Labour's Wes Streeting arrives at the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, June 22, 2026 after Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation. Wes Streeting has suggested he could quit as defence secretary if the government does not meet its defence spending targets. The cabinet minister was a surprise appointment in Andy Burnham’s new government last Monday due to his lack of military experience, but is clearly keen to emphasis his commitment to the department. He has inherited a major issue, though, as the UK’s defence investment plan (DIP), unveiled last month under Keir Starmer, promised £15 billion of extra spending – but had only sourced £10.3 billion. That means Streeting has to find £4.7 billion to fill that black hole – £1.8 billion of which is needed in the next financial year. Former defence secretary John Healey also resigned last month when it emerged Downing Street was not going to honour his call for an extra £18 billion for defence. So Times Radio host Adam Boulton asked Streeting on Sunday: “Is fulfilling those spending plans a resignation issue for you as it was for John Healey?” He replied: “It is. It is absolutely, for me, a matter of principle.” However, a source close to the defence secretary told HuffPost UK: “Wes was not threatening to quit. “He simply said that properly funding our national defence is a matter of principle and he wouldn’t have taken the job if the PM hadn’t made clear he and the chancellor share that commitment.” It’s understood Streeting was making a broader point about funding for defence rather than making a reference to any specific funding. The defence secretary also told Times Radio that he sought promises about spending before he took the job on. “If I did not believe this prime minister and this chancellor were committed to investing what we need in defence, I wouldn’t have accepted this role,” he said. Healey, now Burnham’s chancellor, also told the Sun on Sunday that he intended to find the sums needed to bolster defence spending, though he stopped short of offering any kind of timeframe. The UK pledged to its Nato allies that it would hike defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035, though the pathway to that target remains unclear. On Monday, minister Hamish Falconer told Times Radio that the government still intends to honour that promise. He said: “That very man is now the chancellor of the exchequer who understands the importance of this. We have set it out as clearly as we can. “The prime minister set it out again over the weekend. We need to work through what is required to get to 3% [by 2030]. But we will stand by our commitments, which is 3.5% by 2035.” He added: “I’m saying, give the chancellor and the prime minister a chance. But given who the chancellor is, I hope that your listeners can take real confidence from our commitment in this.” Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Andy Burnham Hints He Will Make It Harder To Claim Benefits To Bring Down Welfare Bill Andy Burnham Refuses To Say That He Trusts Donald Trump Andy Burnham Rules Out Early General Election: 'I Don't Think People Want It'