Sir Keir Starmer’s own Strategic Defence Review authors have turned on him, warning his “corrosive complacency” leaves Britain vulnerable as threats mount and the Army shrinks to its smallest size in 200 years.
Internal Revolt Over Defence Spending
Three authors of Labour’s own Strategic Defence Review — Lord Robertson, Sir Richard Barrons and Fiona Hill — have publicly accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of putting national security at risk.
Lord Robertson, former Nato secretary-general, told a lecture in Salisbury: “There is a corrosive complacency today in Britain’s political leadership. Lip service is paid to the risks, the threats… We are underprepared. We are under-insured. We are under attack. We are not safe.” He added: “Britain’s national security and safety is in peril, and we need the whole country to wake up. The clock is ticking.”
Welfare vs Defence: The £344bn Question
Lord Robertson questioned the Government’s priorities: “Are we certain that this is the right priority? Jeopardising people’s future safety and security whilst maintaining an increasingly unsustainable welfare bill” which has ballooned to £344bn.
Army Smallest in 200 Years
The Army now stands at roughly 72,000 soldiers — its smallest size in 200 years. The Navy faces serious ship shortages and struggled to respond quickly during the Iran conflict, with HMS Dragon’s deployment delayed.
Sir Richard Barrons said: “I completely share them… there is an enormous gap between Sir Keir’s current plan for defence and the levels of spending and resources needed.” He warned of a potential £28bn black hole in the defence budget and said the choice for the Prime Minister is clear: find more money or announce £28bn worth of cuts.
Review Recommendations Ignored?
The Strategic Defence Review recommended £68bn to modernise forces and grow the Army to 100,000 including reservists. The Government has pledged 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027, rising to 3% and 3.5% later — but has failed to publish the promised decade-long investment plan or set a firm timeline for the 3% target.
- Delayed decade-long defence investment plan still unpublished
- No clear route to 3% GDP defence spending
- Royal Navy short of ships and slow to respond in Iran crisis
- Army at historic low of 72,000 soldiers
Fiona Hill described the lack of urgency as “bizarre”, saying: “What George is saying, very bluntly, is there is basically a lack of resolute leadership on this.”
Senior Labour Figures Join Criticism
Lord Hutton said: “The time now is to see concrete results, that sees the size of the Army grow.” Gen Lord Dannatt warned: “We’re drinking in the last-chance saloon and there is not much time left.” Jack Straw and Lord Blunkett called for welfare spending to be curbed to fund defence.
Baroness Harman suggested looking at the pensions triple lock as one way to free up cash for defence.
What This Means for Britain
As global threats from Russia, China and Iran intensify, this internal Labour criticism highlights growing concern over the Government’s defence strategy. The review authors, who worked constructively with ministers until now, say urgent action is needed.
Share if you believe Britain needs stronger leadership on defence.
This article is a factual summary of reporting by The Telegraph. Full original story available on their website. All quotes are directly attributed.
Discover more from Breaking Brexit News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
