Former Nato chief to say UK’s national security ‘in peril’

Former Nato chief to say UK’s national security ‘in peril’

Lord George Robertson, the former NATO secretary general and architect of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), is set to deliver a speech on Tuesday criticizing the nation’s leaders for their “corrosive complacency” in defence matters. He will argue that the country’s security is at risk due to insufficient military preparedness and delayed commitments to a 10-year funding plan. The government has pledged to allocate £270 billion in total defence spending across the current Parliament but has yet to finalize the plan, which has faced repeated postponements.

Robertson will also take aim at “non-military experts in the Treasury,” accusing them of undermining the SDR’s objectives. In a directly political move, he will claim: “We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget,” highlighting the need for greater investment in military capabilities. His remarks, delivered in Salisbury, will emphasize that the UK is “underprepared, underinsured, and under attack,” with its national security facing urgent threats.

“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,” Robertson will say.

Despite these warnings, a government spokesperson defended the SDR, stating it is “backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.” The official also noted the target to spend 3% of GDP on defence by the end of the next parliament. Recent geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the re-election of US President Donald Trump, have intensified pressure on NATO members to boost military readiness.

Meanwhile, the head of the British military, Sir Richard Knighton, addressed concerns about the UK’s response to the Middle East conflict, which began on 28 February with a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran. He described the period as “probably the most dangerous time of the last 30 years,” though some have questioned the nation’s preparedness, citing the deployment of a Royal Navy vessel to Cyprus to safeguard the RAF Akrotiri base from drone attacks.