Can We Afford To Keep The UK Safe?

Today, a former Nato chief has said that the UK's security and safety is "in peril" and Sir Keir Starmer's government has shown "corrosive complacency" towards defence.In a directly political intervention, Lord Robertson - who is now a key government adviser - says "We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget." It comes on the day the IMF has warned the energy shock from the Iran war will hit the UK the hardest of the world's advanced economies. Adam and Chris are joined by Ben Chu from BBC Verify and Helen Miller from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi and Anna Harris. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was Jonathan Greer . The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.