Former army commander Richard Barrons has backed comments by George Robertson and said UK armed forces are “too small and undernourished for the world that we now live in”. His remarks come amid renewed debate about military spending and the state of Britain’s defence capability.
Barrons also said Pete Hegseth was right to mock the Royal Navy, adding to the pressure on ministers over whether current funding levels are sufficient for the demands placed on the military.
The intervention feeds into a wider political argument about underinvestment in defence. With the UK facing a more challenging international environment, critics have repeatedly argued that the armed forces need greater resources, more personnel and stronger equipment to meet modern expectations.
George Robertson, who has also warned about the condition of the UK military, has long been among those urging a stronger response to defence pressures. Barrons’ support for that view underlines how concerns about the size and readiness of the armed forces continue to resonate among senior figures with military experience.
Separately, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has announced a funding boost of almost £130m for cultural venues, museums and libraries in England.
The department said the money will be distributed across 130 organisations and will support a first wave of projects through the government’s Arts Everywhere Fund. According to the announcement, the funding is intended to help improve access to facilities, complete building work and upgrade technology on site.
Among the venues set to benefit are The Lowry Centre in Salford, The Hexagon in Reading and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Warwickshire. The department said the money would provide a much-needed cash boost for sites that play an important role in local cultural life.
In its statement, the government said the investment comes at a time when the cost of living continues to affect families across Britain. It added that the funding should help create welcoming and affordable places where communities can visit, meet and celebrate what makes their local area special.
The announcement covers a broad range of cultural institutions and forms part of a wider effort to support access to arts and heritage across England. For many venues, the money is expected to help address maintenance needs and improve the visitor experience at a time when budgets remain under pressure.
The two developments, though separate, reflect the range of issues currently facing the government: defence spending on one hand, and public support for culture on the other. Both have become part of the broader political debate over how ministers choose to spend public money and where the country’s priorities should lie.
As the discussion continues, the remarks from Barrons are likely to add further weight to arguments that Britain’s armed forces need more sustained investment. At the same time, the Arts Everywhere Fund announcement highlights the government’s effort to show support for local institutions that serve communities across England.
