Healey becomes Treasury chief days after quitting over defence cash

Andy Burnham made John Healey Chancellor — the government's top finance minister — on 20 July 2026, days after Healey quit as Defence Secretary over too little defence funding. The New York Times called it a "surprise pick." He now controls every government department's budget — the same money he left over. He told the BBC: "Fiscal control is the first duty of any chancellor."