00:00UK Defence Secretary John Healy resigned from office on Thursday citing shortcomings in the government's defence spending plans.
00:08In a letter addressed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Healy criticized funding for the long-awaited defence investment plan,
00:16saying they left him, quote, no other option but to vacate his post.
00:21The plan is due to set out the UK's defence spending plan for the next decade
00:25and was originally scheduled for publishing in the fall of 2025.
00:30It has, however, faced repeated delays, despite warnings that the country's armed forces face a major funding gap.
00:37In his resignation letter, Healy said the approved budgets fall well short of what is required for defence
00:44in what he described as a dangerous time.
00:47The former defence chief said that without these budgets, the UK's defence posture would be reduced
00:52and the risk to personnel on operations would increase, leading to a less safe country.
00:58In a more critical tone, Healy appeared to snub Starmer, saying, quote,
01:03you know what defence needs.
01:05He ended by wishing the increasingly under-pressure Starmer well
01:09and maintaining that his support for the Labour Party remains unchanged.
01:16Thank you, Jamie.
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