Criticism of complacency on defence spending will sting government

Lord George Robertson, who previously led Labour's Strategic Defence Review (SDR), highlighted serious gaps in the UK's armed forces. Another SDR author, General Sir Richard Barrons, stated the British Army is so depleted it could only "seize a small market town on a good day." A House of Commons report last year also noted the UK's increasing vulnerability to long-range ballistic missiles. Despite promises to reverse the "hollowing out" of the armed forces, troop numbers are down, and some equipment is aging. While the government plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income next year, and aims for 3.5% by 2035, many in the defence sector believe this investment is coming too late. The UK has dropped from the fourth largest defence spender in NATO in 2020 to 14th, at a time when global events and rising threats from Russia, Iran, and China demand greater readiness.