Kemi Badenoch demands John Healey’s resignation if his Budget fails to deliver defence spending promise

Kemi Badenoch told GB News that John Healey must resign if his imminent Budget fails to deliver Labour’s defence-spending promises.

The Chancellor will set out his plans for the British economy next week, with pledges to meet Nato spending targets expected to be delayed until late next year.

Mr Healey previously resigned as Sir Keir Starmer’s Defence Secretary, saying he was frustrated that the Government was failing to raise defence spending to three per cent of GDP by 2030.

In an explosive resignation letter, he said the then-Prime Minister had been “unable” and the Treasury “unwilling” to “commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”.

However, as Andy Burnham's Chancellor, he appears set to delay a major increase in defence spending until sometime next year.

“John Healey resigned because Keir Starmer wasn't giving him enough money to get to 3 per cent by 2030,” Mrs Badenoch said.

“As Chancellor, if he cannot do this job, then he should resign.

“If not, they should call a general election because defence of the realm is the first duty of Government,” the Conservative leader said.

Mrs Badenoch accused Labour of failing to fund the armed forces while presiding over a struggling economy, as Britain’s national security faced growing threats.

“Our national security is under threat, and Labour are just frozen. They’re not able to fund our defence. They’re not growing the economy,” she said.

The Tory leader pointed to reports that Russia was spying on undersea cables and that vulnerabilities were growing in the High North as evidence that Britain needs to strengthen its defences.

“We need to pay for our defence because if we don’t, then we’re not going to have a welfare system or all of the nice things,” she said.

“If we get attacked, and we can see countries like Russia and Iran are getting bolder, we need to get ready.”

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