The Government will launch a national public awareness campaign later this year to prepare households for emergencies and improve understanding of state-based threats, as part of a wider effort to develop a “whole-of-society” approach to national security, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The plans were set out in two written parliamentary answers to Conservative MP Stuart Anderson, who asked how the Government intends to conduct its national conversation on defence and security and what steps are being taken to establish a whole-of-society response to emerging threats.
Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said: “This Government is committed to strengthening national preparedness and improving public understanding of the threats we face through our national conversation on defence and security. Addressing the challenges of an increasingly volatile and contested world requires a whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach.”
She continued: “Our security depends not only on strong Armed Forces, but also on a society that is informed, prepared and able to respond with confidence when it matters most. The national conversation will help increase public awareness of the most serious risks facing the UK and the role that government, industry, communities and individuals can play in strengthening national resilience.”
The public campaign was previously confirmed in a Written Ministerial Statement on 14 July and is due to begin later in 2026. Sandher-Jones said it would seek to educate households on preparing for emergencies while providing more information about threats posed by hostile states.
She said: “As confirmed in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 14 July, the Government will launch a national resilience public awareness campaign later this year, aiming to educate households on preparing for emergencies alongside increased information about state-based threats.”
The MOD will contribute to the programme alongside other government departments and is engaging organisations outside central government as part of the preparations. Sandher-Jones added: “Alongside cross-Government engagement with key stakeholders, the Ministry of Defence is playing a key role within this programme of work; connecting with industry, local resilience fora, the voluntary sector, and working with our active reserves and local cadet groups to facilitate a whole of society approach to defence and security.”
A separate answer from the minister said the work is also being taken forward through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme, with an emphasis on bringing civilian and military planning closer together for serious national risks.
Sandher-Jones said: “The Strategic Defence Review emphasises a whole-of-society approach to strengthen resilience against threats. The Cabinet Office-led Home Defence Programme, in which the Ministry of Defence plays a key role, is working to increase engagement with the public to improve familiarisation on the role everyone can play in national security and resilience. The programme has a strong emphasis on aligning civil and military planning for serious risks.”
The approach is intended to cover threats both below and above the threshold of an armed attack, rather than focusing solely on preparation for conventional warfare.
She stated: “The Government is clear on the importance of implementing a whole-of-society approach to strengthen defence and our resilience to the threats we face, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack. In support of this, the National Conversation is a key tool in creating a more informed, and aware public of the evolving nature of the threat environment.”
The campaign will sit alongside the Government’s existing Resilience Action Plan and the GOV.UK Prepare service, which provides guidance to households on steps they can take ahead of emergencies.
Sandher-Jones said: “This campaign aims to improve public understanding of threats and overall national preparedness in the event of crisis.”
She added: “Through the UK Government’s Resilience Action Plan, we outline how we will enable the whole of society to increase their resilience, including taking action to prepare for emergencies as set out on the GOV.UK/Prepare website.”
Resilience….as in four million people with mental “issues”, energy costs going through the roof, record youth unemployment, taxation at record levels, farmers and fisherman going bankrupt, businesses going under at a rate unknown for years. Yep. Resilience Action Plan? Bullshit.
To add, how are we resilient if we are dependent on food from overseas, and some of our energy.
Plus add the mllions who have arrived in the UK the last 20 years many of whom I believe dont give a toss for the country, and we allow in more each year who I’m sure will contribute?
Or undermine?
Where is a regional Civil Defence force, or even discussion of one, if war requires defence of CNI?
Where is the CNRN capability of the Emergency Services that J has detailed before which has been allowed to wither away?
The UK has a long way to go to realise a fraction of the cobblers politicians come out with.
Hi M8 If you want to see how it should be done just research Polish Mobilisation System, it’s not just Army and reservists, it’s multi tiered and even includes key health workers and folks with Transferable skills such as Utility workers, Vets, Mechanics, Construction workers and even Dentists.
But it is all underpinned by conscription, and TBH I’ve been to many countries but what’s always struck me is that those with conscription into either the Military or Organised Civil Service tend to have very few Social issues such as Crime, Vandalism etc,
Sadly, all very true, my friend. Like yourself I enjoy my history. I read a book somtime ago about the homefront coming up to and during WW2. The government asked for volunteers. Three million people came forward to fill various tasks. Can you see that happening now? NO. As for emergency services we could barely cope during Covid. Imagine the combination of bombing, cyber and disruptiion. Mayhem. This “call” is more about a sound bite than a sound idea.
Compared with the 1930s (recovering from the 1920’s slump with black shirts and others supporting Hitler) pretty favourable, I’d say (though not good to see black shirts in Dover….)…. And let’s be careful how we talk about mental issues… if we haven’t been there. As this resilience thing hasn’t happened yet most comments are shall we say, a little lacking in grasp. Which is quite normal on UKDJ here when it comes to understanding the bigger picture!
I think I and many others do understand the bigger picture. I understand what you’re saying about pre war but that was then and this is now. The world has changed of course but have we really moved forward? We are a hundred years on and in many ways still face the same threats, just different potential antagonists. As it happens, I do have experience of mental problems, particularly with younger people, as I was involved for many years in helping them with their difficulties.
Actually, I think you are right.. but the parallels with the 30s are worrying – history doesn’t repeat itself but it can be very unoriginal. Black shirts on the streets – far right sentiments gaining popularity, but the difference is a lack of anything cohesive as a society – other than increasing our “standard of living”, that bizarre phrase that really means simply getting materially loaded. The West isn’t worth fighting far until we look at the alternatives! There are still real freedoms, and kindness, altruism and care for others are still valued in public life… but it has to jostle with hedonism, the desperate desire for 15 minutes of fame and people wanting more and more power and control… just like it’s always been since home sapiens first picked up a stick!
Sounds like you’ve had to deal with youngster with mental health issues, as I have – it’s real and is a social illness as much as individual., though it is that too of course.. and some of the causes are in the previous paragraph.
Thanks Geoff, you always have sensible things to say!
My thing about climate change is that I knew about it 50+years ago and did nothing until it was too late.. a fair bit of guilt!
The parallels are worrying. You have no doubt read the news recently. Far right marching in our streets, AfD in Germany, le Pen on the rise again, and there are others. My wifes uncle, now deceased, was a Czech. He got out in 1939, came to Britain, and joined the army. He went home after the war and promptly came under scrutiny because of his links with the moderates. He got out again. All through the time I knew him he had a drawing in his study depicting a thug in uniform. Half was an SS man, the other a KGB man. The caption was “It’s only a question of arm bands”. In other words the extreme left and the extreme right just want their own way and stuff the people.
I was involved with a charity offering advice and care on alcohol and drug dependency. I met so many youngsters whose lives had been runed by one or other, or both! Many were helped to health, but many of the stories were tragic. The sad thing is, the numbers are growing still, stoked very often by the pressure of social media.
Fetid bullshit from seditious twats in positions of power and authority – i despise every single one of them.
So, why bother commenting, or being bothered about anything, and just who the “they”?
I saw something about this in the press a few weeks ago
Most of Europe is already doing this. Some run skills training (first aid etc) & civil defence exercises. Lithuania even runs civilian resistance courses
Knowing our government, all that’ll happen is that we get a leaflet telling us to keep a weeks worth of food & water. That’s probably the entire resilience plan
And the public will respond with their usual attitude of dismissing it as nothing more than government attempts to control them. The British public are beyond help.
You’re too close to the truth… but not quite beyond help… I know lots and lots of people who have their heads screwed on! whether I’m one of them is a matter of opinion!
Porridge is the way to go. Calor gas stove, pinch of salt….survive for months 😂
Nuts mat.. shit loads of nuts… high calories, bags of protein and fibre..
But in the end water is the key to it all.. in an emergency you can shoot some rabbits and eat dandelions.. but you will be shitting out your innards if you try drinking UK river sludge..
Personally I’ve got 70 litres of fresh stashed as well as hand powered water filters to clean another 4000 litres.. but that just me ( I also know how to build a fallout shelter in 24 hours, have 6-8 months of food, a few pounds of silver coins, hunting equipment, a years supply of fire wood, about 10,000 matches, wind up radios, solar rechargers, lights and the knowledge of what I can and cannot eat from the uk countryside.. )
At last, a coherent plan. I love porridge.
How about they don’t antagonise the biggest nuclear threat on the planet and stop importing illegal immigrants accidentally on purpose!!!! Bunch of WEF, Davos, thieving murdering cnuts.
Right, I’m off to watch Threads….
🙂
Interesting they intend to utilise voluntary groups including the Cadet force, which they can’t fund properly. Great way to go resilience on the cheap.
We are no longer a society united around a singular ethos but a fractured and divided one. Good luck building a cohesive ‘national’ strategy for survival that doesn’t depend entirely on managing internal opposition.
Sadly, you are right.
This year we have what looks like being the largest El Niño event ever recorded together with continuing Global Warming. We need resilience from more than juts the Russians- though that too. (And when it come to climate I do know what I’m talking about, so climate change deniers, just zip your brainless, unscientific rubbish) El Niño is a natural cycle of Pacific warming affecting global weather – but it is being exacerbated by human-caused GW, inevitably. The future is not looking good for my grandchildren, or yours, I’m afraid. It’s way too late to stop the worst effects of GW. Extreme weather is becoming the norm with a very wet autumn and winter this year beginning to look increasingly likely…. but then weather patterns can change in a short time. Sleep soundly.
More blether, nothing radical like looking at a proper civil defence outfit, basic military training just in case a citizens army may be needed, making infrastructure resilient and with redundancy built in let alone actually funding our armed forces properly, let alone expanding them. No, more blether, stating the bloody obvious and a run on bog rolls at Tescos. Healey is boring an audience to death with the most appalling waffle in his big speech today, he really is just another total windbag who will undoubtedly betray the military again.
I think you’re wrong about Healey’s speech. It certainly didn’t contain instant giveaways for the general public, but that was not the purpose. It was big-picture stuff, sending signals to the banks, money markets, business and industry – and to his own.truculent back-benchers – to lay out the ground for next month’s budget and to narrow the scope for speculation.
He is going to stick to the fiscsl rules, which means funding things from revenue, not borrowing. He recognises that business costs are too high and cannot be increased. He wants more government investment in innovation in UK industry, starting with £150m going to the north of England. With the leitmotif being encouraging growth.
That lot tends to rule out much more in the way of welfare spending, which many MPs and unions are agitating for.
It could have been a Conservative or Lib Dem Chancellor speaking, it certainly didn’t sound like a traditional socialist one. Hence he has sent his message to all the key parties.
The acid test to come is whether he can rein-in or even reduce public and particularly welfare spending which, however necessary, would be very unpopular with the bulk of the public. Equally, starting to reduce our national debt mountain, the annual interest on which is costing nearly twice the defence budget. Sadly, I think these are currently beyond the reach of any UK Chancellor just now.
As count binface said.. I will cut your taxes and raise everyone else’s… that’s the British view all over…same with government spend and welfare as long as its everyone else’s services or support being cut.. but I’m to precious and deserve/entitled to it.