Mark Sedwill remembers that when Theresa May was running to replace David Cameron as PM in twenty sixteen, she took care to separate her campaign from the ongoing duties of being Home Secretary.

She was a very long-standing Home Secretary.

She, you know, was on top of her brief.

Um, it was obvious she was going to run.

She spent a few days saying she was taking soundings and thinking about it, but it was clear she was going to, uh, pretty clear that she was going to run, particularly after Boris Johnson dropped out.

And then she, she had to spend some of her time, obviously, on that.

I mean, that became her main political preoccupation with the discretionary time.

For Mark Sedwill, Cabinet Secretary at the time, this made the circumstances of the subsequent leadership contests quite tricky.

So we make the point that there is a ceasefire in a sense of there is no more engagement, but if they engage, we will respond.

PM, the Russians are now, sorry, we've just got here, saying they're thanking the United States for their efforts to reach a ceasefire.

if in effect we're saying that we will also support those efforts and hope that there isn't a further Russian response, given that they seem to have withdrawn somewhat, then you need to say that publicly.

And not only here, but in the United States.

And therefore put the ball firmly into the American court if you're hoping that they will be able to enforce the ceasefire that they're talking about.

Every country has its secrets, and it's at this moment the National Security Advisor has the last word.

PM, can I just remind colleagues of something the Prime Minister said about half an hour ago, which must not leave this room, which is that we will strike back at a time and in a manner of our choosing.

That must remain ambiguous and uncertain for the Russians because we do have those capabilities and it must not leave this room when we might consider deployment.

But it's better than running them out into the street where a thing might land.

PM, these missiles are going to strike within the next minute or two, so we'll know very soon exactly what consequences they've had.

Just to update you, all the guidance has gone out, phone alert issued, civil resilience forms activated, etc.

Emergency services are standing by, but we'll find out what has happened.

The assessment coming from, I've just been told from the intelligence agencies, but JIC chair may want to confirm this, is the second wave was essentially a repeat of what they've done in Ukraine, which is to catch emergency services in response.

And so they're hitting our civil capabilities as well as our military capabilities, but with that strategic aim of dividing NATO.

The National Security Advisor says the UK should seek to build as big a coalition as possible, even if it becomes a European NATO operation without the US.

So, PM, I think we have to proceed on the basis that we can't rely on the Americans, even in these circumstances.

This will give the government emergency powers to be able to do things like require people to stay at home, ban travel and ration fuel.

So, PM, can I suggest you've got to make a statement to the nation and you're going to have to do that fairly shortly.

And you need some time to go through that because that is the crucial moment for the nation.

And it's going to have to be.

I don't think we can go beyond 6 a.m. for that on a Monday morning.

So can I suggest.

Assuming the attorney agrees, and I think from what she says she does, we can invoke part two of the Civil Contingencies Act, which is emergency powers.

Would you say that?

an understatement.

So, PM, I think we just need to take stock of that conversation in what you're going to say to the NATO Secretary-General.

So, clear that they're not going to come to our aid yet unless you can persuade the President.

Otherwise, that's clearly an urgent call.

I think we just need to think how straightforward are we going to be with the NATO Secretary-General I think you should say that we will definitely invoke Article 5 and then we're going to have to work the phones to every European ally.

Otherwise, we have very few options between what we have seen already and taking this all away, unless the Americans can somehow put a stop to it.

So I think you have to get him on side.

Each member state has an ambassador that would attend the NAC and give the view of their respective capital.

He's talking about ordering troops to their barracks, potentially getting them to spread out to other sites and ensuring things like ammunition, fuel and other supplies are brought out of storage.

PM, if I may, I think we have to assume that essentially we're now being put to the test.

There's a series of unconventional activities by the Russians.

We mustn't jump to conclusions.

I certainly mustn't say that publicly.

But potentially arson attacks, possibly these two assassinations.

I'm not a believer in coincidence.

All 32 member states share responsibility for defending their land, seas and skies.