On the 11th Prime Minister Starmer appointed Dan Jarvis as defence secretary, replacing John Healey, who resigned the same day. Downing Street said Jarvis had been minister of state for security at the Home Office, with long responsibility for domestic security, counter‑terrorism and border security. Healey posted an open letter to Starmer on social media saying he was resigning because the government had failed to provide sufficient funding for defence.

2026-06-12

On the 11th Prime Minister Starmer appointed Dan Jarvis as defence secretary, replacing John Healey, who resigned the same day. Downing Street said Jarvis had been minister of state for security at the Home Office, with long responsibility for domestic security, counter‑terrorism and border security. Healey posted an open letter to Starmer on social media saying he was resigning because the government had failed to provide sufficient funding for defence.