Britain could revive the spirit of the wartime Home Guard by mobilising civilians to support the military, as growing security threats prompt renewed warnings that the country must prepare for war.
The proposed Home Defence Programme (HDP) would bring civilian and military efforts together during a conflict, helping the armed forces identify the support they would need and how essential roles could be filled.
The initiative comes as the government reassesses national resilience amid Russia’s war against Ukraine and mounting instability in the Middle East. Its approach echoes the Home Guard established in 1940 to help defend Britain against the threat of a German invasion.
The Ministry of Defence is developing proposals for the programme, with the government’s Strategic Defence Review calling for a broader national effort involving industry, civil society and the public.
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One option would be a locally recruited volunteer force, potentially modelled on the Army Reserve and led by the army. Volunteers could help protect critical infrastructure, including energy networks, telecommunications, food supplies and water systems, with access to communications equipment and drones. The review also raised the possibility of volunteers carrying weapons.
The plans remain under development, with the precise responsibilities, recruitment arrangements and training requirements yet to be established.
The warnings have become increasingly direct. General Sir Roly Walker, chief of the general staff, said political leaders would soon need to have an “honest conversation” with the public about the security risks facing Britain.
Citizens would be told they needed to “play a part” in national defence, he said, adding that soldiers would ultimately need public backing as the military confronted an enemy.
“There was a time our nation didn’t want to think of a time when it would need its soldiers to fight in a war,” Walker told troops at Catterick Garrison.
His comments were echoed by Lord Peter Ricketts, a former national security adviser, who has urged ministers to explain more clearly the threat posed by Russia. He warned that the consequences of conflict could ultimately include British personnel and civilians being killed.
The emerging programme reflects a wider shift in defence thinking: preparing for war may require not only a stronger military, but also a civilian population and critical infrastructure capable of sustaining a national emergency.
For ministers, the challenge will be turning calls for public preparedness into a credible plan without overstating the immediacy of the threat or leaving citizens uncertain about what would be expected of them.
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