Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for a modern national service to combat foreign saboteurs after a series of cyberattacks disrupted supermarkets and food suppliers across Europe. Writing in The Times, Sunak said the UK needs to become more aware of the threats it faces, adding that panic-buying and official stockpile guidance will not help.
Resilience Corps Proposal
Sunak, a former Tory PM, argued that reviving the Cold War model of national service would be "impractical" for today's battleground. Instead, he called for "some kind of resilience corps" to shield communities from hybrid warfare, focusing on frontline protection rather than mass conscription.
He explained that the armed forces lacked the capacity to train more than 800,000 18-year-olds, so an updated version of national service is required. This would enhance resilience, strengthen society, and remind citizens that citizenship brings responsibilities as well as rights.
Selective Service and Boot Camps
Under Sunak's proposal, hopefuls could apply for a small, selective military cadre, while others serve with search and rescue, St John Ambulance, or Meals on Wheels. Some would train in areas such as cybersecurity. He also suggested that a boot-camp overhaul could give the almost one million young people not in education, employment, or training a sense of purpose.
A Labour Party spokesperson responded, saying: "This is not a plan - it's a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the Armed Forces to their smallest size since Napoleon," as reported by the Daily Star.
Cyberattacks on Food Suppliers
Earlier this month, several UK meat suppliers reported that their fridges heated up overnight after cyberattacks targeted software used by supermarkets and food suppliers across Europe. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (Aims) said a few of its roughly 300 members had "unexpectedly become collateral" from the hack. Some members saw their fridge systems begin to defrost on Monday night, and another saw their unit rise to 100C. France, Belgium, and Sweden were also affected by the hack.
