I welcome the launch of the Government’s household preparedness campaign, which is long overdue. As Shadow Minister for Defence, Security and Resilience, I have worked extensively on what an effective campaign should look like, seeking to take a collaborative, cross-party approach. In June, I led a debate on national resilience and the need for a national conversation about preparedness. I have visited our allies to learn from their approaches, including visiting Denmark to discuss its national preparedness campaign. However, the Government’s approach falls short. Today’s launch was announced haphazardly, with no parliamentary statement and no coherent campaign around it. It is not the way to start a campaign that needs to reach every household in Britain. Ministers must be honest with the public about the threats we face and explain how the advice they are giving relates to those threats. Advice alone, without that context, is unlikely to prompt people to prepare. Ultimately, the campaign largely repackages the existing online Prepare campaign, which has failed to reach and engage enough people. We need clear, practical advice, grounded in an honest explanation of the risks and delivered in a way that reaches every household. I have produced a booklet drawing on those distributed in European countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands. These booklets explain the threats, why household preparedness matters and what people can do in clear and accessible language. The Government must go further. An effective campaign needs to explain both what people should do and why they should do it.

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