Birmingham Selly Oak MP Al Carns has refused to rule out a future bid to become Prime Minister after resigning as armed forces minister in a dispute over defence spending. The MP, who was first elected to Westminster in 2024, stated he would 'see what happens' regarding his political future.
Resignation Over Defence Funding
Mr Carns stepped down from his Ministry of Defence role just hours after Defence Secretary John Healey resigned over the same issue. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: 'People get confused about ambition and service. My whole career has been put to service. If I wanted to be ambitious, I wouldn't have got into politics. If I wanted to make more money, I wouldn't have got into politics.'
He added: 'I left the military not because my career was faltering, but because I decided I wanted to make change, because I think we're at a pivotal moment in the history of the United Kingdom. So, this is about service to me. I've been really clear. I haven't even received my P45 from the last job yet and we'll see what happens in the future.'
Call for Bold Decisions
Mr Carns urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to make 'bold and courageous decisions' to fund defence. He said: 'It is down to the Prime Minister to make his decisions where he wants to prioritise his spending. We need to have a really honest conversation with the population about the threats we face, and then we need really bold and courageous decisions to put the funding in the right place.'
He suggested welfare reform could help fund defence, stating: 'There is an argument around welfare. I'm a firm believer it's about hands up, not hand out. But we need to help the people who need the most help within the nation, but also get the balance right across defence. That's a difficult circle to square, as we're finding.'
Mr Carns also criticised both the level of funding and the type of equipment being purchased for the military, telling GB News that lessons from the war in Ukraine were not being learned. 'I want to see a higher percentage for uncrewed systems, AI, data – data is the new gunpowder – and we've got to move that forward if we are going to win the next war,' he said.
Government Response
Business Secretary Peter Kyle denied that the defence investment plan (Dip) was in disarray following the resignations. He told Times Radio: 'The plan is being developed, and we are determined to get it right. We are talking about an enormous amount of money going into defence at a period of time where we have to modernise the way we think about defence, but also make sure that we do so in a way that benefits British jobs.'
Mr Kyle added that his department was making cuts to contribute to increased defence funding, but would not reveal details before the publication of the Dip, expected before next month's Nato summit.
