U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey resigned Thursday after clashing with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government over military spending, dealing the British leader a setback weeks before a critical NATO summit to include President Donald Trump.Healey's departure stemmed from a dispute over the delayed Defense Investment Plan (DIP) — the government's long-promised roadmap for military investment and readiness — and as NATO allies face renewed pressure from Trump to boost defense spending."John Healey’s resignation is a seismic moment for the government and the Ministry of Defense," Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Senior Associate Fellow Ed Arnold told Fox News Digital."For the government, it creates a sequence of political headaches in terms of a replacement, and trying to get the Defense Investment Plan published."BRITISH PM KEIR STARMER MOVES UK MILITARY INTO 'WAR-FIGHTING READINESS'Healey had been in intense, late-stage negotiations with Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves over the scale and timelines of the DIP.Starmer reportedly refused to set out a timeline to reach 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2035 — a promise he made to Trump at last year's NATO summit — and would not commit to a firm date for reaching 3%.Instead, Starmer offered Healey a deal to spend 2.68% of GDP on defense by 2030, up only marginally from 2.6% next year, Reuters reported."You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country," Healey wrote to Starmer in his resignation letter, warning that the financial constraints would "make the country less safe," the outlet reported.NATO CHIEF URGES MEMBERS TO 'TURBOCHARGE' DEFENSE PRODUCTION AS HE PAINTS PICTURE OF A WORLD BOUND FOR WAR"If the delay to the Defense Investment Plan was already undermining the government’s credibility on defense, John Healey’s resignation has blown a hole in its side," Professor Kevin Rowlands of the RUSI defense and security think tank told Fox News Digital."The immediate consequence is not just political embarrassment for No. 10, but a significant loss of planning certainty at a time when the British Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense, and industry really need clarity on what will be funded, and when," he added.The political fallout is expected to reverberate across the Atlantic, where Washington has increased pressure on European allies to fulfill their defense obligations. Trump has frequently criticized NATO alliance members as "free riders."On June 3, Secretary of State… [TheTopNews] Read More.
3 days ago
