LONDON -- Dan Jarvis was appointed on Thursday evening as Britain's new defence secretary, replacing John Healey, who resigned earlier in the day over disputes about defense spending.

Jarvis served as the minister of state in Britain's Home Office from July 2024 to June 2026, and minister of state at the Cabinet Office from September 2025 to June 2026, before this appointment.

Healey has been defence secretary since the Labour government took office in July 2024. In his resignation letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said the proposed Defence Investment Plan fell "well short" of the country's needs.

In response to Healey, Starmer said the Plan will be backed "with the necessary investment," and there will be "sustainable and fair" increases in spending, adding that he is "sorry" that Healey will not be part of the work to "rebuild our nation."

Following Healey's resignation, British Armed Forces Minister Al Carns also resigned in the evening, saying the government's defense investment plans are inadequate to address growing security threats. He warned that Britain was failing to adapt to the changing nature of modern warfare.

The long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is intended to translate Britain's strategic defense review into a 10-year funding program for military equipment and services. However, its publication has been held up since last year amid months of negotiations between the Defence Ministry and the Treasury over how to finance the expansion and modernization of the armed forces.