Lord George Robertson, former NATO secretary general and a key adviser to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warned Tuesday that Britain's national security is 'in peril' due to underinvestment in defense. Speaking in Salisbury, Robertson accused Starmer's government of 'corrosive complacency,' stating, 'We are under-prepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe... Britain's national security and safety are in peril.'

Robertson, who served as NATO chief from 1999 to 2003 and co-authored the government's 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), criticized delays in publishing a promised 10-year Defence Investment Plan, originally due last autumn. The plan is needed to fund all 62 SDR recommendations, including shifts toward drones, digital warfare, and data systems learned from Ukraine. He highlighted a £28 billion funding gap over four years and accused 'non-military experts in the Treasury' of 'vandalism' in prioritizing other spending.

Defense spending stood at 2.3% of GDP last year, about £66 billion, with the government targeting 3% by the end of the next Parliament and 3.5% on core defense by 2035. Robertson argued that an 'ever-expanding welfare budget,' forecast at 10.6% of GDP or £322.6 billion in 2025-26, cannot coexist with adequate defense in a dangerous world. He pointed to the armed forces as 'hollowed-out,' with the army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force 'too small and too undernourished.' For instance, only one Royal Navy warship, HMS Dragon, deployed to the Mediterranean in the early weeks of the Middle East conflict.

The warnings come amid escalating threats. Robertson cited Russia's potential NATO attack within three years, accelerated by intelligence assessments, and the Middle East war that began February 28 with a U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran as a 'rude wake-up call.' Gen. Sir Richard Barrons, SDR co-author, echoed the concerns, noting U.S. allies expect Europe to do more as American support wanes.

The government rejected the claims. A Downing Street spokesman said it 'completely' disagreed, citing the 'largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War' with over £270 billion planned this Parliament. Defence Minister Luke Pollard said officials are 'working flat out' on the investment plan, announcing equipment contracts and extra funding this year. Starmer has blamed prior Conservative underinvestment but pledged economic and military strengthening.

Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch agreed with Robertson, calling for repurposing net-zero funds for military needs. Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi called the assessment 'sobering.' Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton described the era as the 'most dangerous' in 30 years but defended recent Middle East responses.

Robertson's intervention, from a Labour elder statesman, underscores tensions over fiscal priorities as global risks mount.