The Government War Book, which dates back to World War One and was in place through both world wars and the Cold War, may be revived after being discontinued in the early 2000s. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the armed forces, has argued for the resurrection of the Government War Book to help prepare the public for war. He said civilians need to be aware of increasing threats to the relative peace the UK has enjoyed for over 30 years. The specific timeline for the revival and publication of the updated Government War Book remains unclear.
The updated Government War Book would include detailed procedures on how to shut schools, clear hospitals, ration food, protect national treasures, and mobilize military and civilians. It would draw on lessons from the Cold War but reframed to apply to modern society, with modern infrastructure. The Cabinet Office is leading the cross-government effort to produce the modernized Government War Book. This effort aims to ensure comprehensive preparedness across all sectors of society.
Separately, the defence investment plan, which outlines what weapons and capabilities the Ministry of Defence will procure, was due last autumn but has been delayed. Defence Secretary John Healey would not confirm whether the defence investment plan would be released by this summer. The uncertainty surrounding the plan's release date has raised concerns about defence planning.
The delay to the defence investment plan has left much of Britain's defence industry waiting for promised funding to materialise. Opposition politicians say the delay to detailed defence spending plans has left the country ill-prepared to defend itself and left the UK defence industry in limbo. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was a national scandal that the defence spending plans were still on hold and accused the government of prioritizing bullets over benefits. This criticism highlights broader political tensions over defence priorities.