Australia news live: Richard Marles left adrift as UK counterpart quits hours before scheduled visit to naval yard
Summary
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles was visiting the UK for a defense summit but faced a disruption when UK Defence Secretary John Healey suddenly resigned over disagreements about defense spending. This resignation led to the cancellation of a planned visit to a naval base, although Marles still met with UK defense officials.Key Facts
- Richard Marles, Australia’s Deputy PM and Defence Minister, was attending a ministerial summit in the UK.
- UK Defence Secretary John Healey quit abruptly, citing concerns about a new defense spending plan.
- Healey believed the UK government’s plan did not provide enough resources to meet increasing security threats.
- The planned joint visit by Marles and Healey to the Portsmouth naval base was canceled due to Healey’s resignation.
- Marles released a statement expressing respect for Healey and emphasizing the strong defense ties between Australia and the UK.
- Despite Healey’s resignation, Marles still visited Portsmouth and met with Royal Navy officials hosted by a junior minister.
- The Aukus alliance, a defense partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US focusing on submarines and security, remains a central focus.
- Marles had previously expressed confidence in the UK’s commitment to the Aukus submarine project before the resignation.
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