We are under-prepared, we are under-insured, we are under attack, we are not safe.

Britain's national security and safety is in peril.

George Robertson, a former Defence Secretary, did not hold back in his assessment of the government's

military policy. So, just how grave is the situation? And what could Kirstama be doing to fix the

problem? I'm Hannah White, and this is Inside Briefing the podcast from the Institute for Government.

Now, there's nothing really new about retired military figures calling for more money to be spent

on the armed forces, but George Robertson's words this week have nonetheless made headlines.

Robertson was Tony Blair's defence secretary from 1997 to 1999, NATO Secretary General from

1999 to 2003, and more recently one of the authors of the government's strategic defence review.

So who exactly are his criticisms

aimed at? Robertson says tough spending choices will be needed and he warned that Britain cannot be

defended with, in his words, an ever-expanding welfare budget. So is it a straight choice between the two?

Or does the government face a more complicated set of spending choices?

And perhaps there is a better way to help people out of work to get back into employment.

A new IFG paper says the government should go further and faster on devolving employment support.

We'll talk to its authors. All that to come. With me, for all of today's episode, is IF IFG Senior Researcher Ben Paxton. Hi, Ben.

Hi, Hala. Joe Rutter, IFG Senior Fellow is back to. Hi, Jill. Hi, Hannah. And I am delighted

that we're joined again by Stephen Bush Associate Editor at the Financial Times. Hi, Stephen. Hi,

so let's kick off with George Robertson's outspoken attack with a former Defence Secretary using a speech in Salisbury on Tuesday night to lay out his critique of the government's defence policy.

Stephen, give us the background here. How significant to figure is Lord Robertson in Labour circles and how big a deal is it that he's spoken out?

So I would say in terms of sort of the internal struggles for power within the

Labour Party, he is not a particularly important power broker. The big political picture is that,

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