A government adviser has accused the government of showing a “corrosive complacency towards defence,” claiming this attitude has put the UK in danger. The criticism, directed at Keir Starmer’s military policy, comes from George Robertson, the former NATO secretary-general and author of the government’s strategic defence review.
According to the Financial Times, Robertson believes Starmer is “not willing to make the necessary investment.” In a lecture scheduled for Tuesday in Salisbury, Lord Robertson will also warn that the Iran war “has to be a rude wake-up call.”
His concerns were echoed by former General Richard Barrons, who co-authored the defence review. Barrons told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “It is a mark of how serious it is that someone who has been a Labour party activist for more than 60 years and was a NATO secretary general has now had to say it in these terms today.”
Robertson, a former defence secretary who led NATO from 1999 to 2003, will also accuse “non-military experts in the Treasury” of “vandalism.” In an interview with the Financial Times, he stated, “We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.”
In his speech, he is expected to say: “We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe… Britain’s national security and safety is in peril.”
Barrons added, “There’s an enormous gap between where we have to be to keep the country safe in the world we now live in, and where we actually are.”
When asked about US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth mocking the Royal Navy last week, Barrons responded, “I hung my head in sorrow, but I couldn’t argue with him because although the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force and the army are, in their bones, outstanding institutions, they are simply too small and too undernourished to deal with the world that we now live in. And the review says this.”
The government’s plans to fund the strategic defence review’s recommendations, including a 10-year defence investment plan originally due last autumn, have been repeatedly delayed. This comes amid warnings of a £28bn funding gap for the military over the next four years.
Barrons said, “The choice on the prime minister’s desk is they either find some more money to implement a new de minimis review at the speed we agreed last year, or he is going to announce £28bn worth of cuts. And how would that fit with the world that we find ourselves in today?”
Sources indicate that the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury, and Downing Street have not yet reached an agreement on how to move forward.
Robertson believes boosting defence funding may require spending cuts in other departments. In his speech, he will note that Chancellor Rachel Reeves “used a mere 40 words on defence in over an hour” in her budget speech last year, and “in the spring statement she used none.”
He will add: “There is a corrosive complacency today in Britain’s political leadership. Lip service is paid to the risks, the threats, the bright red signals of danger – but even a promised national conversation about defence can’t be started.”
In February, Luke Pollard, the minister for defence readiness and industry, told the Guardian that the investment plan was “a bigger task than many people outside defence realise.” He explained it would mean “fundamentally changing the shape of our armed forces, so pivoting, in particular, towards more autonomy,” while also stressing the need to replenish military stockpiles sent to Ukraine in recent years. “It is not a simple matter of just replacing tank A with tank B.”
Robertson said he would cite the country’s inability to deploy more than one Royal Navy warship to the Mediterranean within the first fortnight of the Iran war as a key illustration of the problem.The UK’s complacency on defense will be addressed in the speech, where warnings will be issued about not only shortages of military equipment but also “crises in logistics, engineering, cyber capabilities, ammunition, training, and medical resources.” Last week, Defense Secretary John Healey revealed a covert Russian submarine operation targeting critical undersea infrastructure near UK waters. A government spokesperson stated: “We are implementing the strategic defense review to address the threats we face. This is supported by the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War, with over £270 billion being invested during this parliamentary term.” They added that the government is finalizing the defense investment plan and will publish it as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the statement from the former NATO chief regarding UK defense under Prime Minister Keir Starmer
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is this news story about
A former Secretary General of NATO Lord George Robertson has publicly criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying his governments approach to defense spending and strategy shows a dangerous level of overconfidence and inaction that puts the country at risk
2 Who is Lord George Robertson and why does his opinion matter
He was the UKs Defence Secretary and then the head of NATO from 1999 to 2003 His experience gives him significant authority on matters of international security and defense policy making his warnings hard to ignore
3 What does corrosive complacency mean in this context
It means a selfsatisfied and overconfident attitude that is slowly eroding the UKs military readiness and security The warning is that by not acting urgently to bolster defenses the government is making the country more vulnerable
4 What specific defense promise is being discussed
The main issue is the Labour governments commitment to increase defense spending to 25 of GDP but only when economic conditions allow Critics argue this vague timeline is not urgent enough given current global threats
Advanced Detailed Questions
5 How does UK defense spending compare to NATO targets
The UK currently meets the NATO minimum target of 2 of GDP However many allies spend more and there is pressure especially from figures like Robertson to increase it to 25 or higher to address modern threats
6 What are the practical dangers of this complacency according to critics
Critics warn it could lead to a hollowedout military reduced influence with key allies like the USA inability to deter adversaries and being unprepared for a sudden crisis or conflict
7 Isnt the UK already a major military power Why the sudden concern
Yes but military experts argue that years of budget pressures have worn down stockpiles personnel numbers and equipment readiness Simultaneously threats from Russia China and instability in multiple regions are seen as more severe than in decades requiring a rapid response
