Britain’s security has been thrown into sharp focus after two senior figures behind the Government’s own defence strategy delivered a damning verdict on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, warning that the country is increasingly exposed in a dangerous world.
Lord George Robertson, a former Nato secretary general and Labour defence secretary, and General Sir Richard Barrons, both authors of the Strategic Defence Review, have accused the Prime Minister of failing to match rhetoric with action, as delays and indecision leave the Armed Forces underfunded and overstretched.
In a stark intervention, Lord Robertson warned that Britain’s national security is now at risk, blaming what he described as a lack of urgency at the top of government. He is expected to say: “There is a corrosive complacency today in Britain’s political leadership. Lip service is paid to the risks, the threats, the bright red signals of danger, but even a promised national conversation about defence can’t be started.”
He added: “We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe… Britain’s national security and safety is in peril.”
The criticism is particularly damaging as it comes from a senior Labour figure who helped shape the Government’s own defence blueprint, and who had until now worked privately with ministers. The decision to go public suggests patience has run out amid mounting frustration over what critics see as drift and inertia in Downing Street.
At the centre of the row is the continued failure to publish a long-promised defence investment plan, now months overdue. Despite pledging to raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP, Sir Keir has yet to explain how that target will be met, fuelling concern that the commitment is little more than political posturing.
General Sir Richard Barrons echoed the concerns, warning of a widening gap between ambition and reality. He said there is “an enormous gap between where we have to be to keep the country safe in the world we now live in and where we actually are”.
Speaking bluntly about the state of the Armed Forces, he added that while Britain’s services remain “outstanding institutions”, they are “simply too small and too undernourished to deal with the world that we now live in”.
The warnings come against the backdrop of rising global tensions, including the conflict involving Iran, which has intensified scrutiny of Britain’s military readiness. The situation has also exposed embarrassing shortcomings, with a Royal Navy warship recently forced to return to port due to technical issues after a delayed deployment.
Even allies have begun to question Britain’s capabilities. Figures in the United States have mocked the scale of the UK’s forces, underlining concerns that years of underinvestment have left the country struggling to project credible power.
Lord Robertson also took aim at the Treasury, accusing “non-military experts” of economic “vandalism” and warning: “We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.”
The criticism goes to the heart of a broader political debate over spending priorities, with pressure mounting on the Government to shift resources towards defence. However, internal wrangling between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury has reportedly stalled progress, reinforcing the impression of a government unable, or unwilling, to take decisive action.
Sir Keir has insisted that plans are being finalised, while ministers point to what they describe as the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. Yet such assurances appear increasingly hollow in the face of repeated delays and growing warnings from within his own ranks.
For critics, the issue is no longer about long-term strategy but immediate credibility. The failure to deliver a clear plan, coupled with what opponents describe as dithering leadership, has raised serious questions about whether the Government is prepared for the realities of a more volatile world.
With senior figures now openly sounding the alarm, the pressure on Sir Keir is intensifying. What was once framed as a future funding challenge is rapidly becoming a present-day crisis, and one that risks defining his premiership if left unresolved.
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