Former NATO chief accuses UK's Starmer of inadequately funding defence

Key Points:

• George Robertson, former UK defence secretary and NATO chief, criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for insufficient defence funding, claiming the UK is vulnerable and unsafe due to underinvestment.
• Robertson highlighted a gap between Starmer's rhetoric on defence and actual investment, accusing Treasury officials of damaging decisions and describing the current state as "corrosive complacency."
• Starmer's government has promised the largest sustained rise in defence spending since the Cold War, aiming for 3% of national output in the next parliament, but has yet to publish a long-awaited 10-year defence investment plan.
• The 2024 Strategic Defence Review, co-written by Robertson, calls for modernization focusing on drones, digital warfare, and data-driven combat systems, emphasizing lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
• Starmer rejects Robertson's criticism, asserting the government is committed to making defence investments appropriate to current threats, while Robertson warns that Britain cannot defend itself without significant funding and strategic transformation.