Richard Marles left stranded as UK counterpart quits hours before naval base visit
UK Defence Secretary John Healey abruptly resigned, derailing a planned joint visit to Portsmouth naval base with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who was in the UK for the Aukmin summit.
Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey has suddenly quit the Starmer government, delivering another blow to the prime minister's already shaky authority. The resignation is believed to stem from a new defence spending plan that Healey reportedly felt did not commit enough resources to protect the nation amid rising threats.
The development also impacted Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who was in the UK attending the Aukmin summit — a meeting of defence and foreign ministers. He had been scheduled to visit the Portsmouth naval base alongside Healey, but the event was cancelled.
Later, Marles issued a statement expressing his deep appreciation for the close working relationship with Healey, whom he called a good friend. He highlighted their collaboration on the Australia-UK defence relationship, especially regarding the Aukus submarine project. Marles acknowledged that the decision was Healey's and wished him well for the future.
Despite the cancellation, Marles still travelled to Portsmouth, where he was hosted by a junior defence minister and met with the Royal Navy. The day before, Marles had expressed confidence in the UK's commitment to the Aukus project.
A photo from the Aukmin press conference in London on 10 June shows (from left to right) UK Defence Secretary John Healey, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
