UK Secretary of State for Armed Forces, Cairns, Resigns

Xinhua News Agency, London, June 11 (Reporter Zhao Xiaona) - Due to dissatisfaction with the government's defense investment funding plan, the UK Minister of State for Armed Forces, James Heappey, announced his resignation on the 11th.

In a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Heappey stated that the current government's proposed defense investment plan "lacks both transformative elements and sufficient funding support," making it difficult to address the increasingly severe security threats and the challenges posed by the rapid changes in modern warfare.

In his resignation letter, Heappey noted that the Ukraine crisis demonstrates that modern warfare is evolving rapidly, while the UK is still procuring equipment suitable for past modes of warfare. "Platforms worth billions of pounds could be defeated by systems worth thousands of pounds," he said, adding that the current defense investment plan fails to provide the British Armed Forces with resources that match real threats, leading to his decision to resign.

He also criticized the overall decision-making efficiency of the UK government, stating that government departments are "at odds with each other rather than working together to solve problems."

Earlier on the same day, UK Defense Secretary John Healey also announced his resignation over defense spending issues.

The related defense investment plan was originally scheduled for release in the autumn of 2025, but has been repeatedly delayed due to disputes between the UK Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over funding levels, allocation cycles, and sources of funding. UK media reported that the plan has a funding gap of £28 billion (approximately $37.52 billion).