Burnham told to set up civilian war register as public warned to prep

Andy Burnham has been urged to create an emergency register of civilian volunteers who could be called on if Britain came under attack. The proposal comes from the Liberal Democrats, who also want the Government to stop softening its language and be what they call more direct with the public about the threats facing the country.

The idea is a formal sign-up scheme rather than conscription. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said countries like Finland already run registers of this kind, adding that it is something a lot of people would be very willing to sign up to if they were given the option. The party argues Britons should have an organised way to help if a crisis hits, rather than being left to work it out on the day.

The Liberal Democrats have also pressed the Prime Minister to create a new post of Civilian Readiness Secretary. Their case is that non-military resources, meaning the everyday systems households rely on, need building up before a crisis rather than after one. The British Army, according to the report, is now at its smallest size since before the Napoleonic wars of the 19th century.

Whatever happens to the register, households are expected to hear from the Government directly. A national resilience campaign is being prepared to encourage people to prepare for extreme weather, cyber attacks and hostile state action, and to set out practical steps for a crisis that could cut power or water or force shops to close.

A source told the Financial Times the campaign would carry practical advice on improving domestic resilience, such as keeping some bottled water and tinned food in the house, and insisted it would be common sense rather than scaremongering. No cost estimate for households has been published, and no date for the campaign has been confirmed.

Behind all this sits a row over money. The Prime Minister has so far refused to set a date for spending three per cent of GDP on defence, with a longer term pledge to reach the Nato target of 3.5 per cent. John Healey, who resigned as Defence Secretary over the issue, wrote in June that the Treasury had been unwilling to commit the resources the nation needs at a time of rising threats.

The warnings are not abstract. Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Romania and Lithuania have all reported airspace violations by Russian drones, and Germany last month accused Moscow of a failed attack on one of its airports. Britain also foiled a plot aimed at disabling critical undersea cables earlier this year. One Western intelligence source warned a serious test of Nato could come in months, not years.

For now there is nothing for anyone to sign. No register exists, no eligibility rules have been drawn up and no scheme has been costed. What is coming is advice, and the quiet expectation that ordinary households will absorb the cost of stocking up. Anyone asked to keep bottled water and tinned food on hand while the spending argument drags on in Westminster is entitled to ask who is really being asked to prepare.