UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps resigned on June 10, citing Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spending priorities as incompatible with the demands of a "security environment that has deteriorated beyond recognition." The resignation came as the UK faces pressure to contribute to the international response to the Iran crisis. [1]

Shapps, who served in the role since Starmer took office in July 2024, said in his resignation letter that the government's spending review "does not provide the resources necessary to meet our commitments to NATO, to the Middle East, and to our own defence." The letter was published on X within minutes of its delivery to Downing Street. [2]

Starmer accepted the resignation and appointed Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, to the role — a move that drew immediate criticism from defence analysts who noted Kendall's lack of military or foreign policy experience. The appointment suggested Starmer was prioritizing party management over Defence expertise. [3]

The political dimensions were immediate. The Conservative opposition seized on the resignation as evidence that Labour was "weakening Britain's defences at the most dangerous moment since the Cold War." Defence spending as a percentage of GDP has fallen to 2.1% under Starmer, below NATO's 2% target. [4]

The resignation occurred against the backdrop of the Iran crisis, which has exposed the UK's limited military capacity. The Royal Navy has contributed frigates to the Hormuz escort operation, but the UK's ability to sustain a military presence in the Gulf is constrained by budget limitations and the demands of other commitments. [5]