Lord Harris warns of supply chain vulnerability
Lord Harris of Haringey, chair of the National Preparedness Commission, has warned that Britain must brace for food and medicine supplies to be 'shut off' in the event of conflict. Speaking in the House of Lords, he highlighted the UK's heavy reliance on imports as a critical weakness.
His remarks came in response to an essay by Andy Burnham in The Times, where the anticipated Prime Ministerial candidate called for greater British resilience amid rising global threats, including Russian aggression, Middle East conflict, climate and energy insecurity, and technological changes in warfare.
National conversation on resilience needed
Lord Harris argued that the UK needs to bolster its resilience and initiate a 'national conversation' covering various shocks, such as pandemics and severe weather. He noted: 'We have, after all, the most open economy amongst the G20. Our food supplies, our pharmaceuticals, plus key industrial materials are imported and vulnerable to blockades and embargoes.'
He added: 'We need to be ready for those imports to be disrupted or even shut off. And in the event of conflict, we will need to be able to divert the nation's resources to the support of our military and homeland defence.'
Government departments and businesses urged to prepare
Lord Harris stated that government departments, public bodies, local authorities, and large businesses should also strengthen their preparedness. His letter was read during discussions on the delayed Defence Readiness Bill, recommended by the Strategic Defence Review over a year ago but omitted from the King's Speech in May.
Baroness Neville-Jones, former Security Minister, warned that Britain could be 'cutting it close' with its national resilience, noting NATO's assessment that Russia may escalate aggression in Europe by 2030. She raised questions about whether the bill would involve national service.
Defence spending targets
Defence Minister Lord Coaker confirmed the Defence Readiness Bill would be brought forward in this Parliament, arguing for proper funding. NATO members have pledged to spend 5% of GDP on defence by 2035, with 3.5% on core defence and 1.5% on national resilience, including protecting ports, power grids, and transport.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis confirmed that the UK meets the 1.5% target for national resilience but declined to comment on whether the UK would hit overall NATO targets.
