Government report's 13 terrifying warnings for Brits to 'actively prepare' for war

Daily Record

6 hours ago

A chilling National Security Strategy lists a string of dangers facing the UK including our adversaries working closer together.
The British public has been told it must "actively prepare" for war on UK soil - along with a string of chilling warnings - in a long-awaited UK Government report.
The National Security Strategy, published this afternoon, highlights a string of fears as the Government gets on a war footing. Keir Starmer has pledged to bring security spending up to 5% by 2035 as the country faces a number of growing threats.
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These include war breaking out between major powers, nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands, terrorists working with hostile states and despots seeking control in outer space, reports the Mirror.
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In the forward to the document Mr Starmer said: "It is an era of radical uncertainty, and we must navigate it with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest."
The report warns of deeper co-operation between Russia, China and North Korea and highlights the risk of key British infrastructure from foreign attack. Here we look at some of the key takeaways from the strategy.
Brits must 'actively prepare' for war on UK soil
The British public is warned that war on UK soil is a possibility in the coming years. It states: "For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario."
Danger of nuclear weapons 'more complex than during Cold War'
It said: "The threat to the UK and our allies from nuclear weapons is once again growing.
"Tackling this challenge is likely to be more complex than it was even in the Cold War, with more states with more nuclear weapons, the further proliferation of nuclear and disruptive technology, and the failure of international arms control arrangements to keep pace."
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Likelihood of UK getting involved in military conflict 'growing'
One paragraph that makes uneasy reading states: "The likelihood of contingencies in which we may be asked, or choose, to confront threats by the use of military force is growing.
"We have seen groups like the Houthis threaten the essential principle of freedom of navigation with attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea, as well as on the allied navies there to protect them (leading to UK military action).
"Elements of the UK's armed forces have been shifted into a state of heightened readiness on a number of occasions in different theatres."
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Hostile states may join forces with criminals and terrorists
It says: "It may become more difficult to identify hostile state activity as they make use of terrorist and criminal groups as their proxies. Our reliance on data centres and other forms of digital infrastructure will also increase vulnerabilities to cyber attack."
War between major powers is 'an active possibility'
The strategy states that this is now an "active possibility" - citing tensions between India and Pakistan.
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It says: " Warfare between major powers, an international security crisis, or a situation with multiple-contingencies across different regions, is an active possibility."
Such conflict will have a major impact at home, it says. The report states: "We have seen direct military conflict between Israel and Iran. This follows years of aggressive and destabilising activity by the Iranian regime which has included activity specifically targeted against UK interests at home and overseas.
"Significant escalation in any of these theatres would have a profoundly negative impact on our energy security, the cost of living and our ability to grow our economy."
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Russia and China seeking superiority in sea, online and outer space
It states: "Global commons are being contested by major powers like China and Russia, seeking to establish control and secure resources in outer space, cyberspace, the deep sea, and at the Arctic and Antarctic poles. There will be less scope for agreement on mechanisms which protect fair trade, set controls on science and technological developments and mitigate the effects of climate change, as multilateral institutions decline in influence."
Critical infrastructure is a target for UK's enemies
The report says: "Meanwhile, critical national infrastructure – including undersea cables, energy pipelines, transportation and logistics hubs – will continue to be a target."
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WW2-style spirit needed
The document says: "The years ahead will test the United Kingdom... The direction it takes – and the decisions we take – will reverberate through the decades.
"We will need agility and courage to succeed, but we should be optimistic. We remain a resolute country, rich in history, values and in our capabilities. But most of all, there is the determination of the British people themselves. After all, we do not need to look too far into our history for an example of a whole-of-society effort, motivated by a collective will to keep each other safe.
"We can mobilise that spirit again and use it both for our national security and the rebuilding of our country."
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UK's adversaries are working closely together
Referencing North Korea's support for Russian forces in Ukraine, the strategy said hostile nations are more willing to work together. "As our adversaries and competitors engage in further military modernisation, issues like technology transfer and sanctions enforcement are going to become increasingly important," the strategy states.
AI and technology will 'change the character of conflict'
The document also sounds the alarm about new chemical and biological weapons. The strategy states: "Technology will also create new vulnerabilities and change the character of conflict.
"New chemical and biological weapons may be developed and proliferate. Hypersonic missiles and AI-enhanced systems will be supplemented by mass-produced, low sophistication capabilities like drones.
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"Some of these technologies will be available to a wider range of threat actors, posing new challenges to traditional concepts of deterrence and escalation."
Climate change will add to pressures
It says: "We will have to contend with the effects of climate change a nd potential ecosystem collapse, biological threats, demographic shifts, continued urbanisation, threats to human health, slow economic growth, inequality, and competition for basic resources, including food and water.
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"Increased migration and population displacement will continue to place pressure on borders, infrastructure and public services, and potentially increase distrust and disinformation."
Overseas instability will feed UK extremism
The strategy states: "Ungoverned spaces in the Middle East and North Africa will accentuate these challenges, along with illegal migration. Terrorism – from Islamist and Extreme Right Wing ideologies– will remain a persistent, and diversifying threat."
And it warned: "The number of vulnerable young people who are desensitised, exploited and radicalised online is likely to increase, alongside more individuals who are fixated by extreme violence."
Authoritarian states are going all-out
It said: " Authoritarian states are putting in place multi-year plans to out-compete liberal democracies in every domain, from military modernisation to science and technology development, from their economic models to the information space. Since 2022, for example, Russia has massively increased defence spending, not just to prosecute war against Ukraine but also to replenish its defence industrial base and threaten others in its neighbourhood."
And it warned that China's military programme "has potentially huge consequences for the lives of British citizens".