Why after Boris Johnson's brush with death and amid Russia's rising threat, a top minister sits out every major national event to be Britain's DESIGNATED SURVIVOR

By MARK HOOKHAM, ASSISTANT EDITOR (INVESTIGATIONS) and BRENDAN CARLIN Published: 00:34, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 00:42, 19 July 2026 It's the hit Netflix drama in which an obscure American politician is catapulted into the White House after a bombing wipes out the president and his entire cabinet. Now The Mail on Sunday can reveal the plot of Designated Survivor is about to get a very real British treatment. A select group of UK Cabinet ministers are set to take it in turns to become the 'designated survivor' here - ready to take charge of the UK in the event of an attack. The chosen few will be absent from public events like the State Opening of Parliament and tasked with taking the helm in the event of a 'decapitation strike' that kills or incapacitates the prime minister and other senior politicians. Insiders say the new protocol echoes a system already used by the US government and dramatised in Designated Survivor, in which Kiefer Sutherland's character takes charge when a bombing kills the president. Whitehall sources have told this newspaper that plans to ensure the 'continuity of government' were beefed up after Boris Johnson almost died from Covid in April 2020. The crisis prompted concern at the top of Whitehall about confusion and a power vacuum at the heart of Downing Street. It was also driven by unease over the growing military threat posed by Russia, sources claim. Cold War plans to evacuate the prime minister to a network of bunkers in the event of a nuclear strike were abandoned after 1991. Boris Johnson while he was ill with Covid in 2020. Whitehall sources have told this newspaper that plans to ensure the 'continuity of government' were beefed up after Boris Johnson almost died from Covid in April 2020 The MoS can reveal that during Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, Sir Simon Clarke (pictured), then housing secretary, was absent because he had been tasked with making emergency decisions if the prime minister was uncontactable Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman in Designated Survivor - the hit Netflix drama in which an obscure American politician is catapulted into the White House 'We have recognised that we are living in a different environment and it is essential that we now prepare for the UK coming under direct threat,' a senior emergency planner told the MoS. 'We have put in place processes to ensure that if something happens to the prime minister we will be ready and the government will continue to function. One of his colleagues will always be in a safe place ready to take over.' The MoS understands that Andy Burnham will this week be asked to approve a list of ministers who will take it in turns to be absent during high-profile events, including royal weddings and funerals, which are attended by a large proportion of the Cabinet. Each minister on the rota will be given training by security officials and handed a secure telephone for responding to catastrophes. During Cabinet meetings, a more junior minister who is out of London will act as the designated survivor. It is believed to be an expansion of the 'responsible minister' system drawn up to deal with a 9/11-style attack, when the prime minister is out of contact but a decision must be made on whether to shoot down a hijacked airliner. 'It's a sobering responsibility,' said one well-placed source. 'It's something you clearly have to take deadly seriously.' The MoS can reveal that during Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, Sir Simon Clarke, then housing secretary, was absent because he had been tasked with making emergency decisions if the prime minister was uncontactable. He was partly chosen because at the time he suffered from agoraphobia, a fear of going into open spaces. Downing Street was thrown into chaos in 2020 when Boris Johnson caught Covid. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab officially deputised for him but sources later claimed that Lee Cain, No10's director of communications, effectively ran the country for two weeks. One Cabinet Office insider said last night: 'There was a realisation that there was no plan for this and there was deep concern over who was in charge. It was very messy and everyone was quite panicked.' A Government spokesman said: 'As the public rightly expects, we have well rehearsed contingency plans in place for a variety of scenarios, including to ensure the continuity of government. 'We do not routinely comment on specific arrangements for national security reasons.'