Today has seen a major overhaul of the government security machinery. Whilst it is easy to focus on the turf wars that might result from the split of the Home Office - the most significant change made today is the introduction of a strategic centre for national security and resilience. The threat we now face is seamless yet, until today, our response has been fragmented, uncoordinated and without ministerial oversight. Organized in bureaucratic silos without what the military term a "Strategic Command Staff" it has been hard to create a truly integrated response to a threat that is unconstrained in intent, significant and innovative in capability and of a scale that is hard to comprehend.

The formation of a strategic centre is a stroke of genius - nobody looses power or autonomy. The Department of Transport is still responsible for the security of the transport system, the MoD is still responsible for Defence but they are now supported by a modern multi-jurisdictional machinery whose sole purpose is to look to the bigger strategic picture.

Sandra Bell
Director, Homeland Security and Resilience Department

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