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Roula Khalaf, editor of FT, chooses her favorite story in this weekly newsletter.
Writer is a head of risk management policy in the long -term resistance center
It will undoubtedly take some time to understand the cause of the fire that closed the Heathrow Airport on Friday, interfering with more than a thousand flights and affecting about 200,000 passengers. But it doesn’t take long to see how vulnerable the UK is. In this case, the electric substation in the nearby suburbs provided one point of failure for the most prominent European airport.
HUB Airports have the energy requirements of small cities, while, rightly, the priority of security. Heathrow claims that it is not possible to establish a backup of the energy needed to safely launch its operations. That’s not good enough. It should be determined that the alternative supply is available from the network and that it can be transferred unnoticed if necessary. In a broader sense, regulators should require that all critical infrastructure providers regularly evaluate vulnerability and test the testing of their ability to recover quickly.
As global prospects continue to darken, policy creators are with a lack of resistance in the UK – not only in the country’s infrastructure, but also beyond throughout the economy and society. From the submarine cable to energy networks, the UK is exposed.
The pandemic was supposed to focus on minds, but little lessons seemed to be learned. AND report Last week, long-term resistance center reveals that the UK is in a worse position to respond to biological threats than before the Covid-19. Today, the Government has a very low visibility of key information on where we source pharmaceutical ingredients. This makes the coordinated action very challenging.
However, with the right vision and direction, we can build resistance. In the 1930s, the government saw the extensive reorganization of the state, as set up in Whitehall, The history of Peter Hennessy. We currently need the same ambition – a wise revival at the top of the Government, a fundamental change in thinking of thinking in the civil service and an answer that covers the whole society.
The resistance must be a top national priority, followed by proper management. National Security Advisor, renamed the National Resistance and Security Advisor, should take responsibility, reporting the Prime Minister. We need to learn from business and introduce a special chief resistance officer to the supervision of an increased risk management process throughout Whitehall. In addition, as Coidid’s investigation recommends, an independent external legal body should be established in order to examine the government work on the resistance and challenges of the group.
Pat McFadden, who runs the office office, must drive an entrepreneurial approach to the risk in Whitehall, ensuring that civil servants learn to accept, understand and manage the risk. As all numerous reviews have been agreed over the decades, the civil service must draw a talent of the private sector, reward innovation and agility and encourage officials to work in departments. The government promised reform. That really has to be delivered.
But the Government has no answers. Society also has a role. After Sweden, which introduced a new mandatory civil duty, the UK could create a cadre of civil reservist throughout the country, focusing on an emergency response and training on Cyber defense. These measures not only would help build the foundation for resistance to Earth, but will provide young people with much needed skills and encourage the culture of national responsibility.
The Government has committed to spending more on armed services in the UK and invest in military industrial capacities. This is necessary, but it is not enough for the range of extreme risks we face. We need to build a resistant country, just like in the past. Fortunately, a fire that affects Heathrow has been extinguished and services have continued. Next time we may not be so happy.
