Chancellor John Healey 'must resign' if he fails to find cash for military
Chancellor John Healey has been told he must resign if he fails to set out how Britain will invest 3% of GDP in defence by 2030 in Wednesday’s Budget. Mr Healey helped bring down Sir Keir Starmer when he quit as his Defence Secretary in June in protest at the underfunding of the military and he is under mounting pressure to ensure the UK can deter the threat from Russia. The Conservatives are demanding Mr Healey “follow his own principles and resign” if he fails to provide a “credible pathway” to the funding target.
TL;DR
- Conservatives are pressuring Chancellor John Healey to resign if he cannot present a clear plan to reach 3% of GDP defense spending by 2030 in the Budget.
- Healey previously resigned as Defence Secretary due to military underfunding, and is now tasked with finding solutions to perceived threats.
- The Conservatives suggest funding could come from "difficult decisions" like reforming housing benefit and reinstating the two-child benefit cap.
- Separately, Chancellor Healey plans to announce a crackdown on tax dodgers hiding wealth overseas, aiming to raise over £100 million through international data sharing agreements.