Richard Marles 'stood up' on AUKUS trip after British counterpart John Healey's shock resignation
Yvette Cooper, left, and John Healey, second from right, meet with Penny Wong and Richard Marles before the shock announcement. (Pool: Kin Cheung via Reuters)
In short:
British Defence Secretary John Healey dramatically quit on Thursday, saying the government's failure to spend enough money in the sector had left him with no other option.
His decision came less than three hours before he was due to appear at a media event with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, which had to be cancelled.
Initially, staff at Australia's UK High Commission claimed the event, which included touring a naval base critical to the AUKUS defence partnership, would go ahead as planned.
Defence Minister Richard Marles's visit to the United Kingdom has been thrown into chaos after his British counterpart resigned hours before they were due to hold a significant media event together.
Mr Marles, who is also Australia's deputy prime minister, is visiting the UK for a series of annual bilateral meetings, known as AUKMIN.
He and British Defence Secretary John Healey had been due to host an event in Portsmouth, a maritime city in England's south, at 2:45pm Thursday, local time.
The pair had been due to tour a naval base critical to the AUKUS defence partnership, show journalists a "capabilities demonstration" and take questions.
However, Mr Healey, who has served as UK defence secretary since Labour swept to power in July 2024, announced his shock resignation via a social media post just after midday.
His decision blindsided many inside UK politics, and came as an unwelcome distraction for the Australian delegation in Britain, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Initially, staff at Australia's UK High Commission insisted the media event would go ahead, but about 90 minutes before it was due to begin, they announced it had been cancelled and that Mr Marles would not be available for interviews.
In a two-page letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Mr Healey highlighted the government's failure to spend enough on defence meant he was "now left with no other option than to submit my resignation".
Later in the day, Sir Keir responded with a statement saying that he was proud of his investment in defence that he was "sorry you will not be part of that work going forward".
"I will always do what is needed to keep our country safe," he said.
"I thank you for your work to deliver on all of this."
Mr Marles released a statement late on Thursday afternoon, describing Mr Healey as "a good friend" and said Australia-UK ties remained strong.
"Our defence relationship is enduring, with deep connections, values and shared interests," Mr Marles said.
"Acknowledging that ultimately this has been a decision for John, I wish him all the best for the future."
Ms Wong and Mr Marles had joined Mr Healey and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper at a press conference in London on Wednesday afternoon, where the group spoke to reporters about the importance of the Britain-Australia relationship amid multiple global conflicts.
At that event, Mr Healey described Ms Wong and Mr Marles as his "good friends Penny and Richard".
"Since we met 12 months ago, the world has changed," he said. "More dangerous, more uncertain.
"The Iran war is changing the Middle East. It's hitting our people at home. Putin's aggression is increasing. And the US is demanding nations, whether they're in the Indo-Pacific or in the Euro-Atlantic, that we step up. This demands us to respond."
Mr Healey and Mr Marles had also met in Singapore in the past fortnight, along with their United States counterpart, Pete Hegseth.
John Healey and Richard Marles prepare to go for a jog together in London earlier this week. (X: @JohnHealey_MP)
Mr Healey's resignation comes as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine extends into a fifth year, and an ongoing war in the Middle East involving the US, Israel, Iran, Lebanon and multiple other militant groups.
The defence secretary's resignation comes at a time of particular political turmoil in the UK, and predictions Sir Keir will soon be deposed from the top job.
Last month, leadership aspirant Wes Streeting announced his resignation as health secretary and pledged to try to replace the PM in the future.
A by-election being held next week is also expected to allow another stated challenger, Andy Burnham, to enter parliament.
Greg Bagwell, a British military expert and distinguished fellow at the Royal United Services Institute — a defence think tank — said he did not expect the resignation to affect bilateral relations.
"If I was in Australia right now, I wouldn't be too despondent, not withstanding the fact that the defence minister is about to be stood up, or has just been stood up," he said.
"I'm sure they've had a chat privately."
Pete Hegseth, left, Richard Marles and John Healey share a laugh in Singapore last month. (Reuters: Edgar Su)
Mr Marles has been in Europe all week, shoring up Australia's relationships and agreements with allies.
On Monday, he was in Berlin, on Tuesday, he was in Helsinki, before heading to the UK.
It is understood Mr Marles still toured the naval base in Portsmouth on Thursday.
The cancellation of Thursday's media event comes at a time when AUKUS, and its estimated $368 billion price tag over the next three decades, is facing increased scrutiny in Australia.
Tony McNulty, a lecturer in British politics from Queen Mary University of London who was an MP in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, told the ABC the resignation was unlikely to affect UK-Australia relations.
"I know there was a whole host of rather forlorn-looking Australian reporters wandering around Portsmouth with nothing to do," Dr McNulty said.
"But I would see that as pure coincidence. The relationships between Australia and the UK in defence and foreign matters, as well as other matters, are still very strong and they will withstand what is a wound for the Starmer government."