On the 11 June 2026, Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, resigned from the UK Government.
Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS, shared his reflections in his weekly note to members
Well, we’ve had an announcement. Not the one we hoped for.
Yesterday, we heard the news of Rt Hon John Healey’s resignation. Over the years that I have known him, he has consistently shown himself to be an intelligent, supportive and highly principled man, who has the best interests of UK defence as top of mind in everything that he does. He deeply cares and showed huge interest in our smaller members, which translated directly into MoD policy – such as the Office for Small Business Growth and the Six Page Contract, to name just a few.
His resignation is something to deeply regret and is truly a damning reflection on the current state of affairs. The consequences for the UK, and indeed our allies, of getting our Defence Investment Plan wrong – as now seems certain – are of a magnitude far beyond our worst fears.
It is imperative that an adequately funded Defence Investment Plan is published as soon as possible. It should not take the resignation of an honourable man for that realisation to sink in.
For the 2,000 members we represent, we have consistently felt the impacts of the delays to the Defence Investment Plan; members going under, companies moving abroad, and now a government facing a huge crisis. Our industry relies on a healthy industry-government relationship – turmoil of this nature not only pose a serious risk to the 181,000 individuals our sector supports but, crucially, the safety and security of our Armed Forces.
This, I’m sure, has been a shock to the system for us all. I do not want to make a habit of airing our dirty laundry in public, but a few topics absolutely demand a response. We have raised these concerns countless times with government in private, but this is a unprecedented moment. Raising your concerns honestly with government remains at the top of my to-do-list.
With Dan Jarvis assuming the role of Secretary of State for Defence, we look forward to working with him during this very challenging situation. As a long-time friend of our industries, we have greatly valued his engagement and his efforts during his time both in government and in opposition. He is a serious figure and I wish him the best as he faces this moment. He, of course, faces the same problems that made John Healey resign.
Our engagement with the government will not let up – things need to change.
