The key facts

  • The 'Be Ready' campaign recommends a three-day supply of food, water, a torch, wet wipes and cash
  • Mayor Andy Burnham and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted the growing number of unforeseen events and cyber threats
  • Expert Lucy Easthope: the UK lags 'light years' behind Scandinavia, France and Germany in emergency preparedness

What the Government Advises

As part of its new 'Be Ready' campaign, launched on Thursday, the UK Government recommends that all households keep a three-day supply of food and bottled water, as well as wet wipes, a torch and cash. People taking medication are advised to keep an extra supply of their medicines. According to disaster planning expert Professor Lucy Easthope, the aim is to make the work of emergency services easier during a national emergency: for example, if a person has an extra 48 hours' worth of medication, rescuers will not have to urgently find an on-duty pharmacist.

Politicians' Reaction

Mayor Andy Burnham said on Friday that unforeseen events 'seem to be increasingly frequent' and that everyone should have 'supplies at home to get through such moments'. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting explained that the recommendations — similar to the guidance of the previous government — were not prompted by any 'specific intelligence', but are aimed at strengthening 'national resilience' in general. The announcement emphasised extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent due to human-caused climate change; Streeting also mentioned 'increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks' on businesses and supply chain disruptions caused by 'hostile state actors or terrorists'.

Citizens' Opinions

Some residents have already prepared: Bridget Clamp from Cornwall told Radio 5 Live that she had stockpiled 'lots of tinned food', as well as flour, yeast and everything for baking bread; after Storm Éowyn earlier this year she bought generators and water pumps. Others were sceptical: one woman, speaking anonymously, bought a 'pile' of emergency food but ate it ahead of time, and wondered whether this was a form of 'scaremongering' by the government. Rob, who lives off-grid in North Wales, said he has so many supplies that he 'wouldn't even notice' a catastrophe, but he too felt there was 'a bit of scaremongering'. Paul from Teignmouth, Devon, asked: 'Who actually keeps a three-day supply of water?' and added that, in his view, responsibility had been shifted onto citizens.

Comparison with Other Countries

Professor Easthope said the UK lags behind its neighbours 'by light years': Scandinavia — Denmark, Sweden, Norway — 'has been good at this for years'. France advises keeping a 72-hour food supply, Germany a 10-day one. According to her, campaigns like 'think 72 hours' in the US, Australia and 'across Europe' have a big effect, whereas in the UK disaster messages are often mocked and governments are accused of 'whipping up panic'. She had lobbied for the launch of such a campaign for 'about 16 years' and suggested that this advice may have been released 'hurriedly' ahead of Storm Aiden hitting the UK. At the same time, she noted, 'the pendulum has swung': more and more people recognise the problem, and the country is playing 'a massive game of catch-up' in disaster preparedness.

Woman is rearranging the kitchen pantry. Many cans, bottles and tins on the kitchen table. Panic buying concept.Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Bridgette Clamp with her electricity generator wearing a green body warmer and maroon jumoerImage source, Bridgette Clamp
Image caption,

Bridgette says she also bought generators and water pumps following Storm Goretti earlier this year

A woman with long brown and grey hair smiling. She is sitting at a table with a grey wall in the background. She is wearing a white shirt and a black jacket with white flowers on itImage source, Lucy Eastman
Image caption,

Expert Prof Lucy Easthope says the UK is playing

Head and shoulders shot of Burnham meeting firefighters, who are visible in the background along with a fire engine. He is wearing a navy suit, a white shirt and a green tie, with a poppy on his lapel.Young adult woman with glasses examining a jar in a grocery store aisle. She is focused on reading the label, surrounded by a variety of food products