\n \u201cIt diminishes the UK\u2019s standing within NATO, weakens our credibility with allies, and increases our vulnerability to the realities of 21st-century conflict,\u201d he said. \u201cAllies and adversaries alike will be paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \t The government said that it was delivering \u201cthe largest sustained boost to defense spending since the Cold War.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis country is safer because of the decisions Keir Starmer has made and we will continue to act in our national interest,\u201d it said in a statement.<\/p>\n Healey considered a safe pair of hands<\/p>\n Healey has been UK defense secretary since the Labour Party government was elected in July 2024, and he\u2019s regarded as a capable and serious minister.<\/p>\n He has played a key role in bolstering international support for Ukraine and assembling a multinational coalition to help guarantee security if a ceasefire is reached. Healey also has helped spearhead a maritime security force that would help keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping if the Iran war ends.<\/p>\n The UK military is also seeking to reverse years of decline in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, which fully invaded its neighbor Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and increasingly tests the defenses of European nations with overt and covert activity.<\/p>\n NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, informed of Healey\u2019s resignation by The Associated Press during a news conference in Brussels, said that Healey is someone \u201cI respect very much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we are seeing all over the alliance is countries increasing their defense investments, and of course it is not easy, because in the end there is always a trade-off with other expenses, which are also important,\u201d Rutte said.<\/p>\n \t Healey\u2019s resignation is likely to further stoke talk that Starmer\u2019s days as prime minister are numbered. Already bruised by a series of missteps since Labour returned to power less than two years ago, Starmer has faced calls within his party\u2019s ranks to stand down.<\/p>\n In a sign of his waning authority, Starmer appears to have been unable to bridge the gap between Healey\u2019s department and Treasury chief Rachel Reeves over defense spending.<\/p>\n Olivia O\u2019Sullivan, head of the UK in the World program at the Chatham House think tank, said the resignation \u201csignificantly undermines Starmer,\u201d especially since the prime minister has had \u201ca relatively assured track record on defense and foreign affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is widely expected to challenge Starmer for the leadership if he returns to Parliament in a June 18 special election.<\/p>\n Justin Crump, a former British tank commander who heads security consultancy Sibylline, said that Healey\u2019s resignation \u201cshould not have been allowed to occur in a well-run government.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just further underlines a lack of control here, a lack of clarity, a lack of resolution, a gap between words and delivery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tBritain\u2019s Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly session of Prime Minister\u2019s Questions in parliament in London, June 10, 2026. (Kin Cheung\/AP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26162566538499-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tBritain\u2019s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, looks on as Defence Secretary John Healey speaks to apprentices and representatives in the defence industry, during a careers fair inside 10 Downing Street in central London, March 3, 2025. (Adrian Dennis\/Pool via AP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26099547682341-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks at the Ronald Reagan Institute, in Washington, April 9, 2026. (AP\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/p>\n
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