Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary After Healey Resigns Over Spending Cuts
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer and security minister, was appointed UK Defence Secretary on 11 June after John Healey resigned over inadequate defence spending. The government’s Defence Investment Plan provides £10-13bn over four years, far short of the £28bn needed. Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace disputed the government’s claim of 2.6% GDP spending, stating the real figure is 2.13%. Jarvis faces implementing the unpopular plan amid political backlash.
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
Dan Jarvis Will Not Receive Additional Funding for UK Armed Forces
UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis will not be given any additional money for Britain's armed forces, according to No.10 sources. This follows the dramatic resignation of his predecessor John Healey, who quit because Prime Minister Keir Starmer was 'unable' and Chancellor Rachel Reeves was 'unwilling' to provide sufficient cash for the government's Defence Investment Plan. The Treasury is reportedly only willing to release £13.5 billion, less than half of what Healey had requested. Despite Jarvis insisting at the weekend that he would ensure the armed forces get 'precisely what they need', Downing Street confirmed no extra funds would be made available. This comes as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy suggested cabinet ministers are being asked to find more cuts from their own budgets to fund defence. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called for the Prime Minister to resign if he cannot find more defence spending.
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Dan Jarvis Will Not Receive Additional Funding for UK Armed Forces, No.10 Confirms
Downing Street sources have confirmed that new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis will not be given any additional money for Britain's armed forces, despite his predecessor John Healey resigning last week over a funding dispute. Healey quit after Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to provide sufficient cash for the government's Defence Investment Plan. The Treasury is reportedly only willing to release £13.5 billion, less than half of what Healey requested. Jarvis had stated over the weekend that he would ensure the armed forces get 'precisely what they need,' but No.10 sources said Monday no extra funds would be made available. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy indicated cabinet ministers are being asked to find cuts from their own budgets to boost defence spending. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called on the Prime Minister to resign if he cannot secure more defence funding.
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)New British Defence Secretary: Dan Jarvis Can't Say No
Dan Jarvis, a former British special forces veteran and ex-mayor of Sheffield, has been appointed as the UK's new Defence Secretary by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, replacing John Healey who resigned over a dispute about defence spending. Jarvis, 53, has operational experience in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He faces the challenge of securing increased military funding after Healey's resignation letter criticized Starmer as 'incapable' and Chancellor Rachel Reeves as 'unwilling'. The government's current defence investment plan falls short of the ministry's target, with spending set to rise only from 2.6% to 2.68% of GDP by 2030. Jarvis's appointment comes amid a potential Labour leadership challenge from Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Jarvis, who entered politics in 2011 after his first wife died of cancer, described the Defence Secretary role as a 'dream job'.
taz.de - taz.deWhitehall Departments Face More Cuts to Fund Defence Cash Boost, Says Lisa Nandy
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has stated that Whitehall departments are facing further spending cuts to provide additional funds for Britain's armed forces. In an interview on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Nandy confirmed that discussions between Downing Street and ministers are happening 'in real time' to find extra money for the government's Defence Investment Plan (DIP). Her comments follow the resignation of former Defence Secretary John Healey, who quit after claiming the £13.5 billion extra allocated to defence was insufficient and accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of being unable to secure more funding from Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Healey has been replaced by Dan Jarvis, a former paratrooper, who has stated his determination to ensure the armed forces receive 'precisely what they need'. Nandy indicated that Jarvis is reviewing the draft DIP and engaging with the chancellor and prime minister to potentially increase the defence budget, signaling a shift from the earlier position that the funding decision was final.
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary After Mass Resignations Over Spending Plan
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer and Labour MP for Barnsley North, has been appointed Britain's new defence secretary following a day of upheaval in which his predecessor John Healey, armed forces minister Al Carns, and a parliamentary aide all resigned in protest at the government's defence spending plans. The resignations came after the Treasury offered a Defence Investment Plan that would raise spending from 2.6% to just 2.68% of GDP by 2030, amounting to £13.5 billion—less than half the £28 billion service chiefs said was needed. Healey warned the settlement would reduce readiness and increase risk to personnel. Jarvis, who served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and previously commanded a company in the Special Forces Support Group, becomes the first defence secretary since Ben Wallace with direct military experience. He must now defend the very settlement that prompted his predecessors to resign.
UK Defence JournalWho is Dan Jarvis? A look at Britain’s new defence secretary
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer and Labour MP for Barnsley North, has been appointed UK Defence Secretary after a day of upheaval in which predecessor John Healey, armed forces minister Al Carns, and a parliamentary aide resigned over inadequate defence spending plans. The government proposed raising defence spending from 2.6% to 2.68% of GDP by 2030, an uplift of £13.5bn—less than half the £28bn service chiefs said was needed. Jarvis, who served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and was the first person since WWII to resign his commission to enter politics, now must defend the very settlement that prompted his colleagues to quit. Prime Minister Starmer defended the plan as the largest sustained increase since the Cold War.
UK Defence JournalFormer Parachute Regiment Major Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary After Healey Resigns
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment Major and former Home Office and Cabinet Office minister, has been appointed UK Defence Secretary following the resignation of John Healey on 11 June. Healey stepped down amid expected deep cuts to the UK military under the upcoming Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which provides £10-13bn over four years—far short of the £28bn needed. The UK government claims defence spending will reach 2.6% of GDP, but former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace disputed this, stating the real figure is 2.13%. Jarvis, who served in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, takes over as the MoD faces political backlash and internal turmoil. His first task may involve opening a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre in Swindon.
Airforce TechnologyFormer Parachute Regiment Major Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment Major and Cabinet Office Minister, has been appointed UK Defence Secretary following the resignation of John Healey on 11 June. Healey stepped down amid expected deep cuts to the military under the upcoming Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which reportedly provides only £10-13bn over four years—far short of the £28bn needed to maintain current spending. Jarvis, who served in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, takes over as the Ministry of Defence faces political backlash over disputed defence spending figures. Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace publicly criticized the government's claim of 2.6% GDP spending, stating the real figure is 2.13%. Jarvis's first task may involve opening a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre in Swindon, though the DIP's release is expected to overshadow the event.
Naval TechnologyFormer Parachute Regiment Major Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment Major and Cabinet Office Minister, has been appointed the new UK Secretary of State for Defence, replacing John Healey who resigned on 11 June over expected military cuts. Jarvis takes over as the Ministry of Defence prepares for the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which will provide £10-13bn over four years—far short of the £28bn needed. The UK government claims defence spending will reach 2.6% of GDP, but former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace disputes this, stating the real figure is 2.13%. Jarvis's military background includes service in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Special Forces Support Group. His first task may involve opening a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre in Swindon.
Army TechnologyFormer Parachute Regiment Major Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment Major and Cabinet Office Minister, has been appointed UK Secretary of State for Defence following the resignation of John Healey on 11 June. Healey stepped down amid expected deep cuts under the upcoming Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which reportedly provides only £10-13bn over four years—far short of the £28bn needed to maintain current spending. The UK government claims defence spending will reach 2.6% of GDP by 2027, but former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace disputed this, stating the real figure is 2.13% when excluding non-military resources. Jarvis, a veteran of Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, takes over as the MoD braces for politically unpopular cuts. His first task may involve opening a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre in Swindon. The appointment comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration faces multiple crises.
Army TechnologyFormer Parachute Regiment Major Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment Major and former Home Office and Cabinet Office minister, has been appointed UK Defence Secretary following the resignation of John Healey on 11 June. Healey resigned amid expected deep cuts under the upcoming Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which provides £10-13bn over four years—far short of the £28bn needed. The UK government claims defence spending will reach 2.6% of GDP, but former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace disputes this, stating the real figure is 2.13%. Jarvis, who served in Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan, including with the Special Forces Support Group, faces the immediate challenge of implementing the unpopular DIP. His first task may involve opening a new Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre in Swindon.
Airforce TechnologyDan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary After John Healey Resigns Over Funding Dispute
Dan Jarvis has been appointed as the new UK Defence Secretary following the resignation of John Healey, who quit in protest over the government's Defence Investment Plan (DIP). Healey argued that the proposed increase in defence spending from 2.6% to 2.68% of GDP by 2030, amounting to an extra £13.5 billion, was less than half the £28 billion requested by army chiefs and would reduce military readiness. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the plan, stating it provides necessary resources and long-term strategic investments. Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer who served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, was promoted to the cabinet shortly after junior defence minister Al Carns also resigned in protest. Additionally, Labour MP Pamela Nash, Healey's parliamentary aide, resigned, citing damage to public trust and the government's failure to be bold on key issues.
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary After John Healey Resigns Over Spending Dispute
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer and security minister, has been appointed UK Defence Secretary following the resignation of John Healey. Healey quit in protest over the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which he said would increase defence spending from 2.6% to only 2.68% of GDP by 2030, amounting to an extra £13.5 billion—less than half the £28 billion requested by army chiefs. He argued the funding would reduce military readiness and increase risk to personnel. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the plan, calling it adequate for long-term investment and modernization. Junior defence minister Al Carns and Labour MP Pamela Nash also resigned in protest, citing inadequate funding and damage to public trust.
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Dan Jarvis Appointed New UK Defence Secretary After John Healey Quits
Dan Jarvis, a former Parachute Regiment officer and security minister since the 2024 general election, has been appointed as the new UK Defence Secretary following the resignation of John Healey. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the appointment, emphasizing his duty to protect national security and strengthen the armed forces. Starmer highlighted that the Labour government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, citing growing threats and a dangerous global environment. The article is a breaking news story from HuffPost UK, with updates expected.
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)