Defence Minister Richard Marles was left in an awkward situation on his trip to the UK for high-level security talks.
The deputy prime minister was in Portsmouth for a bilateral AUKMIN summit and was scheduled to visit a naval base that is critical to the AUKUS partnership.
Defence Minister Richard Marles (far right) had his AUKUS visit thrown into disarray after his British counterpart John Healey (second left) sensationally quit hours earlier. Getty Images
But in a move no one expected, Marles was left to tour the facility solo after the UK’s defence secretary suddenly resigned on Thursday.
John Healey, who became defence secretary after Labour’s election victory in 2024, released a two-page resignation letter saying he’d been left with “no other option” after discovering the government was unwilling to spend enough on the military at a time of “rising threats”.
In the letter, Healey told UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer that the government’s Defence Investment Plan fell “well short of what is required at this dangerous time”.
Richard Marles speaks during AUKMIN press conference Getty Images
Marles went on the tour solo but did not speak to journalists after a scheduled media appearance was cancelled.
Instead, Marles released a short statement on his British counterpart’s resignation, vowing to keep calm and carry on.
“Our defence relationship is enduring, with deep connections, values and shared interests,” he said.
“Acknowledging that ultimately this has been a decision for John, I wish him all the best for the future.”
Marles and Healey had met on Wednesday at Lancaster House in London for the annual ministerial meetings (AUKMIN), joined by the Australian and British foreign ministers, Penny Wong and Yvette Cooper, respectively.
Following the bilaterals, Healey described the Australian contingent as his “good friends Penny and Richard”, the ABC reported.
He’s also said to have spoken about future meetings with Marles in the coming months, not indicating at all he was about to give up his post.
Critics say UK defence spending boost is too little, too late
Starmer has pledged to boost UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2027 and 3 per cent by 2035. But many in the military say that isn’t fast enough.
“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,” Healey wrote in his resignation letter.
Healey (left), who had been in his post since Labour took power in July 2024, released a two-page resignation letter to Keir Starmer on social media Getty Images
He said that the spending plan put forward by the Treasury, and presented to him on Monday, would result in defence spending rising to just 2.68 per cent in 2030, after hitting 2.6 per cent next year.
Healey said that was not enough with growing demands on defence and British military commitments, citing the Iran war, Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine and threats from Moscow.
“I am now left with no other option than to submit my resignation,” he said.
General Richard Barrons, who helped lead a defence review that underpins the investment plan, said the government is “actively going backwards” by refusing to fund its own review.
“It diminishes the UK’s standing within NATO, weakens our credibility with allies, and increases our vulnerability to the realities of 21st-century conflict,” he said.
“Allies and adversaries alike will be paying attention.”
Healey told Starmer the proposed spending amount put forward by Teasury wasn’t enough to meet growing demands on defence and British military commitments. Getty Images
The government said it was delivering “the largest sustained boost to defence spending since the Cold War.”
“This country is safer because of the decisions Keir Starmer has made and we will continue to act in our national interest,” it said in a statement.
Healey was considered a safe pair of hands
Healey had been UK defence secretary since the Labour Party government was elected in July 2024, and was regarded as a capable and serious minister.
He has played a key role in bolstering international support for Ukraine and assembling a multinational coalition to help guarantee security if a ceasefire is reached.
Healey also has helped spearhead a maritime security force that would help keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping if the Iran war ends.
The United Kingdom and other NATO member nations have faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to increase military spending.
Trump has long questioned the value of the military alliance and complained that the United States provides security to European countries that don’t pull their weight.
The UK military is also seeking to reverse years of decline in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, which fully invaded its neighbour Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and increasingly tests the defences of European nations with overt and covert activity.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was told of John Healey’s resignation during a press conference in Brussels. AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, was informed of Healey’s resignation during a news conference in Brussels and said Healey is someone “I respect very much”.
“What we are seeing all over the alliance is countries increasing their defence investments, and of course it is not easy, because in the end there is always a trade-off with other expenses, which are also important,” Rutte said.
Healey’s resignation is likely to further stoke talk that Starmer’s days as prime minister are numbered. Already bruised by a series of missteps since Labour returned to power less than two years ago, Starmer has faced calls within his party’s ranks to stand down.
In a sign of his waning authority, Starmer appears to have been unable to bridge the gap between Healey’s department and Treasury chief Rachel Reeves over defence spending.
Olivia O’Sullivan, head of the UK in the World program at the Chatham House think tank, said the resignation “significantly undermines Starmer”, especially since the prime minister has had “a relatively assured track record on defence and foreign affairs.”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is widely expected to challenge Starmer for the leadership, if he returns to Parliament in a June 18 special election.
Justin Crump, a former British tank commander who heads security consultancy Sibylline, said Healey’s resignation “should not have been allowed to occur in a well-run government”.
“It just further underlines a lack of control here, a lack of clarity, a lack of resolution, a gap between words and delivery,” he said.