About this episode
The episode discusses accusations against Sir Keir Starmer regarding UK defence spending and features insights from political commentators.
It’s not just the Trump administration attacking the UK’s defence capabilities. Now a Labour grandee and former head of Nato, Lord George Robertson, has accused Sir Keir Starmer of ‘corrosive complacency’ over delays to defence spending. With the 10-year plan for defence stuck in deadlock, host Lucy Fisher discusses the choices faced by the PM with chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley, deputy political editor Jim Pickard and political columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter, Stephen Bush. Plus, they look ahead to country-wide elections in less than three weeks and hear about the developing story around the vetting of Lord Mandelson. NOTE: This episode was recorded on Thursday April 16. Follow Lucy: @LOS_Fisher and @ lucyfisher.ft.com ; Stephen: @stephenkb and @stephenkb.bsky.social; Jim: @PickardJE and @pickardje.bsky.social and Robert: @robertshrimsley and @robertshrimsley.bsky.social Want more? Starmer accused of ‘corrosive complacency’ on UK defence by former Nato chief UK defence ministry left to foot £200mn bill for Ukraine mission Rebuke by former Nato chief points to wider government inaction Keir Starmer plans May relaunch with…
People in this episode
Host: Lucy Fisher
Guests: Robert Shrimsley, Jim Pickard, Stephen Bush
Topics covered
- UK defence
- Labour Party
- political commentary
- elections
- Nato
- defence spending
Keywords
- defence spending
- Labour
- Keir Starmer
- Nato
- politics
- elections
- Lord Mandelson
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Labour, Nato, UK
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