Starmer accused of ‘corrosive complacency’ on defence by former Nato chief
Former Nato chief Lord George Robertson hits out at Sir Keir Starmer's government’s military policy
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of showing a ‘corrosive complacency’ towards the nation’s defence in a fierce criticism of the government’s military policy.
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Lord George Robertson, former Nato secretary-general and author of the government’s strategic defence review has said that he believes Sir Keir was ‘not willing to make the necessary investment’ to keep the country safe.
He is due to describe the UK’s response to the conflict in Iran as a ‘rude wake-up call’ in a speech later today.
“We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe … Britain’s national security and safety is in peril,” he is expected to say.
It comes after the navy found itself under intense criticism for its lack of operational readiness to be deployed at short notice to defend UK assets in Cyprus which came under threat due to the war in Iran.
Lord Robertson, who led Nato from 1999 to 2003, will also accuse “non-military experts in the Treasury” of “vandalism”.
He told the Financial Times: “We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.”
“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.”
Lord Robertson is expected to highlight the response of HMS Dragon to highlight the UK’s complacency towards defence and will warn that the UK faces shortages of kit, ammunition and medical resources, and faces crises in logistics, engineering, training and cyber warfare.
Last week Defence Secretary John Healey heralded a UK military operation that tracked Russian submarines trying to survey under sea infrastructure in the North Atlantic.
He said at a Downing Street press conference that the UK launched a month-long operation that saw a warship and a P8 marine patrol aircraft “track and deter any malign activity” by three Russian submarines.
The submarines were a Russian Akula class nuclear-powered vessel and two deep-sea submarines from Russia’s directorate for deep sea research (Gugi), he added.
A government spokesperson said: “We are delivering on the strategic defence review to meet the threats we face.
“It is backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war, with a total of over £270bn being invested across this parliament.”