Scoopfeeds — Intelligent news, curated.
Why Starmer's defence plan leaves next PM with £4.7bn headache
top

Why Starmer's defence plan leaves next PM with £4.7bn headache

BBC News · Jun 30, 2026, 8:02 PM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • When Jarvis took to the dispatch box, he was keen to boast about the extra £1.5bn he's secured from the Treasury in the few weeks he's been in the job.
  • The extra cash Jarvis achieved brought the overall funding increase for the armed forces to £15bn, which Healey made clear he still didn't believe was enough.
  • Sir Keir Starmer had earlier described the plan as "a platform on which I know my successor will build".

Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.

PA Media By Jack Fenwick Political correspondent Published56 minutes ago In the moments before the government unveiled its Defence Investment Plan, the two men who have overseen its progress shared a quiet moment in the House of Commons chamber.

John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary because he was unhappy with the amount of money attached to the plan, and Dan Jarvis, who replaced him, could be seen deep in conversation tucked away behind the Speaker's chair.

When Jarvis took to the dispatch box, he was keen to boast about the extra £1.5bn he's secured from the Treasury in the few weeks he's been in the job.

Article preview — originally published by BBC News. Full story at the source.
Read full story on BBC News → More top stories

Also covered by

Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from BBC News alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place. Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop