Starmer accused of ‘not listening’ as Al Carns becomes second defence minister to resign in 24 hours – live updates

Children who have fled their homes in fear after their address appeared on fascist social media sites arrive sobbing at a community care centre. Women forced into hiding send out desperate appeals for food, nappies, the very basics of life – sugar, pasta, cooking oil.

In the language of foreign aid these are the pleas from Internally Displaced People – refugees so often the victims of ethnic violence and hatred abroad. But this is the United Kingdom.

Following the resignations of John Healey and Al Carns, some will have wondered if defence minister Luke Pollard would also step down.

But taking to X tonight, Mr Pollard said he will stay on.

He wrote: “John Healey is a friend and a mentor. He is one of the most serious and decent public servants I know. I respect his decision to leave the government today, and I’m grateful for all he’s done for our nation.

“The threats the UK faces are real and they’re growing. We need to meet this moment. I’m staying on as a defence minister to play my part in getting this right.”

As he appointed Dan Jarvis to replace John Healey, the prime minister said: “My first duty is to keep the British people safe, and I will always do what is necessary to protect our national security.

“I am pleased to appoint Dan Jarvis as Defence Secretary as we strengthen our armed forces and meet the growing threats facing our country.

“This Labour government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

“In a dangerous and volatile world, we will give our armed forces the capabilities they need to defend Britain and keep our nation secure.”

12.09pm: John Healey resigns as defence secretary, telling the prime minister the financial settlement for defence plan fell “well short of what is required”, with extra support coming after 2030 when the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”

6.35pm: Sir Keir Starmer issues a strong defence of his spending plans, telling Mr Healey Labour had implemented the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, adding: “You are also right that we have to go further. The defence investment plan does just that.”

7.44pm: Pamela Nash, Mr Healey’s parliamentary private secretary, resigns, describing the “delays and difficulties” that had dogged the Defence Investment Plan as “the latest issue that is damaging to the trust of the public in us”

8.22pm: Al Carns resigns as a defence minister, saying he could not defend “a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task”

9.07pm: Dan Jarvis appointed new defence secretary

The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin earlier tipped Dan Jarvis as a successor to John Healey:

Breaking news: Dan Jarvis has been appointed Defence Secretary, Downing Street has announced.

Labour MP Al Carns, who has been touted as a possible future leadership candidate, told Sir Keir Starmer as he resigned: “While I had no hand in the defence investment plan, that distance does allow me to say plainly that it is not built for the threat we face.

“It is neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded. We are asking our armed forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one.”