Latest news with #wartimescenario
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Britain must ‘actively prepare' for a war on home soil, major government review warns
The UK must prepare for the possibility of a ' wartime scenario' on home soil, a major new government review has warned. The National Security Strategy, published on Tuesday, has issued the grim warning as events in the Middle East and Russia's war with Ukraine continue to add to international instability. It comes just 48 hours after Iran threatened to target UK bases following the US attack on its nuclear facilities, before a ceasefire was announced last night. The strategy also recommends that UK citizens undergo 'national resilience exercises' in preparation for attacks at home. '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,' the strategy warns. It added: 'The years ahead will test the United Kingdom ... The direction it takes – and the decisions we take – will reverberate through the decades.' It said the UK will need 'agility and courage to succeed', but adds the country should be optimistic in part because of 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 building of our country.' Cabinet minister Pat McFadden told MPs that the whole country had to be 'clear-eyed and hard-edged' about the threats that it faces. Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he intends to commit the UK to 5 per cent of GDP spending on defence and national security, on a trip to a Nato summit. Just hours later, his government published the strategy, which warns that Russian cyberattacks and sabotage and Iranian 'hostile activity' are increasing in the UK. In the document, ministers also promise 'greater robustness and consistency' in the way it deals with China. The government also plans to carry out a cross-government exercise on how to deal with crises, such as a future pandemic, later this year. On resilience training, the strategy requires the public, as well as business and academia, to adopt good practices on cybersecurity. 'It means asking the private sector to engage with law enforcement to protect people from harmful and illegal content online, and ensuring that human security remains at the forefront of AI,' the document said. 'This is the task ahead of us: to mobilise the nation in the common cause of our national security.' The public will be informed about the preparedness for risks, while there will be 'annual national exercises' to test society's preparedness, although there is not detail on what these will include. There will also be training for 'all those across our society' who play a vital role in national resilience, while critical national infrastructure will be protected in an effort to counter sabotage. Countries across Europe are also stepping up their preparations for potential warfare. Late last year, millions of Swedes were sent a pamphlet advising them on how to prepare and cope in the event of war or another unexpected crisis, as Russia's war in Ukraine continued to escalate. Around the same time, Finland also published fresh advice on 'preparing for incidents and crises'. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the government of not being clear enough about how they would reach the core defence spending goal, claiming ministers had offered only 'smoke and mirrors'. She urged Mr McFadden to set out when he would 'actually deliver a plan to get to 2 per cent, and why won't he heed our calls to hit 3 per cent by the end of this parliament, which would be vital, and a vital stepping stone on the way to that higher defence spending that he is seeking'. Meanwhile, Mr Lammy has announced a £290m fund to reorientate the FCDO with 200 new data analysts as he cuts the number of diplomats. The foreign secretary wants a 'leaner and meaner' Foreign Office but is also using the money to invest in a new College of Diplomats. He told The Independent: "The National Security Strategy says that diplomacy allows us to achieve strength abroad and deliver security for the British people. 'I have committed to investing £290 million to make the FCDO the world's most tech-forward foreign ministry by 2030. Through this new fund, we will hire 200 more data and tech specialists and establish a College of British Diplomacy focused on the 21st century tools and tradecraft. 'These new tools and investment will liberate diplomats from their desks in Whitehall, putting them out into the world where they can make the biggest difference to the UK's growth and security.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘UK must prepare for war on home soil for first time in years', strategy warns
The UK must actively prepare for a 'wartime scenario' on British soil 'for the first time in many years', the Government has warned. In the national security strategy published on Tuesday, ministers said the UK now finds itself in 'an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security'. The strategy aims to protect the UK at home and abroad, and also invest more in artificial intelligence (AI) and defence. It draws on work across Government, including recent plans to revamp the defence sector and boost the economy by backing growth industries, with the aim of bolstering the security of the UK. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden told the Commons the whole country must now be 'clear-eyed and hard-edged' about the threats it faces. 'We are in an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security,' the strategy warned, pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the most pressing example. Russian cyber attacks and sabotage, and Iranian 'hostile activity' in the UK are also increasing, it warned. The strategy added: 'Meanwhile, some adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression. '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.' Mr McFadden told the Commons the strategy provided a 'plan that is both clear-eyed and hard-edged about the challenges we face.' The senior minister, whose title is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the strategy would aim to deliver 'three crucial things'. The first of these is to 'protect security at home', by bolstering the borders and making the UK 'more resilient to future threats'. Ministers are stepping up calls for the whole of society to become more resilient and plan to carry out a cross-government exercise of how to deal with crises – such as a future pandemic – later this year. The UK must also work to 'promote strength abroad' with allies in order to defend their 'collective security', Mr McFadden said. He added: 'It also means a clear-eyed view of how we engage with major powers like China, where we must protect our national security and promote our economic interests.' The strategy warned that 'instances of China's espionage, interference in our democracy and the undermining of our economic security have increased in recent years'. The Government has promised 'greater robustness and consistency' in the way it deals with China, according to the document. The third step Mr McFadden set out was for the UK to increase its 'sovereign and asymmetric capabilities', including by rebuilding its defence industries and building 'advantages in new frontier technologies' like AI. The document was released as the Prime Minister arrived in the Netherlands for a Nato leaders' summit. At the gathering, allies are being asked to raise defence funding to 5% of national economic output, a commitment made up of 3.5% core military spending, and a further 1.5% to be spent on broader security spending. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told the Commons the Government had not been clear enough about how it would reach the core defence spending goal, claiming ministers had only offered 'smoke and mirrors'. She added: 'So, when will he actually deliver a plan to get to 2%, and why won't he heed our calls to hit 3% by the end of this Parliament, which would be vital, and a vital stepping stone on the way to that higher defence spending that he is seeking.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
UK should 'actively prepare' for WAR on British soil amid Russia, Iran and North Korea threat, ministers are warned - as new national security strategy sets out China 'challenge'
The UK should 'actively prepare' for a direct attack on British soil in a potential 'wartime scenario' for the first time in many years, the Government has warned. In a national security strategy published today, ministers said the UK now finds itself in 'an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security'. It highlighted Russian cyber attacks and sabotage against the UK, Iranian hostile activity on British soil, and other adversaries 'laying the foundations for future conflict'. This includes them 'positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains,' the strategy said. It added: '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.' The strategy aims to protect the UK at home and abroad, and also invest more in artificial intelligence (AI) and defence. Sir Keir Starmer said the UK is 'facing daily challenges on the home front' with Britain targeted by 'very, very frequent and very, very serious' cyberattacks. The Prime Minister, speaking to Sky News at a NATO summit in The Hague, added: 'We have to guard properly against those threats, and we will do so.' While the national security strategy outlined the threat from Russia, Iran and North Korea, it also highlighted the 'challenge' of China as a global actor. The PM met soldiers during a visit to a Dutch marine training centre, as part of the UK-Netherlands Joint Amphibious Force in Rotterdam, on the sidelines of the NATO summit China is a 'sophisticated and persistent threat' but freezing the UK's relations with Beijing is 'not an option', Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs this afternoon. In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Lammy outlined the findings of the Government's examination of the UK-China relationship. The 'China audit' recommended increasing Britain's 'resilience and readiness' towards the Asian superpower and the Government's ability to engage with Beijing. As part of the national security strategy, a summary of the audit set out how 'China's espionage, interference in our democracy and the undermining of our economic security have increased in recent years'. But it also noted how ministers are seeking a 'trade and investment relationship' with China to boost the UK economy. Mr Lammy told MPs that in the past decade China has delivered a third of global economic growth, becoming the world's second largest economy. Together with Hong Kong, it is the UK's third largest trading partner, the Foreign Secretary added. 'Not engaging with China is therefore no choice at all,' he said. 'China's power is an inescapable fact.' Mr Lammy said the audit painted a 'complex picture' but 'the UK's approach to China will be founded on progressive realism, taking the world as it is, not as we wish it to be'. The Foreign Secretary faced claims that the Government was going 'cap in hand' to China to bail out the British economy. Tory shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said: 'It has taken the Government a year to produce this audit, which seemingly fails to set out any kind of serious strategic framework. 'I think it's fair to say we know why: because the Government – and in fact the Foreign Secretary has touched on this – has gone cap in hand to China to bail out its terrible handling of the British economy. 'It is setting up its closer economic ties with China while knowing very well that British businesses here are struggling, not just when it comes to competing against China, but actually struggling to absorb the weight of Labour's own regulatory costs in this country.' Mr Lammy was also forced to assure MPs that there are 'no grubby deals' with China on any issue, including the proposed 'super-embassy' in London. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Foreign Secretary: 'I'll give him a quick audit now of exactly what should have been. 'China threatens Taiwan, has invaded the South China Sea, it's having massive disputes with the Philippines, genocide, slave labour, organ harvesting, transnational repression, taxes Hong Kong dissidents here, Hong Kong dissidents under threat constantly, cyber-attacks on the UK, supports Myanmar in their oppressive military regime, supports Russian's invasion of Ukraine, it also supports North Korea and Iran and has trashed the Sino-British treaty on Hong Kong, it has arrested Jimmy Lai, it has sanctions on UK MPs and it thieves all the IPs on private companies. 'What a record to balance, what? Against some potential trade?' He added: 'In the course of this embassy decision, it was said quite clearly in the media that China would not apply again after the refusal of Tower Hamlets (Council), unless they received assurances from the UK Government. 'Can he now tell me that they have not received any assurances, or have they received private assurances that they will get what they want and get this embassy?' Mr Lammy responded: 'Let me just express respect for (Sir Iain's) experience in relation to the China threat and also that he is subject to sanctions that I have consistently raised with China, noting that recently it lifted sanctions against members of the European Parliament and I pressed them recently to do the same. 'Let me assure him that there are no grubby deals on any issues and certainly not in relation to the embassy – and I reject any suggestion of anything other.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
UK must ‘actively prepare' for a war on home soil, major government review warns
The UK must prepare for the possibility of a ' wartime scenario' on home soil, a major new government review has warned. The National Security Strategy, published on Tuesday, has issued the grim warning as events in the Middle East and Russia's war with Ukraine continue to add to international instability. It comes just 48 hours after Iran threatened to target UK bases following the US attack on its nuclear facilities before a ceasefire was announced last night. The strategy also recommends that UK citizens undergo 'national resilience exercises' in preparation for attacks at home. Sir Keir has announced that he intends to commit the UK to 5 per cent of GDP spending on defence and national security. The document 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." It adds: "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 there building of our country."
