Al Carns has delivered a scathing critique of the government's defence strategy after resigning as a defence minister, accusing ministers of insufficient military spending and misallocating funds on obsolete weaponry.
Carns Resigns Amid Defence Funding Row
Carns stepped down on Thursday evening, shortly after his superior, John Healey, resigned following a prolonged dispute over the Defence Investment Plan (Dip). On Friday, Carns stated he left the role of armed forces minister because the Dip lacked adequate funding and the government was investing in outdated systems. He strongly hinted at a potential bid for the Labour leadership if a contest arises soon.
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Carns said: "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 added: "Some of the old legacy capabilities that we have – in fact, that weren't even ordered by us, were ordered by the Conservative party many, many years ago – some difficult, courageous decisions need to be made to get rid and replace them with some of the innovative technologies we're seeing in Ukraine."
When asked by LBC's Nick Ferrari if he would consider standing for leadership "if the ball comes out from the back of the scrum," Carns replied: "I'm good at rugby and football, but we'll see what happens … I'm always up for playing."
Impact on Starmer's Government
Carns's resignation compounded a challenging day for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had already lost his previously loyal defence secretary, Healey, after weeks of funding disputes. Ministers had been arguing for months over the long-delayed plan, with the Ministry of Defence seeking £18bn over four years, while the Treasury offered only £13.5bn, of which £10bn was new money.
In his resignation letter, Healey wrote: "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." His criticism undermined Starmer's argument that he is best suited to lead amid geopolitical turmoil. Starmer could face a challenge if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield byelection next week.
Carns said on Friday that he respects the prime minister but depicted a leader unable to resolve internal government disputes. "I generally think Keir Starmer is a good man, he's an honest man, and he's an integral man," Carns said. "But we are fighting amongst each other to get more money for the key unifying principle of any government, which is to protect this nation."
Government Response
Business Secretary Peter Kyle defended the prime minister, emphasising the need to balance growth with military funding. "If we did [the Dip] in a way that was irresponsible, then you'd end up impacting the growth of our economy, and it would be a zero-sum game," he told Sky News, insisting the plan would be published before next month's Nato summit. "It would be fool's gold if we did so in an irresponsible way."
