Britons will be urged to stockpile tinned food, batteries and bottled water under a new campaign launched by the UK government to encourage the public to prepare for emergencies.

Oliver Dowden, deputy prime minister, will on Wednesday unveil a new website designed to help households mitigate potential harm from an array of risks, ranging from flooding and power outages to biosecurity crises such as another pandemic.

However, retailers on Wednesday warned the public not to bulk-buy items following the advice.

“While it is sensible to have some additional food at home, most households will find they already have sufficient non-perishables sitting in the cupboard,” said Andrew Opie from the British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets and other retailers.

Cross-posted from https://feddit.uk/post/12237413

Archive link https://ghostarchive.org/archive/oYrR5

  • AggressivelyPassive@feddit.deEnglish
    274·
    6 months ago

    Absolute non-story.

    Every sensible government has recommendations like this. Not because of some evil conspiracy or impending doom, but simply because natural disasters sometimes happen.

    Sometimes, there’s a flood and supermarkets can’t be stocked. You don’t want food riots just because baked beans or out of stock for a week.

    It’s astounding to me how many people (including op) lose their shit, just because their government reminds them, that sometimes bad things happen. A mandatory health insurance doesn’t mean government goons will go around and break your legs.

    • wjrii@lemmy.world
      22·
      6 months ago

      If there’s some there there, it’s that between Brexit, global warming (specifically affecting Europe’s scientifically complex combination of high latitude and mild temps), and war on the continent, Britons might be more subject to disasters and shortages than in recent decades.

      • AggressivelyPassive@feddit.deEnglish
        4·
        6 months ago

        We’ve had the same recommendations in Germany for decades. Food and water for several days, ideally two weeks. When these recommendations were renewed a few years ago, people lost their shit, even though nothing changed.

        It’s perfectly reasonable for a government to recommend keeping some food and water.

  • AnderenortsfalschEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    Germany: https://www.bbk.bund.de/EN/Prepare-for-disasters/Personal-Preparedness/Stockpiling/stockpiling_node.html and that’s not new. It gets updated every few years. I thought every country in the world has this. If something can be said about it then that it is true that some families in Western countries, imcluding Germany, have a hard time to afford every day food and can’t stockpile and THAT’s something governments should address too but don’t.