It was just 78 days ago that John Healey resigned as defence secretary, heralding the beginning of the end of Keir Starmer’s government. In his resignation letter, he told the prime minister: ‘You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.’ Healey was widely praised for doing that rare thing in politics: resigning on a real matter of substance. A month after quitting, Healey was brought back into government, becoming Andy Burnham’s Chancellor. It prompted much hope that Britain would finally hit the target of spending three per cent of GDP on defence by 2030.

A raft of difficult choices are being deferred to next year

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