The UK has no plan to defend the nation in the event of war, including how to mobilise the National Health Service to deal with mass casualties, the head of the military has revealed.
The admission by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton – confirming a report by Sky News from almost two years ago – came despite mounting warnings about the threat of conflict with Russia and as Donald Trump makes hostile noises about seizing Greenland.
Answering wide-ranging questions from MPs on Monday, the chief of the defence staff also confirmed that the Ministry of Defence lacks funding to cover its equipment programme as well as additional ambitions set out in a sweeping review of defence published in June.
He refused to say whether he was facing a budget shortfall and steered away from using the word “cuts”, but said that reducing or slowing military programmes were among the options being considered.
Air Chief Marshal Knighton, at times sounding frustrated, told members of the defence select committee not to “put words in my mouth” as he was pressed on reports that he had warned the prime minister before Christmas that defence has a £28bn hole in its budget over the next four years and would be required to make significant cuts without more money.
He said: “If we wanted to do everything that’s currently in the programme and do all the extra things in the SDR [Strategic Defence Review], could we do that with the budget that we’ve got? The answer is no.”
No modern-day War Book
The most stunning revelation during a two-hour grilling was his confirmation that the UK has yet to revive a modern version of the Government War Book.
Drawn up during the First World War and maintained until the turn of the century, this was a comprehensive set of plans for the whole country – from the armed forces, hospitals and the police to industry schools and even art galleries – to transition from peace to war.
It was shelved after the Soviet Union collapsed – as discussed in The Wargame podcast.
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But, despite the return of conflict to Europe following Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and then its full-scale attack in 2022, the UK has yet to draw up a new defence plan – something all NATO member states are required to maintain.
The transatlantic alliance is the cornerstone of UK defence and security policy – with allies willing to mobilise in the defence of each other. But each nation is also meant to be able to defend itself in the first instance.
“We don’t have a complete national defence plan yet,” Air Chief Marshal Knighton said.
Mike Martin, a Liberal Democrat member of the defence select committee, asked him if we should have one. He responded: “Yeah, absolutely. And the government is committed to doing that.”
Why does the UK not have a plan?
Pushed on why the UK does not have one, the defence chief said: “I think that it is a manifestation of the peace dividend.
“One of the most obvious is that since the end of the Cold War, we have not prioritised those matters. And so as a consequence, the government, for many years, of many hues, has not focused its efforts on developing that kind of plan.
“I’m pleased to say that partly as a consequence of what’s in the Strategic Defence Review, that is changing.”
As for when such a national defence plan would be ready, Air Chief Marshal Knighton said this was a job that was being overseen by the Cabinet Office because it involves the whole of government.
However, he said that the military component – which the Ministry of Defence is responsible for – would be finalised this year.
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He also said that there is no plan to mobilise civilian doctors and nurses as well as hospitals to treat wounded troops and civilians in the event of a war in the UK or anywhere in Europe – a crisis that would put a huge strain on an already creaking health service.
“We don’t have a holistic, national plan for how we would mobilise the National Health Service in times of all-out war in Europe,” he said.
“Again, this was a piece of work being developed by the Cabinet Office, and there should be more details evolving in the next 12 to 18 months.”
