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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

UK defence funding crisis has been a long time coming

John Healey addresses the House of Commons
John Healey. No 10 had tried to bounce the MP into releasing the investment plan on Thursday, but he refused. Photograph: House of Commons

John Healey’s resignation as defence secretary on Thursday was a long time brewing, though in the end the denouement was swift. It leaves an already weak Keir Starmer without a defence strategy less than a month before a Nato summit and an unresolved row about spending as Donald Trump threatens to restart the bombing of Iran.

On Monday, No 10 finally told Healey how much more money it was prepared to give the Ministry of Defence to fund major projects as part of the defence investment plan (Dip).

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