Keir Starmer rocked by second resignation as Labour 'dark horse' quits over Armed Forces 'failure'

Defence minister Al Carns has resigned just hours after John Healey quit as Defence Secretary earlier this afternoon. Mr Carns has openly criticised Sir Keir Starmer's defence investment plan.The former Armed Forces minister is widely touted as a potential dark horse leadership candidate in a rumoured race to oust the Prime Minister from No10.In a resignation letter, the MP wrote: 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.I have sat in the rooms, seen the assessments, and spoken to the commanders who will be asked to do more with less, and I cannot in good conscience stand at the despatch box and defend a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task. A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.MORE TO FOLLOW... TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter