Former NATO chief Lord George Robertson slammed Prime Minister Keir Starmer for what he calls a “corrosive complacency” that leaves the UK vulnerable amid rising threats.
Robertson points to a £28 bn funding gap projected over the next four years, arguing that the government’s refusal to loosen fiscal rules and its unwillingness to raise defence spending beyond the current 3 % GDP target undermine the Strategic Defence Review.
He warns that Britain’s logistics, cyber, and training capabilities are stretched thin, citing the nation’s inability to deploy a Royal Navy warship to the Mediterranean within two weeks of the Iran conflict. The Defence Secretary’s recent exposure of a covert Russian submarine operation underscores the urgency.
The UK’s defence industry faces a hard‑hit budget, with the Ministry of Defence, Treasury and Downing Street deadlocked on how to finance the promised 10‑year Defence Investment Plan. Investors and contractors now confront a clear risk that delayed commitments could stall procurement and supply‑chain projects.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing