Wes Streeting urges Britons to stockpile cash, tinned food and water amid war and cyber attack fears

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 September 2026.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has urged British households to build up emergency supplies as the UK faces escalating threats from hostile attacks, severe weather and cyber warfare. He called for a "whole society approach" to national resilience, asking families to store cash, bottled water and tinned goods in case power outages or disruptions affect access to online banking. Streeting said the message was about being "alert not alarmed", citing the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as sources of supply chain vulnerability. The government has published an official emergency kit list to help households prepare.

Streeting urged families to consider whether they had sufficient supplies at home if they were unable to access their online banking.

Officials caution that ongoing conflicts and extreme weather have left petrol and food prices vulnerable to swings driven by global instability.

Nutritionists also recommend households lay in oats, rice and pasta, alongside tinned fish, peanut butter and kidney beans as protein and carbohydrate sources.