Starmer appoints former army officer Dan Jarvis as the UK's new defence minister

Former army officer Dan Jarvis was appointed Britain’s new defence minister on Thursday, shortly after John Healey resigned, citing the government’s insufficient financial commitment to national security.

Jarvis had previously served as a junior minister for security in the Home Office under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration.

Healey’s abrupt resignation could undermine Starmer’s leadership just a week before a by‑election that might trigger a challenge to the prime minister.

In a sharp rebuke, Healey warned that the long‑awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP)—which the leader has yet to publish—could leave Britain “less safe.”

Starmer responded to Healey’s concerns by affirming that his spending strategy would enable the armed forces to transform and modernise, adding: “I will always do what is needed to keep our country safe.”

The defence plan has faced repeated delays, but Starmer has pledged to release it before the NATO summit in Turkey on 7 July.

AFP

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