John Healey

speaker

228 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Jul 2026 last heard 6 Jul

John Healey’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 1.

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Political Thinking with Nick Robinson · The Treasury was in denial: John Healey on why he resigned as defence secretary · 6 Jul 2026 podcast

So defensive in nature, coordinated with allies at all stages, and consistent with international law.

I hear that, but the HMS tricking.

But it just looked a bit hopeless, didn't it?

No, when I say that w everything we did was with international allies, there were other ballistic m anti ballistic missile destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean.

We did what we needed to do to protect Cyprus, uh protect our bases, protect uh Brits abroad and in the wider Middle East.

And um Dragon has a ha has a part to play.

Spending money well.

Look, I recognise those criticisms from its record and successive uh re reports, including from the National Audit Office, that condemns the way that big projects have often been over budget and late.

It was why I didn't want to do it, but I went in with a plan for the deepest reform we've got of defence for the last f fifty years.

I had weekly meetings.

This never made any of the front pages, no photo opportunities with defence reform.

But we now have a National Armaments Director in place, arguably a more important figure to follow up the defence investment plan than the Chief of the Defence Staff in future.

I've taken the investment budget and the decisions about what kit to buy away from the military chiefs, that's with the National Armaments Director.

For the first time for fifty years, they now are commanded by the Chief of the Defence Staff, so we have a strong

Centre.

And this is about, I for me, this is about the civilian leadership of our military quite properly bringing, for me, Labour values to this, saying you cannot expect extra investment without further reform, without demonstrating better budget control and value for money.

You cannot look to simply buy the best American kit as your first option.

We have to invest British

Yes.

You know, I d uh said earlier I sat alongside Andy Burnham in Gordon Brown's cabinet.

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