Why Britain's Next Big Emergency Could Need a New Kind of Service

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-11

When a national crisis hits, the response often feels like a scramble. Hospitals fill up, supply chains wobble, and the military gets called in to plug gaps that civilian teams can't cover. It's a familiar pattern, but one that Phil Cleary believes we can fix with something he calls a National Resilience Service. His argument is simple: Britain's public services are stretched thin, and relying on the armed forces for every major emergency isn't a sustainable long-term strategy. Instead, he proposes a dedicated civilian service that could step in when things go wrong, freeing up military personnel for their primary roles while keeping essential services running. ### What Would a National Resilience Service Actually Do? Think of it as a trained, organized reserve of civilians who can be mobilized during national emergencies. This isn't about replacing firefighters, paramedics, or nurses. It's about creating a flexible workforce that can handle the less specialized but still critical tasks that emerge during a crisis. Cleary's vision includes: - Supporting overwhelmed hospitals with logistics and patient transport - Helping local councils distribute supplies and manage shelters - Assisting with mass vaccination drives or testing programs - Providing backup for flood defenses and infrastructure repairs - Handling administrative work that ties up frontline staff The idea is to build a system before you need it, not after. That's the core of resilience thinking. ### Why Now? The Pressure on Public Services The last few years have shown how quickly things can unravel. Whether it's a pandemic, extreme weather, or an energy crunch, the strain on public services is real and growing. Cleary points out that the military is already being asked to do more civilian work than ever, from driving ambulances to delivering fuel. That's not a criticism of the armed forces; it's a recognition that they have their own critical missions. A National Resilience Service would create a dedicated pool of trained volunteers and part-time workers who could step in without pulling soldiers away from their core duties. It's a way to add capacity without permanently ballooning the state's payroll. ### Could This Work in Practice? There are obvious challenges. Training, funding, and coordination would all need careful planning. But other countries have similar models, and the lessons are encouraging. A civilian resilience corps could draw on retirees, students, and people with specialist skills who want to contribute but don't want to enlist in the military. Cleary isn't suggesting this is a silver bullet. He's offering a pragmatic idea that deserves serious debate. The question isn't whether Britain will face another major emergency; it's whether the country will be ready when it happens. ### The Bigger Picture for Startups and Innovators This conversation matters beyond public policy. For entrepreneurs and innovators, resilience is becoming a core theme across every sector. The companies that thrive in the next decade will be the ones that build flexibility into their operations, whether that's through distributed teams, redundant supply chains, or adaptable service models. A National Resilience Service would create new opportunities for tech startups, logistics firms, and training providers. It could also inspire a wave of innovation in emergency response tools, from communication platforms to data management systems. ### A Conversation Worth Having Phil Cleary's proposal isn't just about Britain. It's a reminder that resilience is a design choice, not an accident. Whether you're running a country or a startup, the time to prepare for disruption is before it happens, not after. The debate around a National Resilience Service is just beginning, but it's a conversation that could shape how Britain handles its next major challenge. And that's something worth paying attention to, no matter which side of the Atlantic you're on.