Rotherham MP John Healey has made a mark on world stage after a year as Defence Secretary

On Saturday, the Rawmarsh/Conisbrough MP marks a year as Britain’s Defence Secretary, a post that has thrust him into some of the most urgent and high-stakes challenges any minister could face.

Appointed within days of Labour’s general election victory, Healey took office during a period of extraordinary global instability.

With war raging in Ukraine, escalating violence in the Middle East, and rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, he walked into one of the toughest jobs in government.

Few could have imagined that the then MP for Wentworth and Dearne, first elected in 1997, would so quickly become a key figure in international diplomacy and national security.

His first week in the job set the tone.

Within 48 hours of his appointment, Healey was on a military flight to Odesa, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian defence officials.

He promised to accelerate British support, pledging to deliver ammunition, missiles and vehicles within 100 days. That early visit earned praise both at home and abroad and signalled Britain’s continued solidarity with Ukraine.

He didn’t have long to settle in.

Just days later, he flew to Washington with Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the NATO summit.

There, he reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to the alliance and pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027; a promise he would later expand to an aspiration of 3 per cent.

It was clear from the start that Healey saw his role as not only defending Britain’s interests but also reshaping its military footprint, long term.

In the months that followed, he launched a major Strategic Defence Review, which lays out a new vision for the armed forces, focused on modern threats such as cyberwarfare, drone technology and space-based systems.

It also earmarks billions of pounds for expanding the UK’s munitions industry, shipbuilding programmes and submarine deterrent.

Healey’s approach has been pragmatic, often rooted in the kind of solid, behind-the-scenes work that doesn’t always grab national headlines.

But there have been standout moments.

In October, he signed an agreement with German counterpart Boris Pistorius, deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

That deal included plans for joint weapons production… and a German presence at UK airbases.

Six months later, Rheinmetall confirmed a £400m investment in a Telford site to produce Challenger tank parts and artillery barrels, a big win for British industry.

Healey has not been without his critics, though.

In November, he announced the decommissioning of five Royal Navy vessels and 70 aircraft, prompting concerns over whether our armed forces were being hollowed out – a criticism he'd previously aimed at Conservatives when they were in charge.

Healey insisted the move was about redirecting resources towards modern capabilities.

More controversy arrived in spring when he was forced to suspend arms export licences to Israel following a ruling by the International Criminal Court.

The decision attracted both praise and backlash, highlighting the fine line Healey walks between ethical policy and strategic alliances.

Domestically, he’s overseen the government’s buy-back of thousands of military homes: a £6 billion project that aims to improve service families’ living conditions while saving money in the long term.

He has also remained a visible presence on military bases and at public commemorations, often turning up with his trademark directness and dry sense of humour.

During a visit to a British training base in Estonia, he joked that the troops were better fed than his Westminster staff: "And they complain a lot less too."

Healey’s closeness to Keir Starmer must be noted, too.

The pair appear in lockstep on most defence matters, and the PM clearly values Healey’s calm judgement and experience.

Healey’s steady hand may well have helped insulate Starmer from criticism over the government’s wider foreign policy approach.

But for all his efforts, Healey cannot control the global tides.

The world today arguably feels even more dangerous than it did a year ago.

The war in Ukraine grinds on, tensions with Russia and China remain high, and the conflict in Gaza has cast a long shadow over international diplomacy.

It would be unfair to suggest Healey has played a part in making the world less safe – that was never in his power in the first place.

But he has worked to ensure Britain is better prepared to navigate these stormy waters.

As he heads into his second year in office, Healey faces a balancing act: modernising the armed forces, sustaining global partnerships, and reassuring the public that the government is doing enough to keep Britain safe.

Whether he continues to rise as a statesman or finds himself bogged down in ministerial firefighting will depend on events as much as decisions.

But after a year in one of the hardest briefs in Whitehall, few can doubt that John Healey has become one of the defining figures of the Labour government’s early days.