Healey resignation breaks strange period of No 10 calm

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The strange interstitial calm that had fallen over No 10 – with the prime minister still in office but expecting a leadership contest – has been broken by the resignations of defence secretary John Healey and armed forces minister Al Carns. Healey is popular among Labour’s rank-and-file, so his departure will make any attempt by Keir Starmer to cling on to power more difficult if it comes down to a vote of members. His resignation letter accused Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, of endangering national security with their parsimony over defence spending. Healey said that Starmer planned to raise spending by just 0.08% of GDP between next year and 2030, from 2.6% to 2.68%. Reminder: the government has committed to 3.5% by 2035. Healey and Carns could both enter the anticipated contest for Starmer’s job.