Who is John Healey and what has he achieved during his time as defence secretary?

John Healey was appointed as Defence Secretary back in July 2024. The 65-year-old previously served in the Blair-Brown governments, as well as in the shadow cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, before becoming Sir Keir Starmer's shadow defence secretary in 2020. 

The former Housing and Planning Minister, who was first elected as the MP for Wentworth in 1997, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its nearly four-year-long war against Russia, prioritised improving the UK Armed Forces' housing, and argued for stronger protection for military personnel and civilians who experience sexual assault and domestic abuse at the hands of serving personnel. 

BFBS Forces News has looked into what the Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP has achieved during his time in office. 

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Ukraine 

Ukraine has been the defining international issue of his tenure, having continued unabated for the past two years since he became Defence Secretary, and Mr Healey has been at the heart of the Labour government's attempts to aid Kyiv. 

The Defence Secretary has been to Ukraine several times, including in September 2025, when he saw the destruction caused by Russian strikes on a British Council building in the Ukrainian capital. 

He has argued consistently for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, in line with the Government's wider policy.  

In the event of a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, the force referred to by the Government as the Multinational Force for Ukraine, or MNFU, which involves British and French troops provisionally, will act as a peacekeeping force in the country. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that military hubs would be built once peace has been secured. 

Mr Healey revealed at the start of 2026 that £200m in funding has been pumped into the Armed Forces to help them prepare to deploy as part of the MNFU. 

"As we approach the fifth year of Putin's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage – civilians and military alike," he said. 

"We are surging investment into our preparations... ensuring that Britain's Armed Forces are ready to deploy and lead the Multinational Force for Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK."

Alongside the preparations for a possible British deployment to Ukraine, Mr Healey has funnelled a significant amount of armaments to the country, including more than 85,000 drones. 

Sexual abuse 

Mr Healey has been a vocal critic of sexual abuse and harassment within the ranks of the Armed Forces and has championed initiatives to support victims, including through the Armed Forces Bill.

In an interview with BFBS Forces News' Sofie Cacoyannis, he described the allegations of sexual abuse faced by recruits in the UK as "shocking" and pledged that those coming forward will have the support they need to share their stories.

"I really want to commend and encourage those who are willing to step forward," he said. "That takes courage, and they will have the support they need in doing so."

His comments came as it was revealed that hundreds of women who served in the British Army alleged that they were sexually abused while undergoing medical examinations during recruitment. 

The Defence Secretary has also put his weight behind the Armed Forces Bill, which will give stronger protections for military personnel and civilians who experience sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking at the hands of serving members of the Armed Forces. 

It includes new protective orders to enable quicker action against perpetrators, therefore decreasing the risk of further harm to victims.

"Let me be clear: such behaviour has no place in our Armed Forces, just as it has no place in any workplace – not now, not ever," he told the House of Commons as the bill passed its second reading. 

Housing 

Given the desperate state of some of the UK Armed Forces' housing, uncovered by BFBS Forces News in recent years, the Defence Secretary has been attempting to restore, renovate, and reinvigorate personnel's accommodation. 

In November 2025, he unveiled the defence housing strategy, including brand-new Defence Housing Service, which will manage military homes while keeping them in public ownership. The organisation will also offer new homeownership opportunities for military personnel and veterans.  

Mr Healey's department revealed that the homeownership opportunities will apply to a proportion of new homes on selected defence sites, agreed on between the Ministry of Defence, the local authority and the developer, based on demand and site viability. 

"This is the biggest commitment and change to Armed Forces housing in 50 years," he told BFBS Forces News' Rosie Laydon. 

"It is a £9bn investment over the next decade, that's more than double what the previous government had in place. 

"And it will mean we can upgrade 40,000 military family homes over that period, and the work has already started."

Mr Healey has said that at least 100,000 new homes could be built on the land. 

Additional reporting by Sofie Cacoyannis and Rosie Laydon.