UK government urges households to 'be ready' for crisis; preppers say advice should go further

Mixed · 2The UK government has launched a "Be Ready" campaign warning the public to prepare for a national crisis, urging households to stockpile three days of food and water and to carry cash. 1 2 Right · 1The Daily Mail attributes the warning to Andy Burnham's Government; it cites conflict in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, cyber attacks and extreme weather as the backdrop to a growing prepping trend. 1 Right · 1The Mail profiles women preppers, including Ana, a 41-year-old mother based in Wales who began prepping in earnest during the Covid lockdowns when she could not find baby formula, and who keeps at least two months of food. 1

Right · 1Ana, who has at least 32,000 followers across Instagram and YouTube and founded the UK Preppers Club Facebook group with more than 10,000 members, welcomed the guidance but said it does not go far enough, arguing households should be encouraged to hold seven days or even two weeks of supplies. 1 Right · 1Ana said she would like clearer quantities and advice on what to do if toilets stop flushing, heating goes off or people cannot cook, and said preparedness need not be costly, with skills, a family plan and neighbours' contact details costing nothing. 1 Right · 1Dr Sarita Robinson, a 50-year-old associate dean at the University of Lancashire from Preston, who has about three months of food at home, said prepping should reassure rather than increase panic and could free up support for vulnerable people, while urging the government to keep investing in infrastructure and emergency services and be more transparent about coming challenges. 1

Left · 1The Guardian's podcast, presented by Annie Kelly, asks whether prepping is needed, featuring Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at City St George's, University of London, on where UK preparedness falls short, and Ana, who inspects the presenter's own stockpile. 2