It’s time to consider stockpiling – a grey-zone attack on the UK is likely
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4 min read
The era of complacency is over – for the sake of our national resilience Britain must wake up and start preparing now
How prepared would you be if the internet went down tomorrow? Or if the power was cut for 72 hours?
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. As global instability grows, the threats to the UK’s security are becoming more complex, more targeted, and more difficult to defend against. It’s time we all started thinking less about if, and more about when.
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.
This is a new kind of threat – and it demands a new kind of resilience. One that includes all of us.
Across Europe, nations are preparing. Germany and France are boosting civilian readiness. Scandinavian countries already lead the way. Poland is reintroducing national service. The UK must match that mindset. Every home, business and organisation needs to be able to function for at least 72 hours without outside help.
A significant grey-zone attack on the UK is not just possible – it’s likely
Could you and your family stay safe, warm and informed for three days without power, water or internet?
Every household should now consider stockpiling:
• 100 litres of clean water
• non-perishable food (ideally ready-to-eat or able to be consumed cold)
• candles and a working torch
• a battery-powered radio for news updates
• iodine tablets in case of nuclear fallout
• cash (in case ATMs and card readers go down)
• a basic first aid kit
But individual preparedness is only part of the equation. Local authorities must also step up. The UK’s network of Local Resilience Forums – the multi-agency partnerships that include councils, emergency services, the NHS and others – are designed precisely for this kind of threat. Yet most of the population know little about them. In many parts of the country, they remain under-resourced, under-practised, or unknown to the public. Councils should be engaging with the public, reviving these forums with urgency, and organising dry-run scenarios for cyber-attacks, energy blackouts, or mass communications failure.
They should be testing co-ordination plans, assessing supply chain vulnerabilities, and – most importantly – communicating with the public about what to expect and how to respond. Resilience is not just about storing water and batteries. It’s also about having a trusted, practised local response when crisis hits.
This isn’t alarmism. It’s realpolitik. It’s about preparing mentally and physically for disruption so we can avoid panic when it happens.
The UK is a modern, data-reliant and open nation. That makes us strong – but also vulnerable. Resilience is no longer just the responsibility of government or the armed forces. It starts at home, and in our communities.
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.
Let’s prepare. Let’s take responsibility. Because safeguarding Britain starts with all of us.
Tobias Ellwood is former Conservative MP for Bournemouth East and chair of the Defence Select Committee
