British defense secretary resigns over lack of investment

LONDON, June 11. /TASS/. British Defense Secretary John Healey has resigned, citing a lack of promised defense investment.

"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," he said in a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, posted on X.

"Your DIP [Defense Investment Plan] financial settlement – which I was first given in full on Monday afternoon this week – falls well short of what is required for defense. <...> I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation as your defense secretary" he pointed out, addressing Starmer.

Healey added that he was stepping down "with great regret and reluctance."

At a NATO summit held in The Hague last June, Starmer promised to publish a plan to implement his commitment to bring core defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. The plan was expected to be presented last fall, but it has not yet been released. The British government says the document will be published in the coming weeks.

Sky News reported on Tuesday that the Treasury had offered the Ministry of Defense an additional 13 billion pounds to help fund the purchase of new jets, submarines, ships, drones and missiles. According to the media outlet, this is at the lower end of a range of between 12 billion pounds and 18 billion pounds under consideration.

The Times wrote earlier that the British Ministry of Defense was short of 28 billion pounds over the next four years despite plans to boost spending.