UK’s armed forces are in a sad state – and they have only themselves to blame

The MoD shows little sign of learning from its mistakes – no wonder the Treasury is reluctant to agree to its demands George Robertson, Tony Blair’s first defence secretary, a former Nato secretary general and an author last year of the latest in a series of evasive strategic defence reviews, accused Keir Starmer on Tuesday of a “corrosive complacency towards defence”. He said the prime minister was not willing to make the “necessary investment”. Lord Robertson could have directed his fire el...

By Richard Norton-Taylor