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UK defence funding crisis has been a long time coming

The Guardian Politics Thursday 11 June 2026, 19:14 UTC By Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor 1 min read
Key Points

John Healey’s complaint is that Starmer sat on this problem for months before making a derisory offerUK politics live – latest updatesJohn Healey’s resignation as defence secretary on Thursday was a long time brewing, though in the end the denouement was swift. It leaves an already weak Keir Starmer without a defence strategy less than a month before a Nato summit and an unresolved row about spending as Donald Trump threatens to restart the bombing of Iran. On Monday, No 10 finally told...

John Healey’s complaint is that Starmer sat on this problem for months before making a derisory offer

John Healey’s resignation as defence secretary on Thursday was a long time brewing, though in the end the denouement was swift. It leaves an already weak Keir Starmer without a defence strategy less than a month before a Nato summit and an unresolved row about spending as Donald Trump threatens to restart the bombing of Iran.

On Monday, No 10 finally told Healey how much more money it was prepared to give the Ministry of Defence to fund major projects as part of the defence investment plan (Dip). Its programmes include the £41bn Dreadnought submarine replacement for Trident – and a mooted investment in drones, ready for a future Ukraine-style war.

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UK (LOCATION) John Healey’s (PERSON) Starmer (PERSON) offerUK (ORG) Healey (ORG) Keir Starmer (PERSON) Nato (ORG) Donald Trump (PERSON) Iran (LOCATION) the Ministry of Defence (ORG) Ukraine (LOCATION)
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