Former defence minister warns that the UK must ‘wake up and start preparing’
UK households are being advised to stock up on seven essential items incase of an attack on the country, according to a former defence minister.
Tobias Ellwood, former defence minister and ex-MP, warned that the UK needs to “wake up and start preparing” for a potential “grey zone attack” that could disrupt the country’s infrastructure, energy, or food supplies. On Thursday, Mr Ellwood urged people to be prepared for realistic scenarios, including drone attacks, internet outages, and power cuts.
He recommended that households stockpile seven key items, including drinking water, food, radios, and iodine tablets.
In an article for PoliticsHome, he wrote: “What if your phone buzzed with a national emergency alert warning of a swarm drone attack en route to your city – where would you go? How would you respond?”
“These aren’t scenes from a dystopian thriller – they’re real-world scenarios we must now seriously consider.
“Britain is now facing a surge in grey-zone warfare – deniable, covert attacks aimed at weakening our economy, undermining our infrastructure, and sowing confusion and panic.
“Russia’s so-called shadow fleet is already mapping the UK’s undersea cable networks – those vital arteries that deliver our electricity, gas and data. Autonomous underwater vehicles are criss-crossing the seabed, gathering intelligence.”,
“This isn’t speculation – Russia’s ambassador to the UK recently acknowledged that sensors had been placed in British waters, after several devices washed ashore.
“The Royal Navy is responding, ramping up its ability to detect threats and developing its own unmanned underwater vehicles. But this fight doesn’t begin and end with the military.”
Mr Ellwood urged households to stock up on these seven key items, reports the Express:
- At least 100 litres of clean water
- Non-perishable food items, including tinned goods and food that can be consumed cold
- Candles and a working torch.
- A battery-powered radio
- Iodine tablets for protection against nuclear fallout
- Sufficient cash
- A basic first-aid kit
Continuing his cautionary advice, he declared: “The era of complacency is over. A significant grey-zone attack on the UK is not just possible – it’s likely. If we want to protect our lives, our economy and our democracy, we must get ready now.”
The UK’s own emergency website, Prepare UK, echoes the call from the former defence minister. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
It also urges Brits to stock up on essential foods, radios, batteries and spare phone battery packs among other key items.
Prepare UK highlights: “Emergencies happen every day in the UK and across the world. They can be caused by severe weather or other natural hazards, by deliberate actions, or as a result of accidents or infrastructure failure.
“They can be events that happen quickly and are over in a few hours, or they can develop and continue over the course of several days, months, or sometimes even longer.”
The guidelines recommend: “Consider what supplies you and your household might need during an emergency lasting a few days, such as a power cut or water outage, or situations where you are advised to stay at home or to leave your home (evacuate) for safety reasons.”
Additionally, households are advised to consider stockpiling essential items including baby supplies, hand sanitiser, and wet wipes, as well as a portable power bank, bottled water, first aid kits, and non-perishable food.
