UK updates war books and plans biggest home defence exercise in decades
The government is updating its classified crisis plans and will run a major home defence exercise in 2027, as an independent commission warns the public is complacent about threats.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The UK government is updating its classified crisis plans, known as the war books, for the first time since 2004, as part of a wider home defence programme. The move comes amid heightened concern about Russian threats, including hybrid attacks, and was confirmed by ministerial sources to Newsnight.
Under the programme, the government will take part in the biggest home defence exercise in decades in 2027. The exercise, named Exercise Alberston Shadow, will be a multi-day test of the government's preparedness for response to hybrid attacks against the UK. It will run alongside a NATO exercise, with the UK element focusing on the civil response. The precise scenario will remain classified.
A government source said the exercise would cover "all scenarios up to the break the glass moment that you hope will never happen". The plans were originally outlined in July by Darren Jones, but attracted little attention at the time.
The update to the war books and the exercise come as the UK's independent National Preparedness Commission warns that the public is "blissfully unaware" of the scale of threats facing the nation. Toby Harris, the commission's chair, told Newsnight that Britain needed greater resilience. He pointed to recent Russian sabre rattling, alleged Iranian sabotage of a power generator, and extreme weather events as examples of the range of threats.
Harris said the public should prepare their homes to cope for several days without utilities such as electricity, water, gas, or communications. He suggested keeping tinned food and other supplies, and noted that some countries advise citizens to have four to seven days of self-sufficiency. He estimated that only two or three percent of Britons are currently prepared to that level.
The commission has called for a national conversation about preparedness, similar to the one recommended by George Robertson in the Strategic Defence Review. Harris acknowledged that the government faces a dilemma between scaring the public and leaving them underprepared, but said the threats have become more urgent.
The update to the war books and the planned exercise are part of a broader effort to strengthen national resilience. The government has also been considering a public information campaign, which Harris described as a positive sign.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| Only 2-3% of Britons are prepared to the level recommended by the National Preparedness Commission. | |
| The government is updating its War Books crisis plans for the first time since 2004. | |
| The government will take part in the biggest home defence exercise in decades in 2027, Exercise Alberston Shadow, testing response to hybrid attacks. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC Two's Newsnight focused on the government's updated war books and the planned 2027 home defence exercise, but gave significant airtime to an interview with Toby Harris of the National Preparedness Commission, who warned that the public is complacent and needs to prepare homes for potential crises. The tone was serious and explanatory, with a clear emphasis on the need for public awareness and individual preparedness.
- “I think most of the British public are blissfully unaware of the scale and nature and intensity of some of the threats that we face as a nation.”
- “In your home you should prepare for circumstances in which for example the standard utilities on which we all rely, electricity, water, gas and so on, communications might not be available for several days, possibly even longer.”
- “I think it's probably two or three percent.”
Broadcast Timeline
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