Labour lambasted over defence

Labour lambasted over defence

Author: Financial Times April 17, 2026 Duration: 35:04

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 King’s Speech 

The great independence charade

Foreign Office top civil servant forced out over Mandelson vetting fiasco

No scenario in latest Mandelson drama makes Keir Starmer look good


Sign up here for Stephen’s morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek views. Get 30 days free.


Plus, send in your questions for a special Political Fix Q&A episode on May 11th. Email: politicalfix@ft.com


Political Fix is presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Clare Williamson. The executive producers are Manuela Saragosa and Edwin Lane. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Every Friday, the team behind Political Fix gathers to make sense of the week's political turbulence. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep, often lively conversation that pulls back the curtain on how decisions are really made in Westminster and beyond. You'll hear from the Financial Times journalists who are actually there, in the corridors and committee rooms, paired with expert voices who provide crucial context. Together, they untangle complex policy debates, analyse the shifting alliances, and question the strategies defining Britain's future. The result is a clear-eyed, authoritative look at the forces shaping the nation, delivered with the FT's signature rigor and insight. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a private briefing, one that prioritizes substance over noise. It’s for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites and understand the real stories and personalities driving the political agenda. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and essential perspective on a landscape that never stops moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Fix
Podcast Episodes
Bonus: What does the 2025 Budget mean for your money? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:33
It’s been a rollercoaster week for both UK politics and our personal finances, with chancellor Rachel Reeves setting out tens of billions of pounds of tax rises in the Budget. But how will these new taxes be applied and…
Budget bonanza: tax highs and growth lows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:53
After months of speculation, predictions and U-turns, Rachel Reeves finally announced her Budget this week. And, symptomatic of the chaos this Budget has wrought, there was one final twist: the entire Budget appeared on…
Coming soon from Tech Tonic: Defying death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30
Investors are spending billions of dollars on novel ways to extend human life through inventive treatments, therapies, and even manipulating our genes. And increasingly, it seems as though anti-ageing efforts have moved…
Boats and the Budget: the battlelines are drawn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:28
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a tough set of measures overhauling immigration policy this week, in a bid to deter illegal boat crossings and tackle the thorny issue of asylum seekers that dominates the news ag…
Is Starmer’s leadership on the line? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:09
It has been a whirlwind week in Westminster with the BBC in crisis and a supposed challenge to the prime minister’s leadership. So, was there a putative coup from within Keir Starmer’s own cabinet? Is there a “toxic cult…
To tax, but who to tax, that is the question [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:49
With just three weeks to go until the Budget, Rachel Reeves gave a surprise speech to reset expectations on who she’s planning to hit with more taxes on November 26. This has fuelled further speculation about whether the…
Reeves’ £30bn treasure hunt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
With a month to go until the Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves needs to find a projected £30bn to balance the books. And the forecasts are not in her favour, with the OBR’s bigger than expected productivity downgrade deal…
Budget, boats and a by-election [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:43
Chancellor Rachel Reeves received a rare bit of good news from lower inflation statistics this week, which could reduce government borrowing ahead of the November Budget. But the uphill struggle to improve Labour’s stand…
Britain: a beacon of economic stability? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
The countdown is on: Chancellor Rachel Reeves has just six weeks to finalise her Autumn Budget before the November 26 deadline. This week, she was in Washington DC for the annual meeting of the IMF, where she hinted at t…
Introducing Untold: Toxic Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16
Introducing Toxic Legacy, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Laura Hughes uncovers a lead poisoning epidemic across the UK. You might be living with lead and not know it: the toxin is often invisible t…