The food that UK government reportedly want Brits to start stockpiling
The British government is allegedly set to advise residents to start stocking up on certain food items as possible threats of World War III continue to fester.
People who gather and store large supplies of food in their cupboards and pantries for emergencies, including food shortages, are often referred to as stockpilers.
In most cases, hoarding is branded as unnecessary; it can cause severe food waste, trigger artificial market shortages, and make essentials dramatically more expensive.
However, a source close to the UK government has reportedly informed The Guardian that the tide is changing—stockpiling will soon be encouraged, as per recent claims.
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It’s understood that campaigners from the Cabinet Office are set to detail how purchasing two items may help people prepare for cyberattacks and extreme weather events, such as El Niño, flooding, and wildfires caused by prolonged drought.
These items include bottled water and tinned foods, both of which have long shelf lives, as per the report published on Wednesday (26 August).
The alleged campaign will apparently ensure most households have basic supplies in the event of a crisis - such as WWIII - so that ‘immediate government resources’ can be freed up for the most vulnerable people.
These plans, first reported by The Financial Times, will apparently coincide with an ‘internal reassessment of government preparations for a military attack by a hostile state affecting Britain’.
Cabinet Office minister Louise Haigh is allegedly coordinating crisis planning across departments to ensure swift assistance to any affected communities in the future.
It’s understood that this information is part of the Labour government's ongoing 'War Book’, which aims to outline potential scenarios in which an international conflict may affect the UK, as per The Financial Times.
The news comes after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned that Russia may attack a Nato country in the next four years and a cyberattack that caused a British power plant to temporarily shut down was linked to Iran.
In a statement to The Guardian, a spokesperson from the Cabinet Office said: “Safeguarding national security is the first priority of any government.
“We’re committed to raising awareness of simple steps households can take to make themselves more resilient, as well as driving forward the home defence programme to build our country’s preparedness for various threats.”
FOODbible has contacted the Cabinet Office for further comment.
Warning comes amid disposable barbecue ban
The report comes just weeks after supermarkets heeded Andy Burnham’s pleas and temporarily banned disposable barbecues from sale amid dry and hot weather.
The call was made after more than ten major fire incidents were declared across the UK, according to Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Phil Garrigan.
At the time, the Prime Minister said: “The big risk in terms of risk to the wider regions across the country is the risk of wildfires. What we are seeing is multiple serious incidents across the country.
"Fire services, by and large, are supporting each other through mutual aid to deal with those incidents but we are keeping a very close watching brief on them.”
He continued, claiming that his team would be looking into whether a permanent disposable barbecue ban in summer months is ‘justified’.
Ella Scott