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Marles' AUKUS trip thrown into disarray as British defence secretary quits

ABC Australia · Jun 11, 2026, 12:59 PM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, left, and and Defence Secretary John Healey, second from right, pose with their Australian counterparts Penny Wong and Richard Marles before the shock announcement.
  • British Defence Secretary John Healey dramatically quit on Thursday, saying the government's failure to spend enough money in the sector had left him with no other option.
  • His decision came less than three hours before he was due to appear at a media event with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, which had to be cancelled.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, left, and and Defence Secretary John Healey, second from right, pose with their Australian counterparts Penny Wong and Richard Marles before the shock announcement. (Pool: Kin Cheung via Reuters)

British Defence Secretary John Healey dramatically quit on Thursday, saying the government's failure to spend enough money in the sector had left him with no other option.

His decision came less than three hours before he was due to appear at a media event with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, which had to be cancelled.

Article preview — originally published by ABC Australia. Full story at the source.
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