Defence secretary quits with ‘blistering’ swipe at Starmer - The Latest
6/11/202612 min
John Healey has resigned as defence secretary over the government’s military spending plans, in another significant blow for Keir Starmer. In a scathing letter to the prime minister, Healey said the long-awaited defence investment plan “falls well short of what is required for defence” and that he would have had to take decisions that “could make Britain less safe”. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s policy editor, Kiran Stacey Healey quits in row with Starmer over military spending. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
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First 90 secondsNajnik Fadl· Host0:00
This is The Guardian. [upbeat music] Former politics reporter Jane Coaston is now hosting Crooked Media's daily news podcast, What a Day, five days a week. With stories constantly flooding your for you page, it's hard to separate what matters from all the noise. That's why every weekday, Jane and the What a Day team scour the biggest headlines and bring you the stories that matter most to your life, all in just 20 minutes. Listen to What a Day wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to What a Day on YouTube for the video version.
Kieran Stacey· Guest0:46
[gentle music] The fact of the resignation is one thing, but the actual wording of the statement is so blistering. He said, "You are not as committed to defense as you claim, and you're actually putting our security at risk." Not only is he saying that Keir Starmer's not willing to do it, but he's unable to overrule his chancellor, so he's saying he's also weak. All of these things play into all of the doubts that Keir Starmer's critics have about him.
Nosheen Iqbal· Host1:17
From The Guardian's Today in Focus, this is The Latest with me, Nosheen Iqbal. Kieran Stacey, you're The Guardian's policy editor, and I don't want to make too many assumptions about our