Overview
- Lord George Robertson, speaking to Parliament’s National Security Strategy committee on Monday, said there is a case for mandatory civil defence roles in Britain.
- He pointed to Sweden’s “total defence duty,” where people aged 16 to 70 have legally defined roles in wartime or high alert, covering military, civil and general service.
- He argued that sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation and espionage tied to hostile states such as Russia and Iran warrant a broader civil‑military readiness effort.
- He said a Defence Readiness Bill proposed in the Strategic Defence Review is not expected in the upcoming King’s Speech.
- Downing Street rejected his claim that the UK is underprepared and underinsured, with the prime minister’s spokesperson saying they “completely reject that.”