Ed Davey sets out plan for “war-ready Britain” following visit to NATO frontline with Russia

22 Jun 2025

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Ed Davey sets out plan to boost troop numbers including £10,000 bonus scheme for new recruits, following trip to Estonian border with Russia
Liberal Democrats call for a public awareness campaign to boost the recruitment drive and prepare Brits for a possible conflict and major cyber attacks, with pamphlets sent to every home
Davey urges Government to convene the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) to address security fears in Arctic in face of “imperialist” Putin and "erratic” Trump

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has launched his vision for a “war-ready Britain” following a visit to NATO’s front line with Russia, including a new bonus scheme to attract army recruits and a public awareness campaign to prepare Brits for a possible conflict.

After visiting British and Estonian troops stationed in Estonia, Ed Davey has said that Britain must urgently improve its military readiness and public awareness in the face of a “barbaric” Putin and “erratic” Trump.
The Liberal Democrats’ ‘war readiness’ package includes a new bonus scheme to boost army numbers – putting the British Army in the best possible position to deter a war with Russia. This would involve giving a £10,000, one-off bonus to non-specialist new recruits who complete training and serve for two years.

Ed Davey also called for the expansion of current re-joining bonuses to attract former soldiers back to the Army. Former personnel who re-enlist and serve for a minimum of two years would receive a £20,000 bonus. The aim of the bonus schemes would be to urgently increase the number of UK regular soldiers up to 73,000, as called for in the government’s Strategic Defence Review.

The Liberal Democrats are also urging the government to launch a new public awareness campaign, with pamphlets sent to every British home alongside targeted digital ads. These would outline to British citizens how to prepare for potential major crises - including conflict or cyber attacks - that lead to power outages or disruption to essential services. Davey has also called for the awareness campaign to advertise the Army’s recruitment drive and bonus offer to bolster the strength of British armed forces.

Estonia is one of several Northern European countries that have launched similar public awareness campaigns to advise people on how to cope with a potential conflict in the face of growing aggression from Russia.

Finally, Ed Davey is urging Keir Starmer to convene the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) for strategic discussions on the security of the High North and the Arctic. The JEF is made of 10 Northern European nations including the UK, Denmark and Estonia, and coordinates responses to emergencies in the region – complementing NATO’s work to defend the northern frontier of the Western alliance.

Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat Leader, said:

"Speaking with British troops on the frontline with Russia and our partners in the Estonian military, I've seen firsthand the incredible work being done to defend NATO's borders. But it is clear that given the threat of a barbaric Putin and the challenge of an erratic Trump, we need to do more to make Britain war-ready.

“A new bonus scheme is needed to urgently attract new recruits, encourage experienced ex-soldiers back into the Armed Forces and reverse years of short-sighted troop cuts under the Conservatives.

“War readiness also starts at home. That's why I'm calling for a public awareness campaign aimed at every home in Britain – to make sure we’re all prepared for the possibility of a conflict or hostile acts such as major cyber attacks.

“We need to also step up cooperation with our European friends, including through the Joint Expeditionary Force, to protect our interests in the Arctic and High North against Putin's imperialism."

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Story first reported by BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70x451xpx5o

Army recruits bonus scheme:

We’re calling on the Government to offer a £10,000 one-off bonus to non-specialist new recruits who complete training and serve for a minimum of two years.
We’re also calling on the Government to offer a £20,000 one-off bonus to former personnel who re-enlist and serve for a minimum of two years, expanding the current ‘Rejoining Bounties’ offer.
The bonus scheme would be capped at 3,000 personnel, including both new joiners and those re-enlisting. This would allow the Government to reach a target of 73,000 trained troops as soon as possible, meaning it can grow Army numbers further and faster beyond that in this Parliament. This would bring a total policy cost between £30-60 million.
In April 2025, there were 70,752 UK Regular Personnel (of which trained). The Strategic Defence Review has said that ‘the Army should be a mix of Regular and Reserve personnel with a minimum of 100,000 soldiers, of which 73,000 should be Regular’ and that ‘there remains a strong case for a small increase in Regular numbers when funding allows’.

National awareness campaign

We are calling on the government to launch a national awareness campaign to ensure the public are ready for a potential future conflict, and to support resilience-building across the UK, building on examples from other European countries.
This campaign should focus on providing practical guidance to Britons on how they should respond in the event of a war breaking out which threatens the UK and its overseas territories.
This could include information on, for example, how to manage if faced with widespread cyber attacks, damage to critical national infrastructure - including transport networks - or even missile attacks against UK territory.
The information could be provided through a number of different means and platforms, including: (i) Hard copy pamphlets delivered through letter boxes; (ii) A dedicated Government webpage which includes a digital copy of the pamphlet; (iii) promoting digital copies of the pamphlet on social media.
The awareness campaign could also promote the army bonus and recruitment scheme, helping to drive up and promote recruitment in the British armed forces.
Several Scandinavian countries have distributed pamphlets to their citizens outlining how to prepare for potential crises, including war. These initiatives, driven by concerns about Russia's military actions and the rise of terrorism, aim to bolster national resilience and inform citizens about how to cope with disruptions to essential services.
In November 2024, Sweden sent a brochure titled "In case of crisis or war" to all 4.7 million households. This brochure provides guidance on how to prepare for various scenarios, including power outages, disruptions to communication systems, and potential military conflict.
Norway has released a similar pamphlet with a checklist including items like long-life food and iodine tablets.
Finland has published a digital booklet focusing on preparedness for "incidents and crises," underscoring the need to be prepared for "the worst possible threat, war".