WIREDGOV

Following an increase in whole-of-society attacks, the UK government should deploy tools to encourage nationalism and total defence across society.

In 2025, Russian-linked vessels entered British waters, posing a threat to the subsea pipelines, which provide a large portion of the UK’s gas supply. In the same year, Iran had backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil. Between 2021 and 2022, APT31, a Chinese state-affiliated cyber group, was found ‘highly likely’ to be responsible for hacking the Electoral Commission’s voter registration system. These are not threats which the military alone can address; they are whole-of-society attacks which necessitate a whole-of-society response – otherwise known as total defence.

Total defence combines traditional military defence with civil (non-military) defence, calling on the public to be involved in protecting and maintaining the nation’s resilience in a time of crisis. Research conducted by the public policy research agency Public First in March 2026 reveals that a majority of the British public agrees with the underlying concept of total defence: 57% agree that the UK’s security depends as much on its citizens as on its armed forces.

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