Why Starmer's defence plan leaves next PM with £4.7bn headache

Why Starmer's defence plan leaves next PM with £4.7bn headacheImage source, PA MediaByJack FenwickPolitical correspondentPublished12 minutes agoIn the moments before the government unveiled its Defence Investment Plan, the two men who have overseen its progress shared a quiet moment in the House of Commons chamber.John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary because he was unhappy with the amount of money attached to the plan, and Dan Jarvis, who replaced him, could be seen deep in conversation tucked away behind the Speaker's chair.When Jarvis took to the dispatch box, he was keen to boast about the extra £1.5bn he's secured from the Treasury in the few weeks he's been in the job.Some in Westminster have highlighted the "collegiate" relationship between him and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a contrast to the briefings after Healey's resignation that revealed his soured relationship with the Treasury.The extra cash Jarvis achieved brought the overall funding increase for the armed forces to £15bn, which Healey made clear he still didn't believe was enough.Sir Keir Starmer had earlier described the plan as "a platform on which I know my successor will build".And faced with Healey's polite criticism in the chamber, Jarvis admitted that "we need to do more" beyond today's announcement.Starmer trims budgets to fund extra £15bn for defencePublished1 hour agoWill Starmer's plan for defence help UK hit Nato's spending target?Published4 hours agoFrank Gardner: Key points from government's defence spending planPublished2 hours agoWhen Healey resigned earlier this month, his allies had claimed that "Treasury trickery" had in effect inflated the money that appeared to be attached to the investment plan.Buried within that plan today were numbers that are likely to cause Sir Keir's successor as prime minister a headache.It contained confirmation from the Treasury that only £10.3...