John Healey

John Healey has resigned as Secretary of State for Defence over the government’s failure to properly fund the armed forces as part of its defence investment plan. Below is his letter to the Prime Minister explaining his decision. This is a letter I never expected to write, and I do so now with great regret and reluctance. I am proud of what we have done in less than two years as a Labour government. We've stepped up to lead internationally for Ukraine with the Coalition of the Willing and Ukraine Defence Contact Group, established Britain as a leading voice for Europe in Nato, raised defence investment to 2.

Today MPs hold a short Commons debate on the proposed transatlantic trade and investment partnership – TTIP. As a pan-EU trade deal with the US it is being negotiated by the European Commission, with a mandate and direction from member state governments including our own. Despite the fierce extra-parliamentary debate the planned deal has provoked, this will be only the third time in the 18 months since negotiations started when there will be any debate at all in the House of Commons chamber. In total, the three debates will amount to less than one day’s full business on a binding treaty that could have wide-ranging effects on our national economy from aerospace to agriculture, metals to motor vehicles and public services to pharmaceuticals.