The prime minister has advised people to stock up on tinned food and bottled water so they are prepared for emergencies.

Storms are battering the UK, and the country has recently seen online disruption caused by a major security flaw. Andy Burnham said “unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common”.

Government recommendations

The government has drawn up recommendations for households to keep three days’ worth of bottled water and tinned food. The advice covers crises such as a war, an online attack or a natural disaster.

A government checklist recommends nine litres of water per person, enough for three days, along with non-perishable food such as tinned meat and vegetables or dried fruit.

The list also suggests:

  • An FM radio, either battery-powered or wind-up
  • Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and toiletries
  • Food for pets and supplies for babies
  • A torch and blankets
  • A charged power bank for devices
  • Cash, in case payment systems collapse
  • A first aid kit
  • Copies of important documents

During a national crisis, the BBC would prioritise broadcasting news and health and safety information. In the event of a severe power cut, FM radio would be the best way to receive these updates.

Political reaction

Defending the advice, Burnham suggested people should also be allowed “a glass or two” of wine to get through a difficult situation. He was responding to a joke made last month at Labour’s conference by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who said her emergency box would include a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

“I’m not sure that that’s the top of the list in terms of the advice that we’re giving to the public,” Burnham said. “You need to have a clear head when it comes to a challenging situation. So some tins of food, some bottled water, I think maybe.”

Speaking at a wildfire resilience summit in Liverpool, Burnham denied the government had failed to prepare properly. “No, we’re having the conversation with people about being better prepared,” he said. He added that the UK was facing storms and that he felt for people without power in Cornwall.

Treasury minister James Murray told BBC Breakfast he had not yet followed the government’s guidance on stockpiling. He said he had a stockpile of coffee and noted that Ireland, France and the Netherlands had given similar guidance “for quite a long time”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “stocked up for the week at any time”. She said the previous Conservative government had issued similar advice, but added that she was more concerned about the government explaining the risks facing the country and what it is doing about them.

Supply chain concerns

Last month, the National Audit Office warned that Britain’s food supply chain is at risk because of the growing threat of cyber-attacks and the climate crisis. It said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had not done enough in recent years to improve supply chain resilience.

The chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents firms transporting temperature-controlled food, told the BBC that the UK is being targeted by Russian cyber-hackers who “know that there are pinch points in the food supply system”.