Keir Starmer has named his replacement for armed forces minister after Al Carns' shock resignation. The Prime Minister, on Thursday, faced a major political challenge amid uncertainty around his position as leader of the Labour Party and PM. Starmer suffered a further blow when defence secretary John Healey and armed forces minister Al Carns resigned over the long-delayed defence investment plan (Dip).
New Appointments
North East Derbyshire MP Louise Sandher-Jones has been appointed armed forces minister, taking over from Carns. Her role as veterans minister will be taken over by Calvin Bailey. Meanwhile, Angela Eagle has been appointed as a security minister in the Home Office and Cabinet Office, replacing Dan Jarvis after he was made Defence Secretary.
Carns' Criticism
Carns slammed the funding plan as lacking sufficient money and not being "transformational" in responding to modern warfare challenges, as demonstrated by the Ukraine conflict where drones have become a key battlefield factor. The highly-decorated Royal Marines officer, who traded his military career for Westminster, insisted Sir Keir should stay in place to "steady the ship," but did not rule out a future leadership bid. Carns also said there were issues with both the level of funding and the type of equipment being purchased for the military.
Starmer's Response
Downing Street named Dan Jarvis as the replacement for Healey. Starmer has insisted defence spending was a priority and he had taken the "difficult decisions" necessary to keep the country safe. Starmer also put his foot down on his position and told the BBC that he has a "duty" to stay on as Prime Minister. He said: "I don’t think we should plunge the country into the chaos of a leadership election." He added: "I don't think it should happen, but if it does then I will fight. And let me just be clear with you. That's not about personal vanity, it's not about stubbornness. It’s out of a very deep sense of duty."
