Al Carns, the former armed forces minister who resigned hours after Defence Secretary John Healey, has delivered a scathing critique of the government's defence plans, accusing ministers of insufficient funding and investing in obsolete weaponry. Carns stepped down on Thursday night amid a protracted dispute over the defence investment plan (Dip).
In an interview with the BBC's Today programme, Carns stated: 'I didn’t think the funding settlement was correct for defence, and I didn’t agree with the defence investment plan, which I thought was looking at how to fight the last war rather than the next one.' He called for scrapping legacy systems ordered by the previous Conservative government and replacing them with innovative technologies seen in Ukraine.
Carns hinted at a potential Labour leadership run, telling LBC: 'I’m good at rugby and football, but we’ll see what happens … I’m always up for playing.' His resignation compounded a difficult day for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, following Healey's resignation over funding rows. The Ministry of Defence had sought £18bn over four years, but the Treasury offered only £13.5bn, with £10bn in new money.
Healey's resignation letter stated: 'You have been unable and the Treasury has been unwilling to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.' Business Secretary Peter Kyle defended the prime minister, arguing that irresponsible spending could harm economic growth, and insisted the plan would be published before next month's Nato summit.
