Britain’s national security is “in peril” due to political complacency and chronic under-investment in defence, former NATO Secretary General George Robertson is expected to warn on Tuesday, in a rare public rebuke of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over military spending policy.
Robertson, who also helped shape the Strategic Defence Review commissioned after Starmer’s Labour Party came to power in 2024, is set to argue that the UK is increasingly exposed to external threats.
In comments reported ahead of his lecture, he said there is a gap between government rhetoric and action on defence, accusing Starmer of failing to commit sufficient investment. He is also expected to criticise Chancellor Rachel Reeves for providing minimal attention to defence in recent budget statements.
According to excerpts reported by UK media outlets, Robertson is expected to deliver a stark warning in a speech in Salisbury, saying: “Britain’s national security and safety is in peril. We are under-prepared. We are under-insured. We are under attack. We are not safe.”
He is also expected to accuse parts of the Treasury of making damaging decisions on defence priorities, describing the approach as “corrosive complacency.”
A UK government spokesperson defended its record, saying ministers are delivering on the Strategic Defence Review to address current threats. The government also said a long-term defence investment plan is being finalised and will be published soon.
Starmer has previously blamed years of under-investment on the former Conservative government, and has pledged to raise defence spending to 3% of national income in the next parliament.
However, the long-promised 10-year defence investment plan has yet to be published, despite being expected last year. The strategy is intended to implement recommendations from the 2024 defence review, which called for greater use of drones, digital warfare, and advanced data-driven combat systems influenced by lessons from the war in Ukraine.
Robertson is also expected to argue that global security conditions have worsened significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East, describing the current era as one of the most dangerous in decades.
He is set to say that Britain must urgently rethink its priorities to maintain national security in an increasingly unstable global environment.