Wes Streeting Questions Timing of £4.5bn Active Travel Investment Following Defence Resignation

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting has criticised the government's decision to announce a £4.5 billion investment in walking and cycling immediately after the resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey, describing the move as a serious error in both political judgment and policy presentation.

The comments come amid growing tensions within government over public spending priorities after Healey and junior defence minister Al Carns stepped down over concerns surrounding defence funding.

Both ministers resigned on Thursday, arguing that planned investment in the UK's armed forces falls short of what is needed to address growing global security threats. In his resignation letter, Healey accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit sufficient resources to national defence at a critical time.

Just hours later, the government unveiled the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS), committing £4.5 billion over the next five years to active travel projects across England.

The strategy, the first published under the Labour government, aims to increase levels of walking and cycling and support a target for more than half of all short journeys to include active travel by 2035.

Streeting Challenges Government Priorities

Speaking on the New Statesman Politics Show podcast, Streeting stressed that he supports investment in walking and cycling but argued that the timing of the announcement undermined the government's broader message.

He suggested the episode highlighted wider concerns about leadership and decision-making at the centre of government.

“There isn’t sufficient grip, direction, or leadership at the heart of the government.”

He continued:

“The problem that comes with that is when there are choices and trade-offs to be made, the prime minister has to make them. They have to be the right choices and they have to be explained clearly to the country.”

Streeting argued that the defence funding dispute exposed weaknesses both in the government's spending decisions and in how those decisions were communicated.

“One thing we already knew or expected, which is that the prime minister wasn’t prepared to confront the choices and trade-offs to fund defence.”

He added:

“But secondly, the plan itself wasn’t right. You have to make sure you have the right plan, which is a plan to invest in and modernise defence to meet the challenges that we’re facing now and into the future.”

Support for Active Travel, But Questions Over Timing

Despite his criticism, Streeting made clear that he remains supportive of active travel initiatives and the wider health benefits associated with walking and cycling.

However, he questioned whether the government had chosen the right moment to announce such a significant spending commitment.

“Then you’ve got to make the right choices. I personally find it extraordinary, both as a matter of policy choice and of political judgment, that here we are, the day after John and Al Carns’ resignation, the government announces £4.5 billion for walking and cycling.”

He continued:

“Now, as a former health secretary, I’m all in favour of walking and cycling. I think these are good things.”

However, Streeting argued that public perception of spending priorities could prove damaging.

“But would people honestly say, if you’ve got a defence secretary saying there is insufficient funding to keep our country safe, would you the very next day – as a matter of style, let alone substance – have an announcement of £4.5bn for walking and cycling? That’s not a choice I would make.”

‘Bad Policy and Bad Politics’

Streeting concluded that the episode reflected a broader failure of judgment.

“I think it’s a really good example of bad judgment as well as bad politics. Bad policy as well as bad politics.”

The comments are likely to intensify debate over government spending priorities as ministers seek to balance investment in transport, public services, defence and economic growth.

While supporters of the new Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy argue that the programme will deliver long-term health, environmental and economic benefits, critics have questioned whether the announcement was overshadowed by the political fallout surrounding the defence budget.

The £4.5 billion package remains one of the largest active travel funding commitments ever announced by a UK government and is expected to support the development of cycling infrastructure, safer walking routes and measures designed to encourage more sustainable transport choices over the next decade.