As a former Labour defence secretary and adviser Lord Robertson has delivered a torpedo to the Labour government. I have seen it suggested on social media that he is an adviser to two US defence companies, but I have been unable to verify this.
Defence spending was hollowed out under 14 years of Conservative prime ministers. There were also arguably some poor spending decisions: two aircraft carriers that are sitting ducks without adequate destroyer protection and new destroyers that seem to spend most of their time in port having problems fixed.
Nevertheless the defence budget does seem to be £28 billion short of required spending over the next few years. The Conservatives would pay for this by cutting welfare or making poor people poorer.
Yet no party will contemplate getting rid of the unsustainable triple lock because they know that older people are far more likely to vote than younger people. It should be noted that pensions are defined as a benefit under the 1946 National Insurance Act.
Around that time one Labour politician said 'there ain't no fund' (possibly Ernie Bevin). Pensions have to be paid out of current taxation, a burden that will increase despite controversial age adjustments.
Yes, state pensions are lower in the UK than in many European countries, but private provision is much higher. The state pension is an important safety net, but it should be focused on the most needy.
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