Lord George Robertson, a former Nato secretary general and defence secretary under Tony Blair, has delivered a damning critique of the Starmer government's handling of national security, warning that Britain is 'not safe' and that 'national security is in peril'. In a speech last night, he accused the government of 'corrosive complacency' and said there is a growing gap between Prime Minister Keir Starmer's rhetoric and his actions, as he is 'not willing to make the necessary investment' in the military.
Robertson, who was appointed by Starmer to chair a strategic defence review delivered in June 2025, said the government has failed to provide a funding plan to implement its recommendations. He blamed Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Treasury for blocking extra defence spending, referring to 'non-military experts in the Treasury' who resist more money for defence. Robertson noted that Reeves devoted only 40 words to defence in her second Budget last November and did not mention it at all in her March Spring Statement.
'We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget,' Robertson said, indicating that the government should redirect funds from welfare and net-zero policies to defence. He described the lack of investment as 'vandalism' and said the military is growing 'more threadbare by the week'. The former Nato chief has been quietly simmering for some time, lobbying behind the scenes and issuing coded warnings, all to no avail.
Robertson's comments come ahead of the May 7 elections, which will test Starmer's leadership. He criticised the Prime Minister for delegating defence spending to the Chancellor, who is now widely regarded in Whitehall as a 'second-rate Chancellor who knows nothing about defence and cares even less'. Robertson concluded that there is plenty of money available to rebuild the military, but it requires 'political guts' that he says will not happen under Starmer and Reeves.
