The Culture Secretary insisted ‘discussions are ongoing’ on finding more cash for the Defence Investment Plan over which two ministers quit.
Ministers are looking at further cutting their departments’ budgets to help fund defence, Lisa Nandy has said, after the resignations of the defence secretary and armed forces minister over the issue.
The Culture Secretary on Sunday said discussions on shifting resources for the still-unpublished Defence Investment Plan (Dip) were ongoing.
John Healey and Al Carns stepped down earlier this week over what they said was the failure to provide adequate funding for the long-delayed plan.
Ms Nandy said “discussions are ongoing” to find more money to increase the amount offered in the version of the Dip they quit over.
She said she did not believe Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis “would have taken the job were he not confident that we could meet the moment”, she told Sky News.
“There’s a clear picture emerging from this Government that we have moved resources from other departments in order to fund defence, that includes mine and it includes other departments as well, and we’re continuing to do that.
“So defence remains the highest priority, and I don’t agree that we’re not committing the resources that we need.
“But when the threat level changes, when the global situation changes, we have to change our approach as well.”
Ms Nandy disagreed with Mr Healey’s claim that the Prime Minister failed to commit the cash the country needed to defend itself at a time of rising threats.
“I don’t agree with him on that point, because these are discussions that are currently being had,” she said.
Ms Nandy said she was looking at areas in her own department where funding could be slashed and that she had spoken to Sir Keir about the issue on Friday.
She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “These conversations are not finished. The negotiation is happening as we speak.”
It comes after Mr Jarvis vowed to get the armed forces the funding they need, telling The Sunday Telegraph he had a “big responsibility” towards soldiers who risked their lives for the country.
The timing of the resignations of Mr Healey and Mr Carns, along with two ministerial aides, came at a moment of peril for Sir Keir Starmer, whose premiership has looked precarious since May’s election results across England, Wales and Scotland.
Andy Burnham hopes to return to Westminster in next week’s Makerfield by-election and has made no secret of his Labour leadership ambitions, while former health secretary Wes Streeting will also run in any contest.
Mr Carns has signalled he would take part in any leadership contest.
Mr Burnham has already said he would not be “squeamish” about reducing the welfare bill to fund defence spending.
The Greater Manchester mayor said “the world has changed” and it was “obvious” the Government would have to adjust its assumptions about defence spending in response.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has written to Sir Keir offering her party’s support to vote to cut welfare spending and redirect the savings to defence.
The Prime Minister is likely to face difficult questions about defence spending at the G7 when members met in France on Monday.
