Profile – John Healey – BBC Sounds

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Labour veteran John Healey has delivered his first budget speech as Chancellor of the Exchequer, declaring that his was a “budget for the working people of Britain.”

The Yorkshireman studied at Cambridge and became a disability rights campaigner and trade union official before entering Parliament in 1997. He served in the Treasury under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before spending years in opposition, including as Shadow Defence Secretary.

He kept the defence brief once Labour were returned to government under Sir Keir Starmer, leading Britain’s response to the war in Ukraine and growing international instability. Having served under every Labour leader since Tony Blair, Healey shocked the political establishment earlier this year by resigning over military spending, saying that the government had failed to “commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”.

On 20 July 2026, he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by Starmer’s successor Prime Minister Andy Burnham, opening yet another new chapter in his political career.

Stephen Smith talks to friends and colleagues about Healey’s loyalty to the Labour Party, staying true to his Yorkshire roots and his passion for HP sauce.

Production:
Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Tom Gillett
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Technical Producer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Justine Lang

Archive:
Dolly Parton/ITVX
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