New Defence Secretary John Healey arrives in Downing Street as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer starts cabinet appointment
John Healey has had the past few years to prepare for the role, having been appointed shadow defence secretary back in 2020 (Picture Yui Mok/PA)
Politics

Who is the new Defence Secretary and how has he voted on military matters?

New Defence Secretary John Healey arrives in Downing Street as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer starts cabinet appointment
John Healey has had the past few years to prepare for the role, having been appointed shadow defence secretary back in 2020 (Picture Yui Mok/PA)

Defence Secretary John Healey is a stalwart of Labour's frontbench and has been an MP since 1997.

The 65-year-old served in the Blair-Brown governments as well as the shadow cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn before becoming Sir Keir Starmer's shadow defence secretary four years ago.

His parliamentary career has seen him back the invasion of Iraq and more recently criticise the Tory government's plan to reduce the size of the Army to 72,500 by 2025.

Labour has said it will remain committed to Nato and the UK's nuclear deterrent, and Mr Healey has consistently voted for replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system.

Mr Healey voted for UK air strikes in Iraq to support Iraqi forces' efforts against ISIL in 2014, but voted against UK military action in Syria the following year.

Labour says the UK's military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine will remain steadfast.

Speaking earlier this year, Mr Healey warned: "Over the next decade, we face [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and an active alliance of aggression from autocrats who have contempt for international law and freely squander the lives of their own people.

"There may be a change in government this year, but there will be no change in Britain's resolve to stand with Ukraine, confront Russian aggression and to pursue Putin for his war crimes."  

Watch: Veteran hails Armed Forces' representation in Westminster

However, a question mark still hangs over how Labour would oversee the defence budget.

The party has pledged to "set out a path" to raise defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product, but the details of precisely when that might be are unknown.

Labour also promised a full review to be launched into global threats and the state of the Armed Forces within the next 12 months.

In the run-up to the election, when he was pressed on Army numbers and budgets, Mr Healey consistently referred to the need for that review.

He can expect mounting pressure for that review to the conducted as soon as possible amidst the broad range of pressures and threats facing the defence world.

Labour's manifesto said the party would improve service accommodation and establish an Armed Forces commissioner to improve service life.

Putting the Armed Forces Covenant into law is also a priority.

The new government also wants a new UK-EU security pact to strengthen co-operation on the threats faced.

Labour says it will reform defence procurement to reduce waste and bring forward a defence industrial strategy.

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