George Robertson, a former NATO Secretary General and veteran Labour figure, has issued a scathing rebuke of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning that Britain’s national security is “in peril.” In a high-profile lecture delivered in Salisbury, Robertson accused the current government of “corrosive complacency” and failing to back military rhetoric with necessary financial investment. Despite Starmer’s previous promises to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, Robertson argued that the UK remains “under-prepared, under-insured, and under attack” amid rising global tensions.

The criticism specifically targeted the Treasury, with Robertson describing the influence of “non-military experts” on defense decisions as “vandalism.” He highlighted a perceived lack of urgency from Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, noting that defense was largely ignored in recent budget updates. Robertson, who co-authored a Strategic Defense Review for the government just two years ago, emphasized that lessons from the Ukraine conflict show a desperate need for modernization in drones and digital warfare—investments he claims are being sidelined by an “ever-expanding welfare budget.”

In response to the rare public fallout between the former chief and his own party, a government spokesperson insisted that a detailed 10-year investment plan is being finalized. Prime Minister Starmer has consistently blamed 14 years of Conservative rule for the military’s current state, pledging that the ongoing war in Iran and tensions in the Middle East will serve as a “turning point” for British resilience. However, Robertson’s intervention signals growing frustration among security experts that the government’s timeline is moving too slowly to meet the immediate threats facing the nation.

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