Readers can vote in our online poll on whether the Prime Minister should go amid the crisis.By Katie Harris, Senior Political Correspondent
Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership is in crisis (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has been plunged into a fresh crisis following the shock resignation of John Healey over defence spending. Mr Healey quit as defence secretary in a row over funding for the armed forces.
He was followed by veteran and armed forces minister Al Carns, as well as two parliamentary aides. In a letter announcing his decision, Mr Healey suggested the Prime Minister had been “unable” to overrule Chancellor Rachel Reeves when it came to securing the amount of cash military officials had hoped for in the Defence Investment Plan (Dip).
The Dip, a blueprint for how the armed forces will be funded into the future, has been long delayed because of wrangling between the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury, and No 10.
Mr Healey warned the Prime Minister that without a Dip that “meets the moment” he would be “forced to make decisions” that “could make our country less safe”.
Meanwhile, Mr Carns said he would not be able to “defend a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task” if he remained as a minister.