Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard on Monday dismissed suggestions that Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice was deliberately left off the national emergency alert during a widely criticised test, saying he "would love to believe we were that organised" but that the exercise was intended to probe technical issues.
The government test, conducted at about 3 p.m. on Sunday, failed to reach a substantial number of phones and tablets across the United Kingdom, with many users reporting they did not receive the loud siren and accompanying text message intended to warn the public of immediate threats to life. The shortfall has prompted questions about whether the system can perform reliably in real emergencies, such as extreme weather events.
Pollard made the comments during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, where hosts pressed him about claims from Tice that he had not received the alert. "There's no suggestion that Richard Tice has somehow been taken off the list?" co-host Ed Balls asked, drawing laughter. Pollard replied, "Oh, Ed, you know the, the phrase on this one here, I would love to believe that we were that organised to do that level of conspiracy about Richard Tice."
Co-host Susanna Reid reacted with surprised laughter and the studio returned to the broader issue: the alert was a test intended to check the technical arrangements between the government and mobile network operators. "Well, the emergency alert yesterday was a test," Pollard said. "It was to test how we can work with the mobile phone operators to make sure that in the event of an emergency, people can be informed."
Pollard, the MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport who was promoted to the Armed Forces brief last weekend, noted that the system has already been used in a non-test capacity in his constituency. In February last year, authorities evacuated residents after an unexploded World War II bomb was found in a residential garden in Plymouth and was later removed in a large disposal operation.
On air, presenters pushed Pollard to explain why some people who might need to take precautionary action did not receive the warning. He said the test aimed to reveal flaws in the "plumbing that sits behind" the system so they could be fixed before the alert is relied on in a real incident.
Pollard was speaking from HMS Mersey, a Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel docked in east London for the Defence and Security Equipment International conference. His interview followed questions about the government's new Defence Industrial Strategy, which he outlined would channel about £250 million into five local economies — Sheffield, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast and Plymouth — and open five technical colleges focused on defence-related skills.
The strategy, Pollard said, is intended to boost Britain’s defence industrial base, increase domestic procurement from British firms and expand exports. The government has pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2027, with an "ambition" to reach 3 percent within the next decade.
Ministers and officials have said the emergency alert system remains at a testing stage and that further work with mobile operators and technical partners will be required to achieve consistent national coverage. The test’s shortcomings are expected to shape follow-up checks and adjustments before the system is relied upon for life-or-death warnings.