UK Defence Secretary Streeting personally stockpiles canned food and water for emergencies

The minister's personal example

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has been stocking up on food and water for an emergency situation for several weeks now, The Guardian reported. His home stockpile includes canned beans, corn, red kidney beans, tuna, protein bars and nuts, as well as drinking water, a first-aid kit and a battery-powered torch in case of a power cut.

The minister's mother is preparing too

According to Streeting, his mother called him to ask how much food she should buy: she will soon receive her salary and wants to plan her expenses in advance. The minister himself considers such foresight a sensible measure in the face of growing security threats, but stressed that he does not intend to give in to panic. In his words, stockpiles are needed for various emergencies, including utility outages, and he hopes his personal example will encourage Britons to take preparedness more seriously.

Context of the calls and the public's reaction

Streeting previously called on Britain to prepare for a possible war within a thousand days: in his assessment, by 2030 potential adversaries could acquire the capability to strike British territory, which is why he advocated accelerating the strengthening of the country's defence capability. Britons are already responding: after the launch of the state emergency preparedness programme, demand for radios has grown fivefold, for torches by 284%, and for portable power banks by 106%, with some radio models completely disappearing from sale.

Defence spending

At the same time, London intends to increase defence spending: Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey announced plans to raise it to 3% of GDP by 2030 and to 3.5% by 2035. Streeting is convinced that the country must not only deter potential adversaries but also be able to repel an attack if deterrence fails.