12/06/2026 - 9:54 GMT+2
The UK minister of state for the armed forces resigned from office just hours after Defence Secretary John Healey quit on Thursday, with both citing shortcomings in the government's defence spending plans.
In a letter addressed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Healey had criticised funding for the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) and said he had "no other option" but to resign.
The DIP, originally scheduled for publication in Autumn 2025, is due to set out the UK's defence spending for the next decade, but it has faced repeated delays despite warnings that the nation's armed forces face a major funding gap.
"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," Healey wrote in his resignation letter.
