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It's worth noting that the level has literally never been below substantial or above severe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Threat_Levels https://en.wikipedi

It's worth noting that the level has literally never been below substantial or above severe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Threat_Levels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Threat_Levels

mtmail 6y ago
The 5 color US equivalent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Terrorism_Advisory_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Terrorism_Advisory_Sy... has never been on the lowest levels either, "high threat level is now considered as the "baseline.""
brainfish 6y ago
From the linked wikipedia page: 'It had been raised to "critical" following the Parsons Green bombing on 15 September.' (2017) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41288525 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41288525
makomk 6y ago
Though if you click through to the Wikipedia page for the previous alert scheme it replaced, apparently the lowest "white" no-alert level under that was "known to have been used for periods between the Good Friday Agreement and the 9th of September 2001". Really, it's just a reflection of the times we're in right now.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- ATsch 6y ago
  I think it's a bigger reflection of the fact that there is absolutely zero incentive to lower these alerts and that the police, who inform the threat level, generally benefit greatly from the "temporarily" expanded privileges from higher levels.
- wongarsu 6y ago
  > Really, it's just a reflection of the times we're in right now. How so? Looking at charts like [1] or [2] it seems current threat levels should be much lower than in the time before 2001. Notable terror attacks in the UK have gone from a regular occurance to a once-in-a-decade deal. 1: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6aa8066136b8b875fc4805d3248f3b41 https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6aa8066136b8b875fc4805... 2: https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/eca0e3ae8792b445038a7dd22008a999 https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/eca0e3ae8792b445038a7dd2...
  - gsnedders 6y ago
    The nature of the attacks is very different; the majority of historic deaths in those charts were of policemen and armed forces. It would be interesting to see similar charts with them excluded!
gsnedders 6y ago
Note that it's gone from tracking one figure (all forms of terrorism), to three figures (international terrorism, NI-related in GB, NI-related in NI), to two figures (all forms of terrorism, NI-related in NI). While there were three figures, NI-related in GB did reach moderate.

It's worth noting that the level has literally never been below substantial or above severe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Threat_Levels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Threat_Levels

mtmail 6y ago

The 5 color US equivalent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Terrorism_Advisory_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Terrorism_Advisory_Sy... has never been on the lowest levels either, "high threat level is now considered as the "baseline.""

brainfish 6y ago

From the linked wikipedia page: 'It had been raised to "critical" following the Parsons Green bombing on 15 September.' (2017) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41288525 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41288525

makomk 6y ago

Though if you click through to the Wikipedia page for the previous alert scheme it replaced, apparently the lowest "white" no-alert level under that was "known to have been used for periods between the Good Friday Agreement and the 9th of September 2001". Really, it's just a reflection of the times we're in right now.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
ATsch 6y ago
I think it's a bigger reflection of the fact that there is absolutely zero incentive to lower these alerts and that the police, who inform the threat level, generally benefit greatly from the "temporarily" expanded privileges from higher levels.
wongarsu 6y ago
> Really, it's just a reflection of the times we're in right now. How so? Looking at charts like [1] or [2] it seems current threat levels should be much lower than in the time before 2001. Notable terror attacks in the UK have gone from a regular occurance to a once-in-a-decade deal. 1: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6aa8066136b8b875fc4805d3248f3b41 https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-6aa8066136b8b875fc4805... 2: https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/eca0e3ae8792b445038a7dd22008a999 https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/eca0e3ae8792b445038a7dd2...
- gsnedders 6y ago
  The nature of the attacks is very different; the majority of historic deaths in those charts were of policemen and armed forces. It would be interesting to see similar charts with them excluded!

gsnedders 6y ago

Note that it's gone from tracking one figure (all forms of terrorism), to three figures (international terrorism, NI-related in GB, NI-related in NI), to two figures (all forms of terrorism, NI-related in NI). While there were three figures, NI-related in GB did reach moderate.