Britain's new Defence Secretary vows to fight for Armed Forces funding after John Healey exit

Dan Jarvis has vowed to fight for the funding Britain's Armed Forces need in his first interview since being appointed Defence Secretary.

The former Parachute Regiment major said the Government must "meet the moment" on military spending, signalling he could push for greater investment following the resignation of his predecessor John Healey.

"It's a moment of challenge. It's the responsibility of our Government to rise to meet the moment of that challenge, and that is what I will be working to achieve," Mr Jarvis told The Telegraph.

The 53-year-old was appointed to the role last week after Mr Healey dramatically quit the Cabinet over Labour's defence spending plans.

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In his resignation letter, Mr Healey accused Sir Keir Starmer of being "unable" and the Treasury of being "unwilling" to provide the resources required to strengthen Britain's military.

His departure triggered a wave of resignations, with Armed Forces minister Al Carns and parliamentary private secretaries Pamela Nash and Rachel Hopkins also stepping down.

The turmoil has intensified pressure on the Prime Minister just days before Thursday's crucial Makerfield by-election, where Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is seeking a return to Westminster.

Mr Burnham has already indicated he would stand in any future Labour leadership contest if he wins the seat.

Mr Carns, who has also been touted as a potential leadership contender, used an article in The Telegraph on Saturday to criticise Ed Miliband's Net Zero agenda.

He argued that energy policy should be viewed as a matter of national security rather than purely an environmental issue.

Despite reports that some Labour figures regard the Defence brief as a poisoned chalice, Mr Jarvis said he never considered turning down the role.

"I think if the Prime Minister asks you to step forward to serve in a role that underpins the security of our nation in truth, I don't have it in my DNA to say no to that," he said.

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The Barnsley MP brings significant military experience to the Cabinet position, having served as a major in the Parachute Regiment with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Kosovo.

He praised Mr Healey as "an exceptional Secretary of State" and said he inherited armed forces that had suffered from years of underinvestment.

Mr Jarvis revealed he learned of Mr Healey's resignation while delivering a speech at Sandhurst to mark 30 years since his own time as a cadet.

"Towards the end of my talk, my phone was ringing, kept ringing, I kept ignoring it... and then in the end I had to say, 'I think something's happening'," he recalled.

As he left the military academy, a former colleague shouted Sandhurst's motto of "Serve to lead".

Within hours, Sir Keir had offered him a place in the Cabinet.

Mr Jarvis described becoming Defence Secretary as a dream role and admitted it was a position he had often thought about during his political career.

"Defence has always been my first love," he said.

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