Both John Healey and Al Carns resigned from their ministerial positions on Thursday over the government’s defence investment planLIVE Updated nowFri 12 Jun 2026 10.41 CESTFirst published on Fri 12 Jun 2026 10.13 CESTKey eventsnowUK’s defence plan is underfunded and outdated, says Al Carns after resignation28m agoStarmer under pressure after defence ministers quitKeir Starmer outside 10 Downing Street Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockKeir Starmer outside 10 Downing Street Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockFrom 28m agoStarmer under pressure after defence ministers quitGood morning. This time yesterday Keir Starmer’s leadership was already in peril, with many in his party assuming that he will be replaced by Andy Burnham at some point later this year, but there was a consensus that, on defence and international security, his record was impressive. John Healey’s surprise resignation as defence secretary blew that apart. Later, after 8pm last night, Al Carns, the armed forces minister, also resigned over the defence investment plan.Here is our main story, by Pippa Crerar and Dan Sabbagh.Here is an analysis by Jessica Elgot.And you can read the exchange of letters between Starmer and Healey here.In his letter to Healey, Starmer defended the defence investment plan (Dip), which has not been published but which prompted Healey’s resignation because, when he saw what he thought was the final version on Monday, he concluded that it did not commit enough money to the armed forces. Starmer said: