Former Nato chief to say UK’s national security ‘in peril’
Former Nato chief to say UK’s national security ‘in peril’
A senior government figure has criticized the UK’s leadership for a lack of urgency in defense matters, labeling their approach as “corrosive complacency.” The individual, Lord George Robertson, who previously led NATO and authored the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will deliver a speech on Tuesday, highlighting the risk to the country’s safety. He accuses Treasury officials of undermining military priorities through what he calls “vandalism.”
Despite promises to release a 10-year defense spending plan, the government has yet to finalize it, leaving the SDR’s ambitions in limbo. A spokesperson defended the strategy, stating it benefits from “the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War,” with over £270 billion allocated across the current parliamentary session.
“We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget,” Robertson will caution, emphasizing the disconnect between rising social spending and national security needs. In Salisbury, he will argue: “We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe… Britain’s national security and safety is in peril.”
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, had earlier claimed the investment plan was “finalised” and on his desk. Meanwhile, a defense official outlined the government’s goal to spend 3% of GDP on defense by the end of the next parliament. Robertson’s remarks come amid global pressures, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the re-election of US President Donald Trump, which have intensified demands for greater military readiness.
Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton recently told the BBC that the UK is navigating “probably the most dangerous time of the last 30 years.” He dismissed claims of unpreparedness, citing the deployment of a Royal Navy vessel to Cyprus to shield the RAF Akrotiri base from a drone attack. Some had questioned the government’s response to the Middle East conflict, which began on 28 February with a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran.
