THE explosive resignation letter of Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey on Thursday brought an ongoing row in the British Cabinet to a head.

At the heart of it is how much to allocate to the Defence Investment Plan, which is now in ruins because of the dispute.

For months there’s been a stand-off between the MoD, the Treasury and Downing Street. In the end the Treasury won and Healey resigned three days after being given the final figure on Monday.

The major problem of course is that Britain hasn’t the money to masquerade as a leading European NATO power, much less become involved in post-imperial adventures in the Persian Gulf or anywhere else.

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to borrow more because Britain can’t afford to, and the billions the MoD demands would take finance from major infrastructure projects she believes are necessary for her holy grail, growth.

The result is a huge crisis for Keir Starmer personally and for his government.

It’s all so different in the Republic.

Micheál Martin is determined to upgrade Ireland’s military........

© The Irish News