Defence Secretary Resigns as UK Confronts Gap Between NATO Pledge and Budget

John Healey quit as Defence Secretary on 11 June 2026, citing the government's failure to fund the 5% GDP military spending target he helped negotiate at 2025 NATO summits. The resignation reveals a fiscal bind: the Treasury cannot honour international commitments without deeper budget cuts elsewhere. Prime Minister Starmer has promised a Defence Investment Plan before July's NATO summit.