Ex-defence ministers accuse John Healey of endangering the country's security over his U-turn on plans to raise military funds

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 18:00 EDT, 29 August 2026 | Updated: 18:04 EDT, 29 August 2026 Chancellor John Healey has been accused of endangering the country's security after he shelved plans to raise defence spending.Mr Healey was lauded as a politician of principle when, as Defence Secretary, he quit Keir Starmer's Cabinet over a defence spending row with the Treasury in June.But his reputation now lies in tatters after it emerged on Friday that he is refusing to commit to the spending on British troops he demanded from former chancellor Rachel Reeves now that he holds the nation's purse strings.Two former defence secretaries condemned Mr Healey's U-turn yesterday, with Sir Gavin Williamson telling The Mail on Sunday that his resignation now looks less about principle, and more about Mr Healey's own career ambition.Sir Gavin blasted: 'The Chancellor knows the threats that the UK faces yet is choosing to ignore them and not give our own forces the resources they need to defend us, making our country more vulnerable. It increasingly looks as though his resignation – which he said was an act of principle – was more about getting the Chancellor's job at the expense of our nation's security.'Dame Penny Mordaunt said: 'Starmer's government knew the consequences of not strengthening our conventional forces: a conflict in the next few years. Yet they did not act because they could not make the necessary spending choices.'The choice for Labour is do you want to spend 5 per cent GDP to secure peace, or 50 per cent GDP on war.'In June, when Mr Healey resigned as Defence Secretary, former Chief of General Staff General Richard Dannatt said he had 'great respect' for his decision. Chancellor John Healey has been accused of endangering the country's security after he shelved plans to raise defence spendingBut yesterday he told the MoS: 'If he is really going to row back on 3 per cent by 2029 (the next election) then he will have abandoned the moral high ground he claimed in his resignation letter and shown himself to be just another politician who goes with the prevailing wind and places self above country.'And a senior Labour MP asked: 'Clearly, as Defence Secretary, he didn't believe we could meet the challenges we face on current defence spending. What's changed? Politics is about choices and priorities, and defence should always sit at the top.'When Mr Healey quit as Defence Secretary just two months ago, he accused the Treasury of being 'unwilling' to 'commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country', adding: 'I am certain that a headmark date for 3 per cent of GDP on defence in 2030 is what Britain must set.'It is now believed that the Budget later this year will see him find enough money to plug a financial black hole in the Defence Investment Plan unveiled by Sir Keir Starmer just before leaving Downing Street. It's thought this amounts to nearly £5 billion, around £1.2 billion per year. But it will be much less than the additional £10 billion required to boost defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP, as Labour has promised. Hitting the new Nato target of 3.5 per cent would cost an eye-watering £25 billion extra.On Friday a government spokesman said: 'At the spending review we will set out a pathway to meet our Nato commitment of 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035 and will set a target date to hit 3 per cent on that path.'