'Grumpy' Al Carns considered resigning multiple times over veterans' bill as ex-defence minister reveals he was invited into No10 ONCE

Former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns wants to "take the country by the scruff of its neck and make it great again" as he speaks to Christopher Hope about the lead up to his resignation yesterday

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GB NEWS

Alice Tomlinson

By Alice Tomlinson


Published: 12/06/2026

- 09:31

Updated: 12/06/2026

- 10:36

The military colonel said the Prime Minister should 'stay' as the Government needs to 'steady the ship'

"Grumpy" former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said he considered resigning multiple times over the Armed Forces Bill as he revealed he was only invited to No10 once.

Speaking to GB News's Christopher Hope, the Colonel said he had been considering resigning "for a long time" due to two things - the Northern Ireland Legacy Act and him not being included in the Defence Investment Plan (Dip) talks, which made him "grumpy".


He said: "There's two things I've been considering for a long time: one is the Northern Ireland Legacy Act, and I've been on the cusp of resigning a couple of times on that, and secondly was around not being included in the Defense Investment Plan, which with 24 years experience, and probably more combat experience than most."

"I know what the Armed Forces need, and I also know how to challenge the Armed Forces in some preconceived ideas of what they think they need, and I wasn't including that, and I was pretty grumpy about it."

On the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, the MP for Birmingham Selly Oak said the legislation is creating a "hierarchy of truth in Northern Ireland".

He said to the People's Channel: "We're creating a hierarchy of truth in Northern Ireland, one is around legacy inquests and inquiries, and the other one is around the Independent Commission.

"My view is the Independent Commission should be the only body to seek truth, reconciliation and justice.

"Some of those inquests need to continue, but I'd like to see the majority of them, if not all of them, pushed into the independent inquiry, mirroring the same way that South Africa did its reconciliation, so we don't drag our veterans back to court, and importantly, we don't rewrite history."

AL CARNS

The former Armed Forces Minister resigned several hours after Defence Secretary John Healey

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GB NEWS

Despite feeling "grumpy" over him being shunned from Dip talks and the Veterans' Bill, Colonel Carns backed Sir Keir Starmer to stay as Prime Minister.

He told GB News: "I think the Prime Minister needs to stay. We need to steady the ship. Dan Jarvis has just gone into Defence Secretary of State, he's a good man, parachute regiment background, good soldier in his day, so he'll have a good hand in steadying the portfolio."

"My view is Keir Starmer is an honest and integral and a good man. He's trying his best, and anybody in that position will be under some of the same headwinds," he added.

However, Mr Carns did not rule out a leadership challenge.

When questioned about standing if a leadership contest commences, he said: "Throughout my career, I've always been one of service.

JOHN HEALEY

The triple defence resignation last night were on principle rather than politics, leaving Sir Keir with questions to answer about his duty to protect the country

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"I will always serve the country first and foremost, but throughout my career I've always had a saying that always run to the sound of gunfire, because often where the crisis needs the best people to sort it out.

"So, I'll always try and help where I can."

Last night saw a triple defence resignation within Sir Keir's Government as Defence Secretary John Healey went over the top first.

He said in his resignation letter the Prime Minister had been "unable and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats".

CHRIS HOPE AND AL CARNS

GB News's Christopher Hope quizzed Mr Carns on whether he would make a leadership bid to which he did not rule out

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GB NEWS

He continued to say the Prime Minister's "Defence Investment Plan financial settlement... falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time".

Then it was Mr Carns, who accused Sir Keir of "asking our Armed Forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one".

He also referenced the long-awaited Dip, which was due to be published last Autumn, calling it "neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded".

Speaking to GB News, Mr Carns revealed he was only invited to No10 "once" to formally speak about the Dip.

He said: "I haven't been in a lot of these discussions. I wasn't including the Defense Investment Plan and I haven't been sat around the table.

"In the last two years, I've been formally in No10 to speak to Keir Starmer once, so I can't comment on those."

Mr Healey's Parliamentary Private Secretary also quit - Pamela Nash, MP for Motherwell, Wishaw & Carluke said Labour "must do better".

Concluding the interview, Mr Carns said he was "not going to change [his] principles for anybody or anything and I want to protect this country".

He said: "I want to make sure that people that serve and have served and their families are well looked after, but also I want to take this country by the scruff of its neck and make it great again and move it in the right direction."