The left often raise the slogan welfare not warfare underlining that money spent on public services is better than money spent on arms. Harold Wilson when Labour leader and PM in the first half of the 1970s promoted a policy of welfare and warfare. Namely that while defence was important people might query what was being defended if there was poverty and poor services.
An alternative view again has been warfare not welfare. Its a demand that can be heard regularly at the moment with Messrs Putin and Trump leading the way. NATO is often not far behind. It is supposed to be a defensive alliance not one that engages in wars of choice.
Former NATO Boss and ex Labour MP George Robertson has been in the news attacking Keir Starmer for failing to spend enough on defence. It is an interesting line of argument since Labour has only been office since July 2024 and building new warships and even recruiting more soldiers (assuming either is desirable) takes time. The big cuts in defence came under the Tories from 2010 to 2024.
Robertson was Defence Minister in the early Blair Government from 1997 and was busy backing (unaffordable) increases in military spending even then. During his period as NATO Boss he backed the US (and UK) follies in Afghanistan and Iraq neither of which were conceivably within a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation remit..
Views may and do vary on defence but some historical perspective is important
Kmflett's Blog 
This needed saying. He’s a war monger.
o
One wonders what he’s getting out of it?