Ex-NATO Chief Says UK Security Faces Serious Risks
In a speech scheduled in Salisbury, southwest England, Robertson—who led NATO from 1999 to 2003—is expected to criticize what he describes as mismanagement within government ranks. Citing media, the report said he will accuse "non-military experts in the Treasury" of "vandalism."
Robertson, a former Labour defense secretary and author of the government’s Strategic Defense Review (SDR), has previously voiced concern over funding levels. In remarks to the Financial Times, he said Prime Minister Keir Starmer was "not willing to make the necessary investment."
The British government, however, maintains that defense spending is rising. A spokesperson, quoted by media, said the SDR was "backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, with a total of over £270 billion ($366 billion) being invested across this Parliament."
In his upcoming address, Robertson is expected to argue that "we cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget."
He will further warn: "We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe... Britain's national security and safety is in peril," according to the report.
Robertson is also likely to criticize what he calls a "corrosive complacency" among political leaders, saying that while threats are acknowledged publicly, decisive action remains lacking.
UK defense spending stood at 2.3% of GDP last year—roughly $90 billion—with government targets aiming for 3% by the end of the next Parliament and 3.5% in core defense spending by 2035.
The SDR, published in June last year, outlined 62 recommendations accepted by the government, though details on funding allocations remain unclear, the report noted.
Separately, General Sir Richard Barrons, another contributor to the SDR, echoed concerns in remarks to media, stating that "there's 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."
Looking ahead, Barrons suggested a potential shift in NATO’s balance, saying the alliance could see "a European NATO doing much more and the US doing much less."
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