Politics
UK Defence spending under scrutiny as former minister warns "Putin will be watching this carefully"
Key Points
When he came into office, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the first duty of a leader is to keep the country safe. His defence secretary, John Healey, resigned this week, telling his boss that he was making the country less safe. It was a stinging letter, claiming Sir Keir was unable to make the financial commitments needed to defend the country against the spectre of a Russian attack.
When he came into office, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the first duty of a leader is to keep the country safe. His defence secretary, John Healey, resigned this week, telling his boss that he was making the country less safe. It was a stinging letter, claiming Sir Keir was unable to make the financial commitments needed to defend the country against the spectre of a Russian attack. A second defence minister, Al Cairns, also resigned for the same reasons.They had both seen a long-delayed British Defence Plan, which has still not been made public.
France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks to Tobias Ellwood, a former Conservative MP and former chair of the Defence Select Committee.