Starmer’s leadership under further pressure after defence ministers quit – UK politics live

Two defence ministers, John Healey and Al Carns, resigned from their positions on Thursday, citing concerns over the government's defence investment plan. Al Carns, in his resignation letter, stated that the plan was flawed due to insufficient funding and an incorrect focus on capabilities. He argued that the UK is procuring equipment suitable for past conflicts while adversaries are preparing for future ones, and that expensive platforms are vulnerable to cheaper counter-systems. Carns specifically advocated for a greater allocation of resources towards uncrewed systems, artificial intelligence, and data, referring to data as "the new gunpowder" essential for winning future wars. He also expressed a broader concern that the current defence investment plan is not aligned with the actual threats faced by the nation. Beyond defence, Carns touched upon wider societal issues, noting that many working people feel insecure despite their efforts and that public confidence in institutions is eroding. He described politics as increasingly performative while daily life becomes more challenging, and criticized the government's machinery for inefficiency, where decisions that should take days are protracted into months and inter-departmental conflicts hinder problem-solving.