Danny Kruger has slammed the “absolute abuse” of the UK’s emergency alert system after millions received blaring warnings on Friday.
The Reform UK MP insisted that the notifications should be “reserved for genuine emergencies and immediate risk to life” after Britons were ordered to avoid any activity that could spark a flame amid wildfires gripping parts of the country.
Around 7pm on Friday, the Government issued a “severe alert” telling the public not to use barbecues, campfires, or fireworks.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged Britons to “take the emergency alert seriously”, adding: “Our priority now is to keep everyone safe and prevent more fires from starting.”
Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, said tonight's message was “the most extensive use of the UK’s emergency alert system in response to an active incident”.
“I was driving along a main road in my constituency; suddenly my phone is shouting at me through the car speakers. I didn't know what was going on,” Mr Kruger began, recounting his own experience.
“Then it turns out that they were telling us not to have a barbecue.
“This is an absolute abuse of a very important public message system that has to be reserved for genuine emergencies and immediate risk to life. That's what the system was set up for.”
“We can't have the government just intruding into our lives,” the Reform MP insisted.
“Think about all the people who are driving on motorways, but also people in cinemas and at important private family events.
“Suddenly everybody's phones are blaring at them with a frankly trivial public safety message. I think it was a very inappropriate use of that system.”
Pressed on whether the alert was necessary, given the threat of wildfires at the time, Mr Kruger accepted that it could be “debated”.
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He acknowledged the weather was a “serious” issue but still questioned the Government's need to take such a severe step.
“In my constituency, we've had serious fires breaking out in the countryside. So of course it's a serious matter.
“But I think the public can be communicated with without having to interrupt them in this very intrusive, very alarming way, literally designed for an emergency and an immediate risk to life.”
“That was the terms under which this new system was set up in the last Parliament. It's a very good thing that the Government can reach us in a crisis, but I don't think this qualifies.”
To that end, he said Reform was calling for “absolute transparency” from the state on the use of the system,
“The Government has to come to the public and explain to us what on earth the criteria and the decision-making process for this was, and ensure that it doesn't happen like this again.”
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