Kemi Badenoch takes aim at Keir Starmer after rejecting cross-party offer: 'All he cares about is welfare!'

Mrs Badenoch threw her support behind ex-Nato chief Lord George Robertson, who has accused Sir Keir of "corrosive complacency", warning Britain's national security is now "in peril".

The Tory leader told GB News: "I agree completely with Lord Robertson. He is saying what I have been saying now for months, that Labour has become the Welfare Party.

"I actually met him in December, long before this war in Iran started. He talked to me about the Strategic Defence Review and how we should be working cross-party."

Recalling her clash with Sir Keir on Monday, Mrs Badenoch criticised him for saying he is "not interested" in working cross-party to find the funds for Britain's defence strategy.

She stated: "I have been asking Keir Starmer to do it, and even yesterday I said let's work together to find the money. You know what he said? No thanks, not interested. All they care about is welfare.

"I hope the Prime Minister will work with me - I don't think he is interested - but the fact that a former Labour defence secretary, a former secretary general of Nato is having to criticise his own party, shows just how bad they are."

Mrs Badenoch explained how the Tories would help reach three per cent of defence spending, following her meeting with Lord Robertson on the Strategic Defence Review.

She told GB News: "We have come up with ideas for how we can get to three per cent by the end of this Parliament.

"We talked about repurposing the wasteful net zero project money, there's about £17billion to possibly £50billion in there.

"We've also talked about putting the two child benefit cap back on, use that money to get 20,000 soldiers - 6,000 regulars, and 14,000 reservists."

Highlighting how she was the only political party leader to meet with Lord Robertson, Mrs Badenoch stressed how the Tories are the "serious people" compared to Labour.

She said: "Lord Robertson also said that he asked to meet with the leader of Reform and the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and none of them took up this offer to understand the Strategic Defence review.

"I did, and my shadow cabinet did, because we are serious people. We want to get this country working again.

"That's why they're out there cleaning the graffiti today, and that's why we've got a plan on defence."

Lord Robertson is expected to issue his verdict on the state of the Armed Forces at a speech in Salisbury today.

The ex-Labour Defence Secretary is expected to say: "We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe.

"Britain's national security and safety is in peril. There is a corrosive complacency today in Britain's political leadership.

"Lip service is paid to the risks, the threats, the bright red signals of danger - but even a promised national conversation about defence can't be started."

The Government is committed to reaching its three per cent target by the end of the next Parliament, moving further to 3.5 per cent by 2035.