Robertson Accuses Starmer of Defense Underinvestment

Former NATO chief Lord George Robertson warned that Britain’s national security is 'in peril' due to political complacency and under-investment in defense. In a lecture at Salisbury Cathedral, he criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to make necessary investments in military capabilities amid escalating global threats.

The Ministry of Defence faces a £28bn funding shortfall over the next four years as it struggles to meet ambitious targets set out in the 2024 Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The government's promised 10-year defence investment plan, aimed at addressing these gaps, has faced repeated delays amid budget disputes between departments.

Robertson told the Financial Times that there is a gap between Starmer’s rhetoric and action on defense, stating that the prime minister is 'not willing to make the necessary investment.' He also criticized finance minister Rachel Reeves for devoting only 40 words to defense in her budget speech last autumn and not mentioning it at all in an update last month. According to The Guardian, Robertson plans to accuse 'non-military experts in the Treasury' of 'vandalism' by prioritizing benefits over defense spending.

A Treasury minister, James Murray, countered that balancing welfare and defence spending “is not a zero-sum game.” He noted the government is pushing ahead with the biggest sustained increase in defence investments since the Cold War. However, he did not specify when the delayed Defence Investment Plan would be published. Military leaders have reportedly been asked to find £3.5bn in savings this year despite preparations for potential conflict.

The government has committed to reaching 2.5% of GDP on defence from April next year and 3% in the next parliament, but military chiefs believe a £28bn shortfall remains after years of underfunding. Robertson's criticism highlights the political difficulties in addressing these issues amid economic struggles and international conflicts.

Two former Labour defence secretaries have urged ministers to slash welfare to boost spending on Britain's security. Lord Hutton warned that there is no real sign of an agenda for correcting the very steep rise in welfare payments. General Sir Richard Barrons agreed with Robertson, stating there is an 'enormous gap between where we have to be to keep the country safe and where we actually are.' He warned that the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were 'too small and too undernourished' following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In 1990, at the end of the Cold War, the army had 153,000 regular soldiers, which has now dropped to 73,790. The number of reservists has fallen from 76,000 to 25,770. The Royal Navy had 48 major combat ships in 1990 but now has only 11 frigates and six destroyers. The RAF had over 300 combat jets in 1990, compared to the current fleet of 137 Eurofighter Typhoons and at least 37 Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II.

Analysts say the UK needs to invest considerably more in military technology, particularly uncrewed aircraft systems or drones. The threat from drones has been highlighted in the Ukraine conflict where they now kill more people than traditional artillery. Responding to the criticisms from Lord Robertson, the government said it is planning 'the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War'. However, this is a low bar because defence spending has been on an almost constant downward path since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The UK's spending of 2.3% of GDP in 2025 put it just above the mid-point of spending by NATO members. The government has committed to a NATO target to spend 5% of GDP on 'national security' by 2035, made up of 3.5% of GDP on 'core defence' and another 1.5% of GDP going on things like protecting critical infrastructure.

According to The Guardian, Starmer rejected Robertson's accusations, stating he does not agree with the comments about the government’s “corrosive complacency” on defence funding. During a session in the Commons, Starmer insisted that defence spending was increasing rapidly and defended Reeves’s record on defence spending.

Starmer also mentioned that the promised increases to the defence budget were possible “because of the decisions of this chancellor.” He added that it was important to get the Defence Investment Plan right and that it would be published as soon as possible. John Hutton, a Labour peer who was a defence secretary under Tony Blair, said Starmer needed to 'knock heads together' and ensure the Treasury released more funding without first seeking guarantees on procurement systems.

Kemi Badenoch attacked Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his failure to set out plans for increasing military funds. During Prime Minister's Questions, she pointed out that while ministers have published plans for lavish welfare spending until 2031 there is no equivalent for defence. She challenged Sir Keir to address the warning from Lord Robertson that 'we cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget'. Starmer responded by saying he respected Lord Robertson but disagreed with his analysis, insisting the Defence Investment Plan would be released 'as soon as possible'.

More Labour figures called for the Prime Minister to go further and faster on defence spending. Geoff Hoon became the third former Labour defence secretary to urge the Government to tackle the issue. He told GB News that Lord Robertson's decision to intervene showed something had gone 'seriously wrong' and urged the Treasury to prioritize defence spending in the current international situation.

Tan Dhesi, Labour chairman of the Commons defence committee, told MPs: 'We as a nation are ill-prepared to face the threats in this more volatile world.' The Daily Mail is campaigning for increased defence funding. However, government sources claimed such spending plans could not be published now because of rules around 'purdah', which bans official action in the build-up to the local elections.