Dan Jarvis appointed UK Defence Minister after John Healey's resignation over military budget

Healey also accused Starmer directly, telling the prime minister: "Sie wissen, was die Verteidigung braucht." According to the letter, the investment plan had been finalised as early as January, and Healey argued that the goal of raising defence spending to three percent of GDP by 2030 would be clearly missed under the current trajectory. Talks between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury had been running for months without agreement on how to meet increasing demands for higher military outlays.

Starmer, in his response, defended his budget planning, saying the defence budget would "auf nachhaltige Weise für einen beispiellosen Anstieg der Verteidigungsausgaben" deliver. He pointed to UK leadership of the "coalition of the willing" on Ukraine, the defence of allies in the Gulf, and cooperation with like-minded nations on a plan for the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of progress, adding: "Es tut mir leid, dass Du nicht an dieser Arbeit mitwirken wirst." The prime minister has pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 and to 3 percent by 2034.

Political pressure mounts on the prime minister

The resignation adds to a difficult political moment for Starmer, who is already facing calls for his departure from Labour colleagues. Labour Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham is preparing to run for a parliamentary seat in order to challenge the party leader and prime minister, and could enter the House of Commons as early as next Thursday via a by-election in the Makerfield constituency. Observers cited in the reporting said Starmer's chances of remaining in office are likely to shrink further following Healey's resignation.

Jarvis brings substantial military and security experience to the role. He is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, was commissioned as an officer in the Parachute Regiment, and served in Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He studied International Politics and Strategic Studies at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, and from 2017 to 2019 sat on the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

Profile of the new minister

A Labour politician, Jarvis first entered parliament in 2011 as MP for Barnsley Central, holding various positions in the parliamentary Labour group between 2011 and 2015. He was elected in 2018 as the first Mayor of South Yorkshire, and in 2024 returned to the House of Commons as MP for Barnsley North. According to his official website, Jarvis was the first person since World War II to resign his officer's commission in order to stand in a parliamentary by-election. Before his appointment as Defence Minister he served as a Minister of State in the Home Office and the Cabinet Office.

Many in the armed forces consider the planned increase in defence spending to be too slow, a sentiment Healey's letter appeared to echo. Political scientist von Ondarza noted that there is a cross-party consensus in the UK to support Ukraine, and that Starmer has positioned the country in a pro-European direction, but questions about the pace of military investment remain unresolved.

Jarvis's appointment was announced by the government in the evening and takes effect immediately. Healey's departure leaves Starmer reliant on a closely-knit inner circle to push the defence file through a restive parliamentary party, and the choice of a security expert with combat experience signals the government's intent to reassure both the military and Labour backbenchers.