Overview
- Lord George Robertson, who delivered a lecture Tuesday in Salisbury, warned the UK is underprepared and said political leaders show “corrosive complacency.”
- Keir Starmer pushed back at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, citing a rise in defence spending to about 2.6% of GDP and a pledge to reach 3.5% by 2035.
- Multiple outlets report an estimated £28bn shortfall and a deadlock between the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and Downing Street over the long‑overdue Defence Investment Plan.
- The 2025 Strategic Defence Review, co‑authored by Robertson, shifts priorities toward drones, cyber tools and data‑driven systems, with a goal of 2.5% of GDP by 2027.
- Senior officers warn readiness is strained, pointing to delayed deployments such as HMS Dragon to Cyprus after the Iran crisis, while the government says over £270bn is being invested this parliament and the plan will be published as soon as possible.